Allen Belcher / Big Daddy's Wholesale ... WARNING

Allen, I am the guy who suggested mold. I still suggest mold based on the pictures I see. I have made an outline myself of two pictures. I did not include the corn snake trying really hard not to touch the bottom of the cage, but that is not fresh spilled water when a corn snake sits on a bowl the way that your corn snake is.


Allen, do you care for the health and well being of your animals? They are your animals, money you spent, did you get after Bryon for not doing his job cleaning cages? Did you chew him out and then walk away from the animals looking that bad? Did you at all look in the cages to make sure the animals were in good health? You have a lot of money invested in reptiles, yet YOU allowed the cages to look this bad.

4 some animals die every week in your care? You have 4 regurges every week? That there tells me you do not care. I care for over 100 animals, it is not an impossible job, but it is hard work, I am lucky my wife is around and helps out. I question the regurging snakes, that is awful, no one should have that many regurging every week. I understand a few sick every other month because of so many going in and out, but every week? That is WAY to much.

As a businessman and employer, it is YOUR job to insure that these animals are cared for in the best way possible. It is YOUR job to make sure the cages are clean, the animals are fed, and the animals are healthy. YOUR lack of responsibility is the reason you have dying animals, sick animals, and employees calling you out to explain yourself.

This whole deal is all he said/he said talk, but one has pictures. Allen, why do you not come here and tell us what is really going on without making a bunch of excuses and passing the buck.

Hey Guys,
I need some help. Laura Cox first raised the concern about whether Bryon had tried to report Allen to an animal control agency in post #17. I raised the issue again in my first post, #27 (if you think I've been biased, please read that one .. thanks), and implored Bryon to contact any local or state agency that may have jurisdiction. Since then, many others have recommended the same, or asked Bryon. The timing indicates that Bryon came here to the BOI no more than one day after his last day of work (he says "yesterday we laid sewer pipe" early on in the thread). I have no recollection of Bryon informing the thread as to his actions regarding government agencies. I realize it was the weekend, but has he addressed this concern? Mentioned intentions about it? Which post(s)? Thanks.

I don't wish to be a Devil's Advocate..... But a state Agency is the Last place you want to call!!!! If animal controls comes in, It will be all over the TV and newspaper, they will say that everyone, beside this person, keeps animals in that manner. This should be handled by other Herpers, not a state agency. It will only give them more power to shut down other hobbyists in that state. It's happen else where!!

Originally Posted by Chamco

I only said it three times because its a pretty name ... and I was exhaling !!

LOL, well thank you...personally I hate it. I really wish it was longer...

Originally Posted by Chamco

Allen's a business man, and while I see it as a compliment in ways, I don't think that he needed my hints, if that's what they were. But I thank you. I also thank you for reading some of my earlier posts.

...

But being as Bryon chose this stage in all its public heraldry, what can I say .....

True, Allen is male, and does own at least one business, but to say that he is a businessman may or may not be entirely true. Personally, my definition of a businessman is one who knows his business, knows it well, and succeeds in a dignified manner. All others fall into various other categories


But, I do understand your point about Bryon making a choice to post in a public forum and face all repercussions...yada yada yada.

One bit that is troublesome about all of this is the fact that Bryon posted all of these pictures because (the gist of his words) he felt the animals were suffering and wanted something to be done about it. Posting this on the BOI is great to let all of the unsuspecting people (again assuming all of this is true, pics are accurate, etc) from purchasing less than healthy animals, thus funding more animals the same fate. But, as many people have said and has yet to be answered, Bryon, have you notified the proper authorities to help these animals? If the answer is no, than that does not make your intentions look very pure.

Ron, I see your point about the authorities, but that seems to be a double-edged sword. True, we get enough of this on the news already, especially in Florida, but do we let the (alleged) horrid conditions continue because we don't want to risk our own hobby/business/pets? While ultimately, the best thing would be for some unbiased and local person to help with this, are the parties going to agree to this? Even if Allen gets his act cleaned up now, how long will it last? Who is going to police this? Should these animals suffer because of this? It's a tough call.

Ron, I respect your opinion, but just don't agree. There's probably at least 5 different recommendations in the thread that they be contacted. Anybody else able to help me? I'm not trying to report Allen, just find out if Bryon has mentioned anything relative to it.

I don't live in Alabama. If I did, I would be knocking on this gentleman's door about six hours ago. I don't believe letting a state agency handle everything in life. Sure, I likethe fact my tax dollars pays for Firemen and police to keep everyone safe. I don't like the idea they can come into your home and just take stuff cause they were "called".
What needs to happen is a few herpers from his area, approach him and try to get a handle on those horrible HORRIBLE conditions the animals are being kept in. The last thing that needs to happen is having the State come in and make a federal case of it.
I am not Anit government... but I know they will use this to help push laws from keeping reptiles.

