1000's exotics seized

[Chocolate Muffin's]

I refuse to take any ownership to this inhumane, dispicable business practice. I hope the herp community isnt affected, because this is not something 'we' did. This IS animal cruetlty and this IS illegal, immoral and unethical. These people broke the law, and I would never, ever take any remote ownership of that. Never

[Big Gunns]

Every single person on these merged threads believe exactly what was said by the people interviewed about this place. HMMMMMMM...wonder what everyone else thinks when they see something about Burmese Pythons on the loose(this is correct spelling) in Florida. They think exactly what all of you are thinking. Everything reported is the 100% truth. If we(BG isn't) are gonna do it, we can't complain when everyone else does.

This place may have been the worst place an animal could ever visit(hope not), but until BG sees all the evidence, he isn't gonna judge....."judge" just like we are being "judged" as reptile owners. "Judged" without all the true facts. Let's hope that the "true facts" are exactly what's reported about reptile keepers..... LIES and misinformation.

[ER12]

Interesting article on the recent seizure of 200,000+ exotic animals from a dealer in Arlington, TX.
http://pjboosinger.viviti.com/entrie...-case-on-point


From the last line of the Warrant issued for the seizure:

"Wherefore, the Affiant requests the humane euthanasia of all seized animals, as deemed necessary by a licensed veterinarian, in order to prevent suffering."

http://media.star-telegram.com/smedi...filiate.58.pdf

PETA is essentially ordering that all animals be euthanized. You all remember how PETA kills animals, right?

[snakemastercanada]

Strange that the inspection record is good up until the undercover PETA guy started to work there something strage about that i am sure.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_wel...074-B-0520.pdf

[MelissaFlipski]

In Arlington, TX, a large exotic animal breeder's warehouse was raided after authorities gave Arlington Animal Services information about the deplorable conditions. Very, very sad. This gives GOOD breeders a bad name. Not all breeders are like this.

Also, please remember there are animals that need rescuing out there. So think rescue first when you can.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-bea...-79361527.html

[WingedWolfPsion]

I think that rescue is being taken from bad conditions and placed in good conditions, and then going to a permanent home.
I do not think that rescue is being taken from bad conditions, and then killed.

[MarkS]

Interesting article on the recent seizure of 200,000+ exotic animals from a dealer in Arlington, TX.
http://pjboosinger.viviti.com/entrie...-case-on-point


From the last line of the Warrant issued for the seizure:

"Wherefore, the Affiant requests the humane euthanasia of all seized animals, as deemed necessary by a licensed veterinarian, in order to prevent suffering."

http://media.star-telegram.com/smedi...filiate.58.pdf

PETA is essentially ordering that all animals be euthanized. You all remember how PETA kills animals, right?

You're right, that is interesting. So this Mike Bass is an animal control officer? And he's requesting the confiscation and euthanasia of all animals (I'm assuming this is all 200,000 animals that were seized?) soley on the evidence supplied to him by the Confidential informant that was working for PETA? It'll be interesting to see how the court case goes... Of course all the animals will have been euthanized by the time this even sees the inside of a court room.

[MelissaFlipski]

I think that rescue is being taken from bad conditions and placed in good conditions, and then going to a permanent home.
I do not think that rescue is being taken from bad conditions, and then killed.

I agree. I certainly hope that rescue organizations will be involved for those animals strong enough to be rehabbed/placed. I know the Hedgehog Welfare Society (www.hedgehogwelfare.org) is shaking up their network to get transportation, donations, and foster homes.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

SLOW DOWN PEOPLE!!!!

You all are being WAY too quick to judge based on facts provided by ONE of the parties involved!!!

Shame on you!!!!



Someone could bust into my house right now and write the following story:


Hundreds Of Animals Rescued From Importer. Many Animals Were Dead Or Dying.


SPCA officials confiscated hundreds of dead and dying animals from the residence behind me. Peta Officials alerted the Florida SPCA after receiving a tip. When officials arrived they found their worst nightmare. Hundreds of dead or dying exotic animals.

The home owned by Michael Cavanaugh had hundreds and hundreds of African imported rats kept in the garage. They were kept in small storage tubs piled on top of one another with wire tops. upon further inspection investigators were able to identify half eaten rat carcasses in some of the tubs because the rats are starving. The disease that could easily come from dead animals laying around is a real threat to humans. Like most rodents, these imported African rats are known carriers of lethal diseases, and are already banned in most states. One of the rescuers was bitten by a rat that he said acted as though it had rabies, and is undergoing tests at Shands Jacksonville and is said to be in stable condition. "All these rodents in these small tubs dying of starvation, dead rats laying around, this is all a toxic situation"

Mr. Cavanaugh had over 100 imported Giant snakes throughout the house mostly in tiny storage tubs. Animal specialists don't know how these Giant snakes of the Ball Python species could survive much longer in such small tubs where the animal had very little room to move around, and could not even see outside of the tub to have the benefit of sun light. "Inside the tubs were snakes that looked very skinny and were obviously dying" said the expert, who could clearly see their spine. "Their was no food source inside the tubs... just a bowl with an inch or two of water. The bottoms of the tubs were lined with newsprint that can be lethal to reptiles. Several of the tubs had feces and urates in them." "Keeping large snakes in such a confined space with feces is disgustingly cruel, and just a disaster waiting to happen. It's not IF it will happen but WHEN!" according to one peta official.

"We looked in one room where he had turned a modified cooler into a makeshift incubator. Inside were over 50 hatchling Ball Pythons (like the one that killed a girl in South Florida) each small tub had 5 to 10 hatchlings in it, and all looked on the verge of death skinny as if they have never been fed. Again, no food source in the tubs, just wet paper towels. And to top it all off, this incubator was in his 11 year old sons room!!!" said the Peta official.

He also had many other species of exotic reptiles including imported leopard geckos, crested geckos, cornsnakes, and even deadly poisonous coral snakes that he didn't even have the proper licenses to own!

One neighbor who didn't want her name listed said "we had no idea that there were thousands of animals suffering in that house. He seemed like a normal guy who kept to himself. I sure am glad they caught him. Certainly it was only a matter of time till one of those giant snakes escaped and killed someone like in South Florida last year" Another neighbor was quoted as saying "To know that he had a potentially deadly colony of these diseased African rats is just unbelievable. Shut him down NOW. To think there were children living in such unsanitary conditions is absolutely criminal. I know for a fact that one bite from one of those coral snakes and you are DEAD!


In case you didn't know:

* Any time you produce large numbers of ASF's, you will end up with some babies that just don't make it... Anytime an ASF dies, the other ASF's will begin to eat it, usually immediately. This has NOTHING to do with a lack of food. Obviously I will remove the carcass as soon as I see them, but often times it is eaten within just a few hours, only leaving a little bit of the hair behind. Also, it is quite common for especially newer moms to eat a few kids.

* When you have a hundred snakes, at any given time there will be a few tubs with poop and urates in it. Unfortunately there is no alarm that sounds the instant a snake poops.

* Most uneducated people consider the way most of us keep snakes to be inhumane...

* All non snake people, and most snake people, mistake my Arizona Mountain Kingsnake as a Coral Snake.

[Shawn]

very good post Mike hopefully some others will see what you are saying. yourself and our modern day hero BG have made very good points.