20,000 exotic animals seized in Texas raid

[wordpix]

Source: MSNBC

Official: Pets were ‘not fed properly, overcrowded and attacking each other’

ARLINGTON, Texas - Starving snakes, dead rodents and hundreds of reptiles packed in shipping crates were discovered Tuesday when animal welfare groups in Texas raided an exotic animal delivery company, officials said.

Dozens of people with the city of Arlington, SPCA of Texas and the Humane Society of North Texas took inventory of the animals — estimated at 20,000 — and removed them from U.S. Global Exotics. The Arlington-based company, which advertises that it delivers exotic animals worldwide, did not respond to a phone message seeking comment, and its Web site was taken down Tuesday afternoon. snip

A hearing will be held within 10 days to determine if the animals will be returned to the company or stay in the care of the animal welfare groups, Sabatucci said. The city is considering filing criminal charges against the owner, he said.

The city was tipped off recently by federal officials who had executed a warrant for another violation and reported concerns about the animals' conditions, Sabatucci said.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34442754/ns/us_news-life/

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How idiotic that the city would even consider returning what live animals remain to this criminal company. If I were in charge, they could get the dead ones back, rotting and smelling, to remind them why they're NOT getting the live ones.

This type of enterprise should be illegal, anyway. :puke:

[A-Long-Little-Doggie]

1. Rescue organizations always have to have a court order

to take permanent possession of seized animals. I don't think you need to worry about the animals being returned.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. You would be surprised.

My sister was involved with the Primarily Primate action that happened a few years back there in Texas. After documenting many, many problems there -- including the owner shooting an ailing chimp in the head to kill it -- the court returned the animals/facilkity to the care of the owner (who happens to be a drunk).

Texas pretty much stinks when it comes to animal welfare.

[Mopar151]

7. I must see the exception on "Animal Cops - Huston"

But one of their lead investigators (Max Mixon?) says "Everybody in Texas thinks they should have a horse. They're not all right."

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Texas is a hotbed of this sort of shit.

They have incredibly lax rules when it comes to animals, especially exotics, down there -- my sister is a rehaber and speaks about the problem often. Any yahoo can own just about any type of animal they want with very little regulation or oversight. Texas is also home to canned hunting of exotics. :mad:

[hmorehead]

4. Every state in the union has "puppy mills", Jack, and a lot of zoos are pretty sad and disgusting.

Clean your own state, first.

[superconnected]

5. All of the other 49 states are far cleaner than Texas. Texas still euthanizes 1/4th of all animals

euthanized each year in shelters in the United States.

Time for Texans to find out what spaying and neutering means. But, I can see from your attitude that you don't care to clean your own house.

[WriteDown]

10. See post 9 for my personal experiences. nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. Sorry the turth hurts your --

Texas sensibilities, but my sister is on the front line of this issue down there and knows of what she speaks.

My State has some of most strict regulations on exotics and is moving on to regulation of animal farming. Maybe Texas could take a lesson from our lead.

[WriteDown]

9. Makes sense...

I live in a hispanic neighborhood and you'd think that leashes are poison. My neighbors across from me moved away and left their beautiful white pit bull in the backyard. When they came back to get something I asked about the dog. The young kid (20ish) told me that they had just called animal control to pick her up. Some peoples attitudes toward dogs and cats are just sick.

[Mopar151]

12. Well, I live in New England

We are net importers of rescued animals, because spay and neuter works so well here. We are not without our problems - but they are mostly hoarders whose obsession gets away from them (like the house full of ShiTuzus that had to be condemmed, once they got the dogs out - naztee!)

[WriteDown]

11. I have a little problem with banning exotics since I breed

quite few (reptiles and amphibians). I do think it should be heavily regulated though.

[Lorien]

16. Yep. Florida is pretty awful about this too, but Texas takes the cake

why canned hunts or tigers as pets (which often end up in canned hunts) are still legal defies all logic and reason.

[WriteDown]

18. We have less wild retics and bumese pythons though...

:). I've thought about coming to FL and trying to do some wild collecting. Retics are pretty nasty, but burmese can be interesting.

[WriteDown]

8. I've heard of Global Exotics...

Almost bought some toads from them last year. Glad I didn't.

[Mopar151]

14. Bad business too!

Why would you treat expensive animals like this? Is there an "stupidity" defense?

I just read an excellent book called "Zoo Vet" - great stories, funny and touching. But what he had to say about performing animals in the Far East was illuminating - that much of the maltreatment had to do with resentment of the animals by financial backers of the tours.

[WriteDown]

15. Importers are hit and miss....

They'll import 100's or thousands of collected specimens. Usually full of parasites. They try to sell them quickly and spend as little on the care as possible to try and profit. The margins are pretty thin on that stuff so its a tough business to be in.

[WriteDown]

17. Kicking back up to the top. nt

[douglas9]

13. Affidavit: PETA informant's tips led to Arlington animal seizure

ARLINGTON -- A veterinary technician working undercover for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals at U.S. Global Exotics in north Arlington documented the mistreatment and deaths of thousands of animals, many which he said were kept in cramped containers without food and water for more than a week.

The PETA insider, interviewed by Arlington animal welfare officials last week, detailed numerous examples of cruelty he observed during the past seven months at the Internet-based exotic animal wholesaler, located in the 1000 block of Oakmead Drive.

On Tuesday, Arlington Animal Services, along with the Humane Society of North Texas and the SPCA, raided the business and seized more than 20,000 animals, ranging from tiny frogs and turtles to sloths and kinkajous. Workers, who said the smell of death inside the one-story tan building was overwhelming, also removed hundreds of carcasses.

Arlington Animal Services interviewed the confidential informant Dec. 9 after being asked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department to investigate whether animals at the location were being treated cruelly, according to an affidavit released by the city Wednesday.

http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1834581.html

[Coventina]

19. Oh wait, PETA was involved? Nevermind, then. Return the animals

because we all know PETA never does anything good!

It has to be all a scam, somehow!

[127]

20. what an exceptionally well thought out comment Coventina....

PETA gets a bad rap, but many times they make personal sacrifices and take personal risk to expose horrific treatment of animals like this.

Animals are very much just like children, they feel fear, they don't want to be harmed, they want food, water, warmth, love, caring, nurturing... just like children.

The difference is they can't voice their fears and suffering. And they have no one looking out for them.

Thank God for PETA.

It's easy to be a coward on your couch doing nothing to benefit the world. Not so easy to go out and fight the good fight.

[Haole Girl]

21. You created a username just to kick this from Dec. 16th?

I mean, this was your first post, right? :shrug:

[TexasObserver]

22. The sale of exotic animals is cruelty to animals.

[BenjaminFranklin]

23. bump

People are stupid.