Jim

Here is your answer :

Anything that happened in the last 6 weeks between me and Allen was just that , no witnesses. This will be a he said , he said thing. Did I blindside Allen? Yup. Same as I would have with anyone else. Does Allen know that I would? YES . I've known Allen for well over a year , did allot of biz through his shop , talked to him personally many times. Allen knew the kind of guy that I am , thats why HE called ME to come work for him. I keep it real with any job I have , Allen knew that . If its wrong I let it be known its wrong. I did this with Allen on numerous occasions. Anyone here can guess what I was feeling when I started this. I'll tell you what I was feeling. I went to work everyday and busted my ass for a guy that just refused to listen to someone who knew what he was doing. I did this until I realized that I was talking to myself to hear my own voice.

I spent 1 1/2 with Allen going over his plans and job duties and pay. Extra duties were added and when I brought up to Allen that it should reflect in my check it got shot down. The reason I left was because I personally was taken advantage of by Allen. I watched and listened as he did deals . I heard him and falsify to get a deal . He told of calling DNR on a seller to get a batch of morphs for free. I lost respect for Allen over this 6 week period . I've seen him do things I didn't agree with , say things I didn't agree with and take advantage of every situation right or wrong. These are the reasons I left.And I kept this personal between me and Allen . It didn't belong here.

I did have emotions running high when I started this thread because I was tired of watching animals lay in filth , fall over dead , share a tub with a rotting corpse , etc. I've cried over the thought of animals that I love being treated this way and guy that dictates his company just didn't show any concern. Did I do this as vengeance thing? NO . I did this to stop the BS. I did this because its wrong to treat defenseless animals that way. I did this because it was the RIGHT DAMN THING TO DO. I brought these conditions up , i offered advice , I did the best I possibly could given the situation. DAMNIT I COULD NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!

As many of the tubs that I took pics of I cleaned . I did with it tears in my eyes. I did all of this knowing that I could pay a very price but I did it not for a pat on the back or to be a white knight. I did it because someone needed to be a voice for those that cannot speak for themselves. I did this so no one would have a terrible first experience coming into this hobby. I did this because a man with more money than caring was letting these animals die.

I've looked in Allen's eyes many times I've seen only dollar signs looking back at me. Everyone and everything is a potential paycheck to this man. He lifted barely a finger to help me or those animals in his care.

As for Allen , you never loaned me money. I came to work with less than $20 in my pocket . You were kind enough to front me $100 from my next check to get through X-mas. For that I will always be thankful for that kindness but it was settled up in my check. If you had so many probs with me then why did you ask me back twice? If those were real poss hets in that tank then why wasn't I told this BEFORE there was a possibility of mixing them up? You know you gave me free reign to take pics of any animals we had for any reason.

As far as your " quarantine " you only have 2 41 qt racks , those animals are in the 3rd tub in the rack on the left right next to your " prize " breeders.

Allen , any issues I had with you I kept private . Bringing my personal issues into this was bad form . You already admitted to marking normals as poss hets so how are you OK with customers getting exactly what they paid for? You know you went behind my back on those 2 deals in Atlanta. I did as you asked and you screwed on me on both. As far as the first " issue " of me making a deal , it was at a vendors table in Columbia , I asked to buy an animal at their asking price. No deals , I wanted the animal, customer to vendor. I kept to everything you asked of me. I worked hard and did the best I could . I never failed you , YOU failed me. You took away any trust and respect I had for you.

Was this thread personal? NO , I'd do it to anyone that treated animals that way . I kept my personal issues where they belonged, between me and Allen.

I apologize for anything harsh , I had to bring emotions up to give the answer ya'll wanted. There it is. I have nothing to gain by this and everything to loose. I have no reason to lie. I have 2 things as a constannt in this world, my word and reputation to do what I said I would.

I'm waiting on call backs now. I live in GA and Allen in AL . I have folks helpig me find the proper people to to turn this over to. Its been very hectic the last few days and I can't move fast enough on everything.

This is the pic for the quarantine comment. On the right is the first 41 qt rack that he threw the new animals in not 2 feet from his breeding rack. Call it what you want.

ok, I am a little behind on this thread, but on page18 Allen states that he has several snakes regurge every week.What?! If they are HEALTHY they should NEVER regurge. I have kept snakes for eight years now and you wanna know how many snakes I have had regurge in this period? ONE. In eight years. Not several a week. Something is definitely wrong with his husbandry, he just admitted it. And quarantining together? What in the world?!?!? Part of the REASON beind quaranting is so that OTHER animals do not get sick. If you have numerous new snakes in a cage you cant tell which one (if any) is ill AND you just infected the whole lot! Great thinking there Allen.