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Busted In Va. John Donahue And Tuwachua Serpents

S

SNAKESALLAROUND

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ORANGE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL RAIDED A WAREHOUSE IN ORANGE VA THAT WAS BEING RENTED BY JOHN DONAHOE, FORMARLLY TUWACHUA SERPENTS. IN THE RAID THEY FOUND 65 ANIMALS AND ABOUT 30% WERE FOUND DEAD. THE TEMPERATURE IN THE BUILDING WAS 50 DEGREES AND NO HEAT WAS ON THE ANIMALS. IN THIS WAS HIGHEND BOAS BURMS AND BALLS. ALONG WITH THE DEAD RODENTS THAT HE WAS SELLING AS ORANGE COUNTY RODENTS AND REPTILES. HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH 52 COUNTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY AND NEGLECT. A HEARING IS SET IN ORANGE VA FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4TH. WHAT MAKES THIS SO DISTURBING IS THE FACT THAT HE OWED ALOT OF MONEY AND IT SEEMS HE JUST GAVE UP ON THE ANIMALS. HE COULD HAVE EASILY SOLD THE ANIMALS TO MAKE GOOD ON HIS DEBTS. ALL THIS INFO IS DIRECT FROM ORANGE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AND NOT HEARSAY.
 
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL 540-672-1124 AND ASK FOR CHAD. HE IS THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER FOR THE CASE.
THANKS
JASON
 
I am not sure if that was a joke or not.

Snakes do not lay lifeless when in brumation. In fact, they still drink, move, could even shed or eat in brumation.
Even if his plan was brumating them, the temps were only off by 20 degrees!
Not suggesting you are one of these, but some people have this thought that snakes, while in brumation, 'sleep' the whole time.

Anyway, so sorry for the snakes and the people that will not get paid. I hope the authorities throw the book at him. It is time for people who do not care for their animals (of any kind) pay the price for it.
I remember here in Phx. a few years ago there was an older lady who had some 3-5 DOZEN cats living in her house. Fedies and urine everywhere. SOme people are flat discusting when it comes to caring for animals.

Hopefully they will be able to save the others that were still alive.
 
NO HE OWED MONEY TO THE LANDLORD OF THE WAREHOUSE AND WAS HIDING FROM HIM AND THAT IS WHY HE WASNT TAKING CARE OF THE ANIMALS. NONE OF THEM HAD WATER OR HEAT AND THE ONES THAT SURVIVED INCLUDING A ONE OF A KIND STRIPED BOA WHICH HE HAD BEEN OFFERED OVER 50K FOR IN THE PAST ALL HAVE RESP THAT MIGHT BE IREVERSIBLE. THIS IS A NOTHING MORE THAN SOMEBODY THAT DOESNT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING BUT HIMSELF AND FINALLY ITS CATCHING UP WITH HIM. ITS PEOPLE LIKE THIS THAT MAKE THE LAWMAKERS COME UP WITH ALL THESE CRAZY LAWS TO HURT OUR INDUSTRY.

JASON
 
When I said I was not sure if it was a joke or not, I was referring to the post that said maybe they were brumating.

Like ReticEd said, boids don't brumate anyway.

even colubrids I used to have did not lay lifeless and everything else I said in my earlier post.
 
There are a couple types of Erycines (russian sand boas, rubber boas) that brumate. Temps in the 50's would kill some other kinds of sand boas pretty quickly though.

Erin Benner
 
Jason,
Being that you just registered today & posted same day about someone (which is really unusual unless you were told to do so). You should probably post some type of evidence to back up your story, which to this point is just that.
 
Not sure about the facts of this case, but I will say I remeber seeing a post on the ks boa forum about a VERY LARGE rescue up north just last week. It involved large boids and pythons, and many were high end. I also am 99% sure it was in VA. It would make scence that the story is true, as the court date would match up with that story. Plus how many people have "high end" snakes that leave them to die, not many Im sure. It was just a matter of time before a name was placed to the story, that sadly is VERY TRUE. (allthough Im not personally sure that John is who it was, but the situation did happen)

Mickey Hinkle
The lizard King Reptiles
 
IT WAS 100% JOHN AND THE ONLY REASON I POSTED THIS WAS BECAUSE OF ALL THE PEOPLE HE TOLD HE WOULD PAY BACK AND HE HAD THE CHANCE BY SELLING SOME OF THESE ANIMALS BUT INSTEAD HE LET THEM DIE AND GET REALLY SICK. I DEAL DIRECTLY WITH ORANGE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL AND I WILL SAY THE ANIMALS ARE BEING TREATED WITH THE BEST OF CARE NOW DUE TO THE INTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE CHAD HAS THERE. I JUST CANT UNDERSTAND NOR WILL I HOW JOHN COULD DO THAT TO HIS ANIMALS THAT TOOK HIM YEARS TO AQUIRE. ITS JUST PLAIN IGNORANCE. ITS NOT LIKE HES BEEN IN SOME KIND OF LIFE CHANGING INCIDENT. HE WAS JUST HIDING OUT FROM HIS LAND LORD BECAUSE HE OWED HIM MONEY AS WELL AS THE HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY.

