1000's exotics seized

[Vypyrz]

Somehow, I think they just got the season finale for Animal Cops...

[Big Gunns]

Those people deserve to go to jail for keeping those animals in such harsh conditions. I do completely disagree with the reporter's interview guy and say that anyone should be able to own any animal, as long as the husbandry is what the animal needs.

Don't be so sure that what you see on the news is the truth. Big Gunns knows another breeder with a pet business that was raided and they said some of the same things(not Maryland). They took containers out of an incubator with hatching snakes and said. "They had babies hatching out with no water and left to die". They did get their animals back, but it took a while.

You guys are doing exactly what we complain everyone else does. You're believing what you see on the news.

However, like BG stated on the other thread about HSUS. Unfortunately, there is some truth to what happens at importers.

[Blue Apple Herps]

It is unfortunate. But lets be optimistic. There are lots of puppy mills busted and things like that, yet we don't see people calling for bans on all dogs.

I don't think it makes us as a community look bad, it makes the people who did it look bad.

[BPelizabeth]

Well I think that there is a little good news with this. At least the animals that are alive will be saved and hopefully go to a place where they can be cared for properly.

I do think however that news like this only hurts us. You can tell 100 positive exotic animal stories and 1 bad one...what do you think is going to stick!

[Big Gunns]

Read between the lines people. How many of you keep your snake exactly like this? "such as snakes in a 72-degree room with a lamp over them, which is not enough heat and could cause them to die."

This sounds like a Freedom breeder to Big Gunns. "Hundreds of rodents were crammed in small containers covered with wire,"

Again, are they supposed to jump out on their own, or does it take some time to unpack them? "and there were numerous stacked shipping containers still holding turtles and other reptiles that had been sent to the company,"

Listen, although BG doesn't exactly like the practice of importing huge numbers of animals(BG is "actually" against it himself nowadays..there are enough breeders of lots of animals), this case may not be exactly what it seems.

What this case should say to everyone who import/exports large numbers of exotic animals(BG doesn't) is this. You really better be on your toes, because you could easily be next.

[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.

[nixer]

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.

mike you got busted too?

[cobweb2000]

Well I think that there is a little good news with this. At least the animals that are alive will be saved and hopefully go to a place where they can be cared for properly.

Several rat rescues in Dallas and surrounding areas are prepared to take the Norway rats pending the outcome of the hearing. Local ferret rescues are also onboard and attempts are being made to make arrangements for the other small mammals. I don't belong to any other herp boards so I have no idea if any rescues will be helping the reptiles.

Hopefully any animals regardless of species that are healthy enough to be rehabbed and rehomed will be.