Sheila Topp/Shelialovesanimals BAD! BAD! VERY BAD!

Oh I forgot something...the icing on the cake? I now even have a phone number for Sheila! I didn't call it yet. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the case I'm filing against her (and have her say I was harassing her). Anyone care to guess where I found the phone #? On a public message board! That's right, miss Sheila posted a message a couple months ago, begging to adopt a Uromastyx that someone had up for adoption. Luckily, it did not appear to get adopted to her based on the other messages I read.

FYI, the Uro is alert and having breakfast, still improving, and has gained 1 gram (weighed both times on an empty stomach) since I received her Wednesday and pooped overnight, poo appears to be somewhat normal.

Good job Aprylla. Keep it up. I'm glad that uro is with you.

I'm glad to see the poor thing is in better hands. Sounds like this Sheila person is a loony. I feel sorry for that poor uro having to go through all that. Hopefully it responds well in your care, and Sheila gets what she deserves.

I just received an interesting e-mail from another person that Sheila sent half dead corn snakes to, totally improperly packaged and near death. They are both still alive, but one may not make it. She also sent them similar e-mails to what she sent me. Needless to say, my transaction with her obviously wasn;t an isolated incident.

If the person who e-mailed this to me wants to post their expereince here, that would be great. To the person who e-mailed me about the corn snakes, I will be e-mailing you back soon with all the details regarding Sheila and all the info you asked about.

looks like sheila messed with the wrong person. Many of us wouldn't have the energy to put up with her crap let alone push forward to ensure it doesn't happen to anyone else. It must be rather exhausting for you to try to get the evidence together, deal with her abuse and tend to a sick animal all at once (and carry on with the other aspects of your life).
you are amazing

I own my own business and am able to take time (when necessary) to handle other things in my life. I'm definitey not "amazing" LOL, just lucky that I am able to take a little time away from my business when I need to and have a great fiancee that is able to help me handle things on the homefront if needed (and I am pretty good with time-mamangement, ha ha). I also have a decent collection of other snakes and lizards which seems like a full-time job in itsself sometimes (especially when I have 2 sick animals like to do now, I have both the Uro and a 9 foot redtail boa that was given to me almost 3 weeks ago with a severe URI, thin, mouthrot, and a nose-rub from a chicken-wire cage that left her with basically only 1/2 of a nose). Luckily, by the time I got the Uro that needed care all I am having to do with the boa is keep her enclosure temp up (the URI is almost gone), check her mouth and clean it out once a day, and apply antibiotic cream to her nose twice daily.

But, I am starting to think I run a home for wayward reptiles. LOL

Thanks again to everyone for all of the support that I have received on this board and through e-mails.

Oh yeah, by this time tomorrow the undeserved "negative feedback" that Miss Sheila left for me on Reptibid will have gone the way of the coo-coo bird (it is being removed due to this situation after the Reptibid Admin/Webmaster became aware of the problem).

Thanks to something my mother said about the Uro, he has been given a new name (yes, I am pretty sure its a HE too, LOL). My mother saw him this morning for the first time (and heard the whole story) and said "well now he's living the life of Riley". Thus, the Mali Uro's new name is Riley.

Haven't heard that one since my grandfather passed away....Great name! and Kudos to you for doing so much without losing your sense of humour, and patience !

greg

This is the first time I have posted to a thread, so I hope I am doing it correctly. This is the story in the e-mail that Aprylla referred to earlier.

At the same time Aprylla was purchasing the Uro, Matt and I were purchasing two cornsnakes from Shiela. She was charging us shipping costs for both snakes so we questioned why she would not combine them into one box to save on the costs. She raked us over the coals through several e-mails about it and threatened negative feedback on Reptibid. We decided the quoted prices would probably barely cover the shipping anyway and went ahead and paid it. She said that she would ship overnight in proper packaging. However, when the snakes arrived on Tuesday (1/4, I think the high temp in Denver that day got to 12 degrees), they were not in an insulated box, there were two 4 hour hot hands (the ones used as hand warmers) included, one of the containers housing the snakes did not have air holes in it, and their condition was such that we thought they were dead. One was stuck to the bottom of the container, and neither of them were moving. They were extremely cold, and one was hard. Matt put them in the snake room which is kept at about 75 degrees and went to run an errand. When he returned, he found both of them moving. Needless to say, we have been following the advice of the vet and babying them ever since in hopes that they will make it. So far, so good.

Of course, we sent Mrs. Topp an e-mail and have been inundated with unbelievable e-mails from her ever since. Our story is quite similar to Aprylla's in that regard. One e-mail is vulgar, ridiculous, and threatening followed by another that is apologetic and sympathy seeking. We have been receiving anywhere from five to ten per day. I realize that adding this commentary will probably increase the intensity of her wrath, but Matt and I think that this needed to be told so all can see that this is common practice for Mrs. Topp.

I am very glad to hear that the Uro is doing better. The two cornsnakes we received are in good hands. One is doing well, and the other is still thin, but seems to be responding well. I just hope there is some way to rescue any additional animals that Shiela might still have in her possession.

Thank you, Aprylla, for all of your efforts.

Karen Shaughnessy and Matt Hiller

At first I was really hoping this was just her kid that was getting into her email or what not and using her name. But now I really think it is this woman and she has serious mental issues. I hope some one can contact proper people, get her to stop harrassing everyone, get her out of the reptile buz, and get her help. It was funny as heck first but now I feel alot of pity for this woman. She has got to be sick. No one goes from somewhat normal, crazy and then back. Could it be a form of turets syndrome? Sorry, have no idea how to spell that.
I wish everyone luck who has purchased her animals!

interesting, BUT SCARY check out these links.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/opps/opp179459.html
http://www.volunteermatch.org/opps/opp90310.html

look in the "Ten most recent volunteers expressing interest in this activity" section for both. notice that its in FL also.