By Josh Babcock, College of Veterinary Medicine
Inside a 13- by 15-foot space in Dr. Nickol Finch’s backyard, 32 snakes slither.
The ball pythons Jerry, Cyndi, Huey and Lita, to name a few are named after ‘80s rockers.
For the sand boas Bo, Daisy, Luke and Jessie it’s the Dukes of Hazzard.
The structure, just 20 feet from Dr. Finch’s front door, is one half of Snake Haus the only nonprofit animal sanctuary in Washington and Idaho known for specializing in snakes.
Fully insulated and equipped with power, the sanctuary, and Dr. Finch (’01), an exotics veterinarian at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, are a lifeline for the snakes.