Steve Markevich/ Serpent's Den

Originally Posted by TripleMoonsExotic

I responded to you because you falsely stated that I said "a city newspaper is complete hearsay." Perhaps you didn't mean to quote me? My opinion on the matter stands; there's no reason for you to argue with me about my opinion and pull attention away from the issue.

Are you completely delusional? The article and its validity are the issues here and are what I HAVE been talking about.

Wow.

i also forgot to mention that Steves, animals,cages and his personal belongings were taken
before April 21st. which was prior to any type of eviction notice.
fact is hes a stand up guy, who takes care of his animals and his customers!

Originally Posted by 3toe

i also forgot to mention that Steves, animals,cages and his personal belongings were taken
before April 21st. which was prior to any type of eviction notice.
fact is hes a stand up guy, who takes care of his animals and his customers!

Steve may be a stand up guy in your eyes, seems that the fact is he abandoned snakes in plastic containers and left them to die, there were snakes roaming at large in a public place of business and he was operating a business without the proper license.

Those appear to be the real facts, I hope Steve will prove this wrong.

In all honesty, if I was in as big of a bind as Steve states he was in, in his email, I think I would have cut my losses and started trying to sell all those herps well below market value just to try to get ahead or at least stay afloat. Then again, I'm no business major. But if he saw it coming, why did he hook up the generator and try to keep running out of the building knowing the landlord wanted him out? I just don't understand I guess.

I purchased boas from Steve on 2 occaisions. Arrived on 2/20/08 and 3/18/08. They were in excellent health and the shipping and packaging was excellent/very professionally done. Seems to be durring the time Steve had left his animals abandoned for 3 months. This is the first I've heard about all this. The facts I've just related don't support the newspaper story.
Steve is an OK guy and I wouldn't hesitate to buy again from him.

Do need to post my name --
John Crickmer
Austin, TX

In order to remove animals from his facility Steve would have had to have someplace to move them to. Relocating that many animals also takes time.

Steve does not mention an eviction notice just that the landlord was taking him to court (probably for the eviction proceedings). So he may have felt he had some time to do this. Once the electric was disconnected he would have had to provide heat for them somehow. He stated he was using propane heaters in addition to a generator.

The timeline Steve provides that the animals left at the store that had not been relocated was April 16th (when he was arrested and his GF asked to move the animals) to April 21st (the day they came to take the "neglected/abandoned animals). That is five days. Five days that they might not have had their water changed and most likely were put into temporary housing in order to move them. Thus explaining to those of us who care for these animals an explanation for their "sub-standard" housing.

The authorities turned off the generator. I asked Steve if they had turned off the propane heaters also, as if they did, they created the very conditions they came to the "rescue" of: conditions conducive to RI and death to a reptile. He hasn't had a chance to get back to me yet, but if they did turn off the only heat in the building, knowing it was used to house and maintain reptiles I feel that makes the so called authorities entirely culpable for the health situation described in the article.

Would I have done things entirely the way Steve seems to have? I do not know as I have never been in a situation such as that and I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

Also, as for the large Boa being loose in the building, I've had a couple of mine escape from locked enclosures I could have sworn Houdini couldn't get out of so it is entirely within the realm of possibility there was no "neglect" in that instance either.

You notice they do not mention any of the venomous species being loose and I don't know about the laws in that area, but here you must transport all venomous reptiles in a wooden crate (made to certain specifications) even if it' just to the Vets.

Originally Posted by LakesideBoas

In order to remove animals from his facility Steve would have had to have someplace to move them to. Relocating that many animals also takes time.

Steve does not mention an eviction notice just that the landlord was taking him to court (probably for the eviction proceedings). So he may have felt he had some time to do this. Once the electric was disconnected he would have had to provide heat for them somehow. He stated he was using propane heaters in addition to a generator.

The timeline Steve provides that the animals left at the store that had not been relocated was April 16th (when he was arrested and his GF asked to move the animals) to April 21st (the day they came to take the "neglected/abandoned animals). That is five days. Five days that they might not have had their water changed and most likely were put into temporary housing in order to move them. Thus explaining to those of us who care for these animals an explanation for their "sub-standard" housing.

The authorities turned off the generator. I asked Steve if they had turned off the propane heaters also, as if they did, they created the very conditions they came to the "rescue" of: conditions conducive to RI and death to a reptile. He hasn't had a chance to get back to me yet, but if they did turn off the only heat in the building, knowing it was used to house and maintain reptiles I feel that makes the so called authorities entirely culpable for the health situation described in the article.

Would I have done things entirely the way Steve seems to have? I do not know as I have never been in a situation such as that and I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

Really? The authorities are to blame? That's an interesting hypothesis, are they also to blame for his failure to pay taxes, rent, utilities or child support? I don't have anything against Steve, never met him, but seriously while reading his e-mail he blames everyone but himself for his problems.

Removing the other variables and sticking with the 5 days between when his GF "started to move the animals" and when he say's they were "stolen" by his landlord and the authorities, do you think that maybe her top priority should have been getting the animals out that same day? She waited 5 days between starting to remove them and when she found them "stolen"? Knowing they had no electricity, but still left there for 5 days.... And that makes the "authorities entirely culpable " ?

Did I not put a disclaimer of sorts at the end of my post?

I am not Steve, I have no reason to judge him for not paying his taxes, electricity or building rental.

I was trying to point out the way things might have been turned in the article.

If things were so horrid there the local news media would have been there with bells on at the outset.

In 1993 while I was working for the Humane Society we had to "rescue" 106 cats from a house that had been condemned by the health department (it was hardly a rescue, most of the animals were dead or dying). The old lady who lived there was moved to an assisted living facility (and I did not judge her either).

Upon our initial inspection where we determined that we would have to have breathing apparatus dontated for use that day by the local fire department (as no one person could stay in the house longer than 10 minutes even with it) the local news media arrived before we did.

This one waited a year?

Yes, they are culpable if they did turn off the only heat in the building. You don't have to agree with that assessment.

If I create the conditions conducive to causing a percieved problem, I can hardly call it a "rescue" when I liberate those animals from that problem.