Dark Side Reptiles aka Donnie Kittell

Tinys (Burmese Python) Story:

I wanted to give caution to everyone about Dark Side Reptiles run by Donnie Kittell. If you are interested in a snake of his, please PLEASE be careful.

Donnie and I live in the same city. I use to go to his house and help him with the snakes, changing their cages, cleaning etc. while his wife was pregnant. The condition in which these snakes were living was absolutely appauling. They were sometimes left for a week or so living in their own feces until someone could come and "help" him. It was very disturbing to me which is why I had a very hard time going over there, I couldn't handle it anymore. The snakes were filthy, their water bowls were filled with feces, I don't know why he couldn't atleast change the water bowls. Snakes were rubbing. His one lavendar retic had mouth rot on a few occasions and when I went over there one time her mouth was so swollen, he had me take rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and wipe her mouth where there was white clumps.

Several months back he said he rescued an Albino Burmese Python from a guy that didn't take care of his snakes etc. Granted he may have rescued the Burm and helped but he didn't "help" the Burm. Well, later down not sure how it turned out but he gave the Burm to a friend, or the friend bought it off him not sure..but I digress...later he told me that the Burm was doing great etc. etc. Not sure why, I think it was because they were moving they decided to sell the Burm and I wanted to give the Burm a great home after all he's (Tiny) has been through. I spoil my snakes. SO...I was getting a deal right....an Albino Burmese Python...and one of his, if not first built cages (melamine heavy as heck)...for $300. Ok cool, I trusted him right...but should have thought twice about it. I purchased the Burm and tank. The day after I got him home, I saw him "cough"....well..ok I thought maybe he just got something in his mouth while he was crawling on the floor like a hair or something..the next day...it happened again...and again..this time I'm thinking...somethings not right...I thought maybe there is something in his tank bothering him...so the next day, I took his tank outside and tore it apart and I found Black Mold in his tank behind the lights that were put in his tank. Donnie told me that is what happens when there is high humidity, and I told him then the humidity was too high, he tried to blame me for the black mold that some how got caked behind the light in such a short period of time. My husband saw this mold and was not very happy, a former Marine is not fun to be around when they are mad. Anyway, I was livid... DOnnie told me it was not possible because he tore that tank apart before he put any other snake in there because he had boas in their prior...fine...didn't clean it good enough...and didnt clean it good enough while Tiny was in there. He didn't care...then he tried to blame it on his once friend saying it was his friends fault because it was his friends responsibility to clean the tank, which his friend lived in Mansfield and Donnie knew and knew the arrangements he was making with his friend that he wouldnt be able to make it to Donnies everyday to clean!! So, I put Tinys tank back together cleaned, re-sealed etc. A few days later I wake up and Tiny is having labored breathing, mouth open, gasping so I rush him to my herp vet for an emergency. I got Tiny there and the vet said "oh my god". Yeah I told her how I got him and what his living conditions were like and that he was not taken to a vet to help him. The vet was very upset, said that Tiny had pre-existing illness and that he should have been taken to a vet immediately when Donnie got him. I ended up having to give Tiny a series of shot...one shot every 72 hours, 10 shots..ok. Did that...a couple days later after the shots were over, it began again...took him back to the vet and they did a throat swab...results came back a couple days later....parasites along with the RI...again..another series of shots, stronger medication this time, one shot every 72 hours, 10 shots.....did that....all the while I was thinking of something that Donnie once said to me about the Burm that I didnt remember until going through all of this...he said "I don't want this Burm in my house anymore". Took Tiny back for a follow up....symptoms eased up...did a throat culture and another fecal exam...not good. They had to special order medication for him....I had to wait a week for these special meds. to come in all the while Tiny is getting worse. Got the meds..this time...larger dose of meds. one shot every 48 hours, 10 shots, BUT this medication could have effects on his kidneys...all this to try to get rid of the pneumonia and parasites. Ok, I'll take the risk. So far I've spent over $600 to give Tiny a better life than he had. Tiny is sick again...and I've spent so much money trying to get him better I can't spend anymore. Donnie may have sealed Tinys fate by not properly getting him the help Tiny needed when he first got him. Donnie sold me a sick snake and he knew it hands down. Tiny is fighting for his life now. I dont know what to do anymore and my heart is broken. I cry when I look at Tiny because I dont know what I can do or where I can get the damn money to help Tiny. What hurt even more is I trusted Donnie. Never again. I will NOT even entertain the thought of purchasing an animal from him. He blamed me for Tiny being sick he tried to say I dont take care of my snakes and anyone that knows me, knows my snakes are my angels, they have saved my life...tried to say that my other snakes made Tiny sick, no, per the vet pre-existing conditions, hence the reason for Tiny being So sick. As I said right now Tiny is laying still in his tank...yesterday his breathing was labored...today its much smoother...call me horrible for not taking him to the vet, I can't afford it, and won't get a refund from Donnie, he basically told me to F Off. I will be contacting the vet tomorrow to see if they will make an exception and let me make payments....one never knows til you try or ask. I will not take up more of your time....

