toooil
New member
I would say yes based on these screen shots I took from the Reptile Outlet Facebook page. It is the same page that posted the photo of the mutilated monitor lizard of which I posted a screen shot earlier. If you zoom in to read the response Reptile Outlet leaves it is signed "sincerely Eric". This response also talks about receiving illegal turtles and having been in prison for murder and robbery.
My interpretation of that statement was that it cheers Eric up to interact with the monitor because even though horrible things had been done to the monitor (albeit by Eric), the monitor has a positive attitude and still “loves” Eric?
The facts as I see them are:
1. He publically posted photos and admitted to cutting the tail off of his monitor.
2. He does not represent himself or his business in a professional manner.
Some questions:
1. Does cutting the tail from a monitor, severing its genitals, and cauterizing with a heated machete meet the legal definition of animal abuse in California?
2. Does not contacting a vet while the monitor’s tail was infected for 3 days constitute neglect as legally defined by California law?
Here is what I found.
California Penal Code Title 14 Section 597 :
597. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c) of this section or
Section 599c, every person who maliciously and intentionally maims,
mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal, or maliciously and
intentionally kills an animal, is guilty of a crime punishable
pursuant to subdivision (d).
(d) A violation of subdivision (a), (b), or (c) is punishable as
a felony by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170,
or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or
by both that fine and imprisonment, or alternatively, as a
misdemeanor by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one
year, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars
($20,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
597.1. (a) (1) Every owner, driver, or keeper of any animal who
permits the animal to be in any building, enclosure, lane, street,
square, or lot of any city, county, city and county, or judicial
district without proper care and attention is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
I don't know anything about this poor monitor lizard or Eric Leblanc other than what I have seen publically posted to social media. It seems to me that Mr. Leblanc’s actions meet the legal definition of animal abuse and neglect in the state of California.
I’m Jesse Skok. I didn’t put my name in my earlier post (not sure if everyone has to give their full name or just the OP). Or if having my full name in the side bar is sufficient? I haven’t posted regularly but this thread really got to me.
