Info US GLOBAL EXOTICS SPCA RAID

[StrictlyExotics]

Donna...

You are speaking about your own rescue. Some rescues are already placing these animals on the market. Its a proven fact that EVERYONE dropped the ball on this situation, EVERYONE.

I have no problems with adoption fees, when they fit the animal in question. Your friend who adopted out a pair of gliders that visibly had money spent on them for eye surgeries, alterations, et al... is obviously doing what is right for the animal. That is ONE case, not ALL. A 50.00 adoption fee for a PAIR of gliders is more than reasonable in my book. But, you cannot tell me that this is happening will all of the animals from the raid.

If ALL of the animals you took in are not adoptable as of yet, isnt it safe to assume that most all of the animals taken in the raid wouldnt be either? You have to remember, I DID rescue work. I made almost 50k a year after bonuses to clean kennels, groom and bathe cats and dogs, take animals to the vet (who didnt charge us a dime by the way), pick up supplies (most donated), and basically bone the manager (who was making 70k a yr plus bonuses).
The whole point that I am making is that most of these animals are going to hoarders who dont even have "non-profit" tax status to mention of. Dont take me the wrong way. I believe in rescue work. What I dont believe is putting these subpar animals in the hands of people who are NOT qualified to do so.
Personally, if you do not have a 501c3 status with the govt, you should not be able to obtain rescue animals from a govt agency. My feelings are this way simply because the fact that EVERYONE dropped the ball so why continue to fumble it.

 

[rosebud945]

I do not have 501c3 status for my rescue yet, but no one is more qualified to rehab animals, I can assure you. I do have a license to rehab wildlife and 12 years experience in critical care. I have never made a profit on rescues and I rarely even take adoption fees, but the enormity of this situation has made me rethink that. Not all good rescues are 501c3, and if you have been in rescue as you say, you should know that and know why. My shelter is working on getting that status, but it is complicated and costly and time consuming. That does not mean that I am not running a legitimate rescue or that I am making a profit.

 

[StrictlyExotics]

Hey Donna,

I agree with the statement that not all 501c3 rescues are any good, in fact most probably arent. I think, in all honesty, the community itself is most likely the best rescue there is. I just disagree with a particular TOS in regards to a particular rescue. These animals, if they are as bad as the "rescues" say, they shouldnt be hitting the market to novice herpers, ie... Craigslisters for any price.
You just have to see it from the POV of a concerned citizen who sees that, for lack of a better word, illegitmate (non 501c3) rescues getting animals from a govt agency. Example, a rabbit rescue getting reptiles makes no sense to me when there are legitimate reptile rescues who can take in more animals.

 

[rosebud945]

Dean, I can't speak for what other rescues are doing and given what I am seeing and dealing with, I won't make out of hand judgements, but there is no way that any of the animals that we took will be ready for adoption for awhile. For one thing, I won't adopt out a healthy animal for at least thirty days or without a vet check. That is a minimal quarantine period for my shelter, but these animals aren't even ready to start the clock!

Now I did take lizards, and the lizards were in far worse shape than the snakes and mammals overall. They simply were not properly cared for from the time they were snatched out of the wild or sold to USGE to the time I unpacked them here. But all of these animals had significant problems. My snake foster is dealing with mite infestation and untreated injuries. Again, I can't speak for other rescues because they could have lucked out and got less ill animals, but it is not the policy of my shelter to turn animals over that fast.

My main point though, is that everyone, the reptile industry and the people appointing themselves to police it, need to take a hard look at themselves and their protocol. These are living things, not plastics! They suffer, and no matter what good or bad intention put them in the position to suffer, it is wrong.

 

[StrictlyExotics]

My main point though, is that everyone, the reptile industry and the people appointing themselves to police it, need to take a hard look at themselves and their protocol. These are living things, not plastics! They suffer, and no matter what good or bad intention put them in the position to suffer, it is wrong.

Hey Donna,

You just hit the nail in the head as this is MY whole point. With some rescues, I see placing adoptions while using Craigslist at this point is going to make the animals suffer EVEN MORE. While breeders arent aloud to adopt them, moronic animal hoarders just looking for another cheap animal to add to their already extensive collection of dogs, cats, hamsters, goldfish etc...

They can also get mutilated lizards for a whopping 40% off of retail as long as the "promise" that one, they wont breed them, and two, they arent a breeder who just might happen to know how much of a scam that they are running. You take breeders out of the question and you basically take out the population most fit to adopt the particular animal.

