Info US GLOBAL EXOTICS SPCA RAID

[MiamiExotics]

Actually the government maybe,but the extension known as FWC is PRO-animal keeping as long as the regs are followed. I think the entire nation should be based on Florida FWC captive wildlife laws. Make life easy for everyone

 

[Twizted Paths]

I can not say what I think about the permit fees and micro chipping requirements here. Florida's exotics laws fit Florida fine but would be an unnecessary money grubbing burden here in Ohio. And I am NOT surgically inserting foreign objects in my snakes.

 

[elago]

Frankly,

To everyone who is defending the wholesalers in question. Why would wholesaling being put to an end in the reptile industry necessarily be a bad thing? When people complain about wc animals and the impact on the environment do they not realize that a lot of wholesaled animals are wc? The prices on many reptiles would not be as low as they are today if not for wholesalers. Also, people who cannot properly care for reptiles would not have as easy of access to the reptiles. Petco obviously buys from a wholesaler, and they sell animals to just about anyone without proper education on the animal. This leads to animals being abused and to craigslist ads and also to people releasing reptiles which contributed to the Florida situation. Also, to those arguing about things not on the topic of this thread, is that not why the BOI may be getting shut down? Just leave the thread on topic and start a new one.

Importing and wholesaling is an integral part of our business whether you like it or not. Without importers, there would be no reptile industry in the US except for maybe mutations of existing native species. There would be no leos, no balls, no beardies, ect. nothing in the US- all of the parent stocks of these animals in today's industry were imported. Petco buys from a wholesaler yes, but a lot of their stock is captive bred from the same wholesalers you are condemning with your post. I cannot tell you how many Crested Geckos I have wandered into Petco and purchased personally; all of which are and were captive bred animals. Without fresh blood from imported stock, a genetic bottleneck would result and over time yield less healthy offspring as a result in most projects you're taking for granted with your post. So what about breeders who wholesale their CB offspring?

The pricing issue you mentioned simply runs on supply and demand. To say "prices wouldn't be as low as they are without wholesalers" is ridiculous; it's called CAPITALISM- people have the right to charge as much or as little as they want- it is the consumer's decision to spend the dollars.

You insinuate that without wholesalers the general public would not have easy access to reptiles; but that is the whole point of wholesaling- the very definition of the word means "NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC" but only to distributors and/or retailers. You must find fault with the distributors for not educating individuals who consider purchasing their products, not with the wholesalers responsible for stocking retail shelves.

If I was importing from a country 26,000 animals and only 600 animals arrived dead, I would consider that an EXTRAORDINARY survival rate out of that many animals and a successful shipment. Best of luck to Jasen Shaw and his legal battles.

No matter how you look at it, what is happening to US Global Exotics, especially with a proposed python ban going on at the moment, is un-necessary bad press for us all. I don't care you if you like USGE or hate the company's guts, the fact is what is happening to USGE could happen to anyone in the reptile business that has a dead animal in the freezer or forgets to fill up a water dish because PETA and the SPCA say it's animal cruelty. The situation STINKS OF A RAT and I think it's a conflict of interest for PETA to have PAID AN INFORMANT 135$ a day for 7 months to build a case against him, and it even stinks further that he had snakes mis-labeled as Indigos just to try and level more serious penalties against Mr. Shaw when it is obviously BS. What most people don't realize is with all of the anti-reptile press we are receiving nowadays the next person we might be reading about on the BOI getting raided could be you.

-Eric Lago
MS Reptilian Hobbyists
www.msreptilianhobbyists.weebly.com

 

[Philsuma]

The PETA undercover investigator admitted in court that he broke Texas law by acting as a private detective without proper licensing.

All his testimony should be excluded and supressed bsed on that single fact alone. He should also be arrested.

This is what happens when a rouge agency tries to do an end-around and bypasses law enforcement. Hopefull a judge throws this out right away.

 

[AF Exotics]

Excellent post Eric .This is what first drew me to respond to this thread .The OP"s apparent gloating over this happening may make him feel good,but remember most of the agencies and zealots who want to restrict our ability to keep these animals make no distinction between USGE and the rest of us .We are all their enemy .WE ARE ALL THEIR TARGET .

 

[elago]

In essence,

The PETA undercover investigator admitted in court that he broke Texas law by acting as a private detective without proper licensing.

All his testimony should be excluded and supressed bsed on that single fact alone. He should also be arrested.

This is what happens when a rouge agency tries to do an end-around and bypasses law enforcement. Hopefull a judge throws this out right away.

You are absolutely correct. Never mind the fact that DUE PROCESS is part of the system; the informant served PETA's agenda rather than local officials who were drawn into it by the SPCA. Remind me- what exactly does PETA have to do with the legal system again? And still, no decision reached over the custody of the animals- while they bicker in court over the validity of illegally obtained information the animals are dying. I make my case for what this means for the Reptile Industry as a whole- the fact is the guy was set up and the situation STINKS. So who's next on PETA's list? Florida and California importers?

-Eric Lago
MS Reptilian Hobbyists
www.msreptilianhobbyists.weebly.com

 

[WebSlave]

Well I hate to use the "C" word, but this has conspiracy written all over it. This was a coordinated effort with a timeline to get as much mileage as possible out of the staged media event. And obviously someone was bankrolling this. Question is who? Who would be willing to spend the money to get animals out of the public's hands?

