Over 130 Animals Seized From Westchester Teen

http://wcbstv.com/local/local_story_346144445.html

...Sigh....

Sad, very sad.

im very sorry to see this... His heart was in the right place, but his brain must have gone out for a walk...

Its too bad.

Over 130 Animals Seized From Westchester Teen
17-Year-Old Kept Exotic Animals Caged In Deplorable Conditions In Make-Shift Care Center
Image

Tony Aiello
Reporting

(CBS) POUND RIDGE, N.Y. The Westchester Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is looking for good homes for dozens of animals, rescued from a make-shift animal welfare center run by a 17-year old.

There's a cat missing a paw, and another with feline AIDS, along with a mouse with a stomach tumor and a bearded dragon lizard suffering from dehydration.

All told, 137 animals were rescued from a building at 24 Westchester Avenue, rented by a 17-year old who fancied himself an animal rescuer. Taking in an abundance of animals for care, but improperly caring for them is also known as "animal hoarding." Most hoarders don't realize they're doing something wrong, and believe they're actually helping the animals out by taking them in.

"It appears he tried to do, with the best of intentions, to save any animal that came his way," said Deborah Mehne, board chairman of the Westchester SPCA. "Many of the animals were from other rescue groups.

Mehne said the intention was good, but the consequence was cruelty. The facility was filthy, and many of the animals suffered from starvation and dehydration.

Mehne said the 17-year old "was completely overwhelmed, out of his league, out of funds, and the result is the biggest seizure of animals we've ever seen."

The 17-year old was trying to care for more almost 40 geese and chickens, 35 pigeons, five peacocks, 17 cats and kittens, a prairie dog, and more than a dozen lizards and turtles. He was renting space in someone's home to care for the animals, but the homeowner claims to have no idea that the animals were not being properly cared for.

"If you don't have a support system in place, you're overwhelmed, and then you're embarrassed," said Chris Cooper, an animal expert at the Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center. "Then you don't want to say anything, afraid you'll be accused of not caring for the animals properly."

Agents also uncovered syringes where the caretaker had taken action to self-medicate the animals.

Cooper now is helping to care for some of the exotic pets rescued from the Pound Ridge facility. He's nursing four bearded dragon lizards back to health, including one whose front paws were bitten off at some point.

Other animals seized from the home include rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, chameleons, Australian squirrels, hamsters, diamond doves, cockatiels, love birds, chickens/roosters, and many geese and other waterfowl.

"These guys take a long time to get ill, and it takes a long time for them to recover," Cooper said.

According to the Westchester SPCA, this is the largest and most diverse animal seizure for them.

Caring for so many animals is straining the Westchester SPCA budget. Anyone who can donate, or adopt, is urged to do so.

Cruelty investigators do not anticipate filing charges against the teen.

Anyone interested in caring for the animals can contact the SPCA of Westchester at 914-941-2896 or can click here for more information.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Hopefully the animals will make a speedy recovery, and live happy healthy lives.

That BD on the right side really got me. Really sad.

Here's the conclusion to the story, no charges are going to be filed.

A Westchester teenager who got in over his head trying to care for 150 homeless and injured animals will not face criminal charges, officials said.

The teen, now 18, kept an array of animals on a rented fenced-in property in Pound Ridge - everything from South American squirrels and a Russian tortoise to lizards, cats and rabbits.

He was unable to tend for so many creatures by himself, and the animals ended up living in filthy conditions.

When agents from the SPCA's Humane Law Enforcement Division seized the animals last month, they said they "witnessed numerous counts of animal cruelty and neglect." Authorities have said the case appeared to be about a well-meaning teenager who got in over his head while taking in animals from various rescue groups. The teen's name was not released.

Link to Article

I can't understand why they won't release his name, so that in case he starts to "collect" again maybe someone would notice.......

Apparently they base it on the age of the person when the violation occurred. In this case he was 17 years old when the animals were confiscated, and in the cases of minors committing a crime the name is almost always witheld.