Please understand that I do not know what your policies are regarding adoption but, again, you have to remember that we all were having a discussion about a particular rescue without a 501c3. As we ALL care about the animals in question from the raid, I think its important to remember that we want to see whats best for the animals done.

 

[kmarsh]

Just as YOU ask that not all rescues be lumped in the same catagory then we also ask that not all REPTILE Keepers be lumped in the same basket. I am TIRED of being made to feel that those of us that keep reptiles are IRRESPONSIBLE pet releasers, UNCARING people, and all the other catagories that we seem to be lumped in because of situations such as US GLobal and the situation in FLORIDA.
Now that we have a few rescues attention, maybe you will join the fight that we are not all one in the same. I have no doubt that there are some good rescues out there, but it also goes back to why weren't alot of them called? Who and How was the word passed out to come and get these reptiles or to have them shipped to these other rescues? Jason with Southeastern Reptile Rescue here in GA received no such call and he specializes in reptiles. Also that is why I questioned the reporter when it was being touted that $10,000 a day was being spent to take care of these reptiles. Maybe you should find out who got all this money that was being reportedly used to care for these animals.
I am in no way attacking you, just attacking the system that made the CHOICE to seize the animals without the means to put them in a better situation and instead made it worse which is evidenced in them still dying in shipping 2 months later. Atleast they would have passed through US Global to hopefully better hands before now. If their intentions was to make it better for the animals then they should have been prepared. THEY EXPECTED this of US Global then it should be EXPECTED of them as well and they should be just as accountable as they desire to hold US global for.

 

[kmarsh]

I challenge everyone that reads this post to email the author of that article about the USG raid and ask her to answer these questions. I posted her address in the other email above. Also if you go to the VARR Site, look under cages and you will find for sale breeder racks and such that they say are from the pet store. Well then, what pet store? Is it their pet store or one that they work with. I agree with Dean that many of these rescues get so much stuff given to them, discounted, free, and the such as well as end up with Tax exempt status. Which none of us have. We pay for our vets, our food, our cages, etc.... we dont get hand outs or hands up or what have you. WE do it for the love of our animals, not for any recognition of what a great job we are doing. Then we have to fight for our rights to own the animals we love and serve.

 

[SamanthaJane13]

I challenge everyone that reads this post to email the author of that article about the USG raid and ask her to answer these questions. I posted her address in the other email above. Also if you go to the VARR Site, look under cages and you will find for sale breeder racks and such that they say are from the pet store. Well then, what pet store? Is it their pet store or one that they work with. I agree with Dean that many of these rescues get so much stuff given to them, discounted, free, and the such as well as end up with Tax exempt status. Which none of us have. We pay for our vets, our food, our cages, etc.... we dont get hand outs or hands up or what have you. WE do it for the love of our animals, not for any recognition of what a great job we are doing. Then we have to fight for our rights to own the animals we love and serve.

Excellent post!!!

I agree!!!

 

[paulWTAMU]

My main point though, is that everyone, the reptile industry and the people appointing themselves to police it, need to take a hard look at themselves and their protocol. These are living things, not plastics! They suffer, and no matter what good or bad intention put them in the position to suffer, it is wrong.
__________________

And what exactly do I do apart from not buying from people like that? I'm sick, 100% sick to death, of being lumped in with idiots like that. I haven't bough from a dealer or jobber in...8 or 10 years? Since I was a teenager. I buy from breeders. These people induce reptiles to breed--that demands a certain standard of care. Effective self policing is impossible in an industry this varied; it works with movies because there's only a handful of major movie studios, reducing the number of people you gotta get to work together.

 

[Matt K]

I do not have time....
These animals are in horrible shape. HORRIBLE! They are riddled with internal and external parasites, they have viral infections, bacterial infections, untreated injuries, missing limbs, dehydration and they are emaciated. I have hauled animals from this raid to my vet 1-2 times per week since I brought them home for assessment and treatment because EVERYONE to this point, USGE AND the SPCA, failed them miserably because they were all in over their heads. I am not going to debate sides here, but EVERYONE to this point is culpable in their condition, from the industry that makes them disposable pets to the importer who forgot that they are living things to the very people who made it their business to save them and then let them deteriorate further, and I can tell you that their condition is not good. And now you all want to shift your ire to the rescues that have been burdened with these animals?? You probably only saw a limited number of the 100 or so animals that that VA rescue took because out of all of them that didn’t flat die in the first week, those are probably the only ones that are even remotely adoptable at this point. NONE of the animals that I have at my facility and NONE of the animals with my fosters are adoptable at this point.