 

[elago]

Hey Rich,

Well I hate to use the "C" word, but this has conspiracy written all over it. This was a coordinated effort with a timeline to get as much mileage as possible out of the staged media event. And obviously someone was bankrolling this. Question is who? Who would be willing to spend the money to get animals out of the public's hands?

Hey Rich, I thought "C" stood for competition? Just food for thought.

 

[WebSlave]

Hey Rich, I thought "C" stood for competition? Just food for thought.

Perhaps, but that would be a dangerous game for a competitor to play. It would be like a "controlled burn" that they do in these parts. Often it doesn't stay "controlled" for very long....

 

[KelcifersDragons]

PETA involved in anything is bad news. those 20,000 animals that were taken to a "safe and undisclosed" place means that PETA probably killed them all by now. HUSU and PETA arent here to save your pets but to kill them and all atempts to own them. Just hoping that the remaning living animals are still alive. the fact that the PETA vet illegally went under cover will no doubt go unpunished. PETA and HUSU have alot of $$ and unfortunitly alot of support from uneducated followers who don't know the bloody details to their past.

 

[elago]

Apparently...

All is fair in love, war, capitalism, and animal rights organization activities! Rich is right, there is far more to all this than meets the eye. More fingers are in this pie than grandma's lemon ice-box at Christmas. My sympathies to Jasen and his wife for having to deal with this nightmare over the holidays. The potential repercussions for all of us will be realized if he is ruled against and thousands of dollars in animals are confiscated over illegally obtained information.

 

[brd7666]

The Humane Society, PETA, and the SPCA could care less about the animals. The raid is all about forming public opinion. We (reptile owners) in society are the minority. What they are trying to do is get the majority to turn against us. Remember the old saying, "majority rules". When they have the majority behind them it is easier for them to get what they want, especially when polititions are involved. Polititions are going to side with the majority because that is who votes for them.

I hope other importers/wholesalers are watching this and learning from it. I have been in several different importers/wholesalers and I have seen a dead animal here or there at every one I have been to.

I believe some birds used to come in all the time and they can't be brought in any more because some of them were dying.

For those of you that deal out of your home, stop allowing people to see your set up. Bring the animals outside or even meet them somewhere. You never know who is coming over to check you out, it could even be someone who wants to rip you off.

I would also be willing to bet that the people against us are reading every forum out there, including this thread.

There was a small raid in Tampa just a few weeks ago, and I have a feeling there will be more to come.

These people don't care about our rights, hopes, feelings, or dreams. They want to take our animals away from us, and they will keep trying.

Some of my thoughts.

Brian Dierking

 

[Twizted Paths]

When is the last time you went in a big chain pet store w/o seeing something dead?

 

[WebSlave]

PETA involved in anything is bad news. those 20,000 animals that were taken to a "safe and undisclosed" place means that PETA probably killed them all by now. HUSU and PETA arent here to save your pets but to kill them and all atempts to own them. Just hoping that the remaning living animals are still alive. the fact that the PETA vet illegally went under cover will no doubt go unpunished. PETA and HUSU have alot of $$ and unfortunitly alot of support from uneducated followers who don't know the bloody details to their past.

I suspect that it won't really matter to US Global Exotics in any way what the verdict is in the court case. They will likely have lost much of their stock and the sales they were to generate for income. The damage is done during the confiscation. Do you think the temp care takers knew (or cared) anything about quarantine?

 

[DAND]

I suspect that it won't really matter to US Global Exotics in any way what the verdict is in the court case. They will likely have lost much of their stock and the sales they were to generate for income. The damage is done during the confiscation. Do you think the temp care takers knew (or cared) anything about quarantine?

But they are the professionals, they should know about quarantine procedures.

 

[MiamiExotics]

FWC law doesnt require you to microchip all snakes, only burmese, scrubs, retics, rocks, anacondas. Also nile monitors, and wahts wrong with that? I think its great cause then we dont have those hoodlums that think they are cool to own a burm and are what the public see when those idiots take them out in public and make fools of themselves. If you do not agree with photo id and microchipping, then you shouldnt own a big 5 snake to begin with. Reason is for in case of theft, escape(natural disaster or accidental),you are responsible for not locking that door correctly.

 

[albinoball]

I agree what is wrong with microchipping? That is a compromise.

 

[Twizted Paths]

I think the entire nation should be based on Florida FWC captive wildlife laws. Make life easy for everyone

This kind of thinking is the EXACT kind that brings us S373.

Florida should Stop trying to legislate for the Entire Country.

But Florida doesn't care about the Tenth Amendment anymore than it cares how many laws were broken in this suspicious timed bogus excuse for a fraudulent filled investigation.

If you wish to discuss my opposition to Florida making laws for the entire country make a thread, pm me the link & I'll join you there.

 

[MiamiExotics]

Florida FWC didnt make the propsed s373, a Senator did. FWCproposes their own regulations, and asks for industry opinion before deciding and they always decide on OUR opinion. FWC is not trying to regulate the country, Senator Bil Nelson is

 

[lanceheads]

Florida FWC didnt make the propsed s373, a Senator did. FWCproposes their own regulations, and asks for industry opinion before deciding and they always decide on OUR opinion. FWC is not trying to regulate the country, Senator Bil Nelson is

Randal Berry