JASON
 
It is unfortunate to hear of a situation like this...

Until last year, i thought John was a good guy..

Him and I were 'robbed' for a hefty sum of cash earlier...

I also purchased a baby albino boa from him at the NRBE this past August in Daytona...
I gave him the money and flew home to NY without worries.
I came home to read some bad news about him and although I was a bit alarmed, I was not too worried about my purchase.

I did receive the albino in the male when and as promised and figured he was still a good guy... atleast in my book.. anyway

Sometimes we have pressure or problems of a 'higher level' that takes us out of the game and lets things like this happen... who knows...
I am by no means sticking up for him, just commenting from experience...
I know it would seem completely unthinkable for anyone of us, no matter what problems we have, to leave these animals in these conditions... and i'm somewhat skepticle that it was just plain stupidity, or running from a landlord for a few thousand bucks...


Something I was very curious about...

What kind of 'one of a kind striped boa' was this that he was offered $50,000 for in the past???

anyway, I hope these animals are well taken care of from now on,
I hope he is reprimanded for his wrong doings and also that he may find help if in fact he does have other problems.

For what it's worth, I hope those who lost money with him are reimbursed in some way or another in this life...

remember, we receive many blessings in our lifetime, and most are not in the form of money or snakes.


Take care - Joe
 
Sometimes we have pressure or problems of a 'higher level' that takes us out of the game and lets things like this happen... who knows...
Click to expand...

He was obviously not thinking straight. It makes no sense at all. He owed people money. He could have sold the snakes, pay his debts, and at the same time spare the suffering on the animals. Now he still owes the money, has no snakes, and is in trouble with the law for animal neglect. ???? :(
 
I totally understand, and agree with you.. that's what the rest of my post explained..
it seems simple to us...

but what if those snakes were all he had, and not even a fraction of what he 'owed' or his problems elsewhere?

this is something we do not know and can not judge...

how many times have we seen/heard someone not replying to someone else, the person posts a 'bad guy' thread, and it turned out the seller's Mother died in a horrible accident and he was the only one to fix everything and deal with the funeral and all...

that is just a random example... but you know what I mean.. lol

again, i'm not standing up for him in any way.. just that there could be a lot more to cause someone to do this other than some back rent and customer restitution..

Joe
 
BOTTOM LINE IS THIS. JUST ASK THE PEOPLE JOHN HAS OWED MONEY TO AND ASK ABOUT THE EXCUSES HES USED. ALSO WITH ALL THE BOUNCED CHECKS HES WROTE AND ALL THE PEOPLE HES SCREWED IT MAKES TOTAL SENCE ON WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID. HE WAS RUNNING FROM ANOTHER DEBT. HE OWED THE LANDLORD MONEY AND HE DECIDED TO HIDE ONCE AGAIN. IF YOU DONT HAVE MONEY YOU DONT WRITE THE CHECK. IF YOU DONT HAVE AN ANIMAL YOU DONT SELL IT. IF YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF PAYING MONEY BACK YOU DONT BORROW. ITS THAT SIMPLE. BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT PAST THREADS ON HIM AND JUST CONTACT PEOPLE HES DEALT WITH. THERE ARE ALOT OF THEM IN THE ARCHIVE HERE.




JASON
 
LETS GET THE FACTS RIGHT

THERE WERE 50-55 ANIMALS IN THE WHAREHOUSE
ONLY 4 WERE DEAD ( AS FAR AS REPTILES GO )
JOHN IS FACING 4 COUNTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY
I'M NOT SAYING WHAT JOHN DID WAS RIGHT
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE BUT
WHAT HAPPEN IN ORANGE COUNTY
LETS NOT LET THIS GET BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION
MY INFO COMES FROM CHAD @ O.C. ANIMAL CONTROL
( SOME OF MY ANIMALS WERE IN THAT WHAREHOUSE )
 
out of curiousity, you started the thread here. On the first post you stated (I believe you said) 30% were dead, now you say 4 were dead.

Which is it?
 
good point Brian

"THEY FOUND 65 ANIMALS AND ABOUT 30% WERE FOUND DEAD."

I believe thats what you were referring to-
 
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