Take this as you will. Don't bother with any mean replies that will not help Tiny get better. This is Tinys story...I ask that you pray for him, and really think about who you are buying from, a name is not a reputation..a snake is the proof of a reputation that makes the reputation...that ties to the name of a man/woman/business.

Thank you for your time.
Monica Lindberg, Columbus Ohio

When he's having trouble breathing, you can take him into the bathroom and run the water really hot to do a kind of "steam" treatment. Also, ask your vet if they accept carecredit, and apply for financing - good luck!

I had no idea he was till doing so poorly and I recall being told that the snake had severe health problems and was being treated at home.

I for one know the love and passion you have for your snakes and I'm sure it's hard for you to watch something you love suffering.

Some people will never understand our emotional attachment to our snakes and dismiss any thoughts of future problems when there is one that is going unattended and untreated and unfortunately the snake comes out the loser.

Don't let accusations and remarks bother you because all that counts is that you know within yourself that you do everything you can to give your snakes a great quality of life and it's by no means your fault that you were deceived.

I will keep Tiny in my prayers as well as you with all your going through for him because you love him so dearly.

I respect your honesty and I really feel sad that you have to face this torment and if I can do anything to be supportive you know I will.

Carla Combs

hey monica, how have you been?

First off, Tiny was sold to you by tim, was he not? I sold the animal and the cage to tim a while before you got him. Further more, I took this animal in as a rescue. Which you knew long before you got it. Here is the thread I posted on monsters, the forum you moderate for, before you bought it, titled "New Rescue Back on Track"

http://www.monstersnakesforums.com/forum5/8086.

now harry will likely move that thread before anyone can see it, so here's some screen shots. Now these screen shots were taken tonight, where you can see monica's name says global moderator underneath it as well.

first off, here's when I had just rescued this animal, he had mouth rot and a severe RI, followed by pics of me and tim with him, and monica posting on it, proving she knew the whole story long before she ever bought it, there was never any dishonesty.








now between this time and the next, tim bought the snake, and the cage off me. I did build the cage, but he had it for months before he sold it to monica.

and here is the thread right after she bought it, looking a whole lot better.



now, when she bought it, we told her to keep the temps about 5 degrees higher, and drop the humidity to nothing, because of the RI. Well, next she's complaining about RI flare up and mold. and even admitted in pm that the vet told her to raise the humidity and keep his temps at 90. Does too much humidity bring back RI? yes it does... does it cause mold? yes, indeed it does. Didn't we tell her to do otherwise? yes, yes we did. This was a rescue animal, and it was passed on as a rescue animal. now I have these monster mods from this other thread....

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=124819

attacking me. You be the judge.

btw, that cage in those pics is the same cage she bought from tim with tiny. paper may be wet from just eating on it, but the melamine doesn't look moldy or dirty to me?

further more, my PURPLE that had the cheese? she's a pusher, retics do that, and she was treated accordingly. but here's a much more recent pic of her.




as for my other animals? well, how bout we get some non monsters mods who have been to my house to say what my animals cages look like.

Harry, keep on sending them, as you can see, I saved everything.

Originally Posted by Donnie_K

You be the judge.

Ok, Your still a ped..

Originally Posted by jasballs

Ok, Your still a ped..

Sorry, harry and john.

Donnie I did exactly what I was supposed to do, that fact is, you told me Tiny was better, and maybe you sold him to Tim BUT you were the one "taking" care of him and you know it, stop trying to blame others when you know you did wrong. Also you are getting your stories backwards, the vet did tell me to raise the TEMPS and lower humidity which I always kept his humidity at 55-60 which is ideal for a Burm. Again, you are changing the story. I tell you what, I will dig up the messages sent back and forth between you and I and let everyone see what you said and I said. I have a TON, IF I can find them, I will post them. You screwed over Tiny period, and me. You lied to me and that hurt, but the one that hurts the most is Tiny. Posting pics of him that were on the forum doesn't matter, what matters is you didn't take care of him or any other snake you have.

go ahead and dig up those messages monica. I told you that you were my friend and I was trying to do everything I can. Make sure they're FULL screen shots as I have done, not cut and pastes. I didn't say he was better, but I did say he was healing.

Originally Posted by Donnie_K

Sorry, harry and john.

Your Funny too! Harry and John? Did you Rape me and harry when we was younger? Dude, Your a low life piece of Shat! Want to see my id?