Drew Desjardins shows students a blue-tongued skink during an assembly in January 2024 at Saint Dominic Academy in Lewiston. The owner of Mr. Drew and His Animals, Too in Lewiston held an exotic animals show for students during Catholic Schools Week. Desjardins announced this week he will have to find a new home for his business. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal file

LEWISTON — Once again, Mr. Drew and His Animals, Too is looking for a new home.

Drew Desjardins, owner of the business, announced on Monday that he has been told that he needs to leave his spacious spot at the Lewiston Mall by the end of July.

The exotic animal rescue and public exhibit has only been at the Lewiston Mall since 2023 after he was forced out a location at the Pepperell Mill.

For those two years, with extra space available to him, Desjardins has expanded the number of exhibits and educational programs available to the public.

But two weeks ago, Desjardins said, he was told by the owners of the Lewiston Mall that changes are in the works for the East Avenue complex and that Mr. Drew and His Animals, Too, doesn’t fit into those plans.

For Desjardins, it was another setback after a series of several that began at the start of the decade.

But he was vowing that the latest news is not the end of his freakishly popular exhibits.

“We are not giving up,” Desjardins said, in a 17 minute video published to Facebook early Monday night. “Mrs. Drew and I have created something that is so unique to Maine; so unique to the community. Natural science meets the community, that’s what we are. We’re still going to do that. We’re not done. I survived the pandemic by adapting and changing.”

When he was forced to vacate the Pepperell Mill in the winter of 2023, Desjardins’ plans for a new location were bolstered by massive support from the public, including financial donations that helped him make the move to the mall, lizards, snakes, birds, scorpions and all.

By all appearance, similar support will be forthcoming this time. Shortly after the news about this latest upheaval was announced on Monday, several people reacted to the news and vowed to stick with Desjardins through the ordeal.

“Everyone loves Mr. Drew and His Animals Too,” wrote Pamela Penney of Poland, who vowed to help raise money for the move.

“You’re such an amazing beautiful bright soul and you blessed the whole community,” wrote Katelyn Ames of Dixfield. “I would go anywhere to see you and your reptile babies.”

Within an hour, nearly 300 people had weighed in with similar words of adoration and support.