I and my fosters have already spent much of our own money on housing, food, electricity, medicine, bulbs, and time. Emaciated animals require more than the usual amounts of food and supplements. We will NEVER see what we have put into these animals back. Some of these animals might not ever even be adoptable......

Obvious: The is a point where EUTHANASIA comes into play.... If animals you take in are in such poor condition, (#1) shame on you for not having the medical knowledge to repair the animal and relying on vets- so don't cry about the expense, and (#2) knowing that said animals will live permanately crippled/debilitated and possibly suffer for the remainder of thier lives. If an animal is in such poor shape it should be euthanized and treat the ones in decent condition.

 

[paulWTAMU]

Euthanisa is a hard decision to make...and how the hell is it a flaw to NOT be a fully qualified vet?? Vet school is what, 6-8 years of instruction and learning? That's like saying I should be a fully qualified economist to work on balancing my budget, or an engineer to work on my own car...WTF? I agree with some of the criticisms here, but some of them are just...wow. Everyone needs to *be* a vet to operate a rescue?

FWIW, I've rehabbed animals that were in pretty horrible shape that recovered fully. I did have to put down one BP that had a growth in his skull that grew back after being removed...it blocked closing his mouth properly, distorted his upper jaw and eye. It was bizzare. I just got a sickly Fl. kingsnake from death's door from dehydration and malnourishment (yearlings should be WAY more than 40 grams, and shouldn't have 2-3 stuck sheds) and he's now 100% healthy and doing great within the span of 5 months. Also played catch up on his growth...he's like 250-300 grams now. I got another BP (back years ago) that a kid hadn't fed in over 10 months, and probably hadn't had water in 2-3, hadn't had heat in a year...she recovered nicely after some heat, antibiotics for a mouth infection and lots and lots of water and food.

Probably 1/3 or 1/2 the animals I've had over the years have been rescues and most of them were totally savable. They came in a variety of conditions (that BP and that Fl. king were two fo the worst), from sick to healthy...usually a little TLC does it fine. I've never run a rescue as such, but plent of people have dumped reptiles on me because I'm the neighborhood snake guy. Balls, boas, anoles, corns, kings, geckos...one turtle...no giants, oddly enough.

 

[kmarsh]

spygirl
I'm gonna grow up someday





Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 18
Name : Micah Henderson


Trader Rating: (0) US Global

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kathy,

I wanted to clear some things up about the whole US Global thing.

I cannot say this on the BOI because I do not have the emails. I read the emails, but they were not sent personally to me. I found this out through the wildlife rehabber I sub-permit under.

Do you know of Mike (I cannot think of the last name) that runs this rescue? I've never personally met the man, but his reputation is sketchy in Texas. Anyway, he was slotted to get the 2,000ish animals that Wild Rescue was to receive. He then came out and said his plan was to release ALL 2,000 animals. Even non-natives. The SPCA pulled his animal request application. That is how Wild Rescue ended up with these animals.

Wild Rescue did not have any animals in possession until 2/9/2010. They had been all housed at the SPCA until then. I believe there were 4-5 of us fostering. I had to back out because some stupid punk slashed our tires and I had to get into my rehab money to get that fixed. Also, since the whole PetCo thing happened, I would have no where to adopt out animals. I refuse to use Craig's List. I wanted to meet the adopters face to face and do some intense discussing, in order to keep out animal hoarders.

From what I understand, members of the DFW Herp Society took all they could. I have no idea who else the SPCA contacted.

Since I'm no longer "connected" through Wild Rescue, now I can tell someone this. Wild Rescue has apparently washed their hands of all this and will not respond back to the BOI.

Again, you understand why I cannot take this to the BOI. I also do want to apologize for my previous posts in the thread. I was asked to make a response for Wild Rescue in such a manner.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Micah Prine
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Micah Prine


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ANY ONE CARE TO INTERPRET THIS TO ME !!!!
If I read this correctly then this situation is far worse than anything US GLOBAL could have done. WHERE is the justice for the reptiles in this matter pray tell.

 

[CoastalBreeder]

sad enough, i worked for jason at US global in Arlington for about a month. place had good animals, but some of things that came in had me skeptical, wallabies, mata matas, ect. i asked why he didnt use banks & the next day i got fired. i moved back to california and found out about the raid. didnt know an operation that big could be illegal. very dissapointed at what happend and if anybody needs any statements or anything in regards to a conviction ill be more than happy.

 

[CoastalBreeder]

P.S. i heard the animals were all being auctioned off.

 

[kmarsh]

Considering all the trouble you have had Felipe on the BOI I highly doubt anyone is going to look to you for answers or statements.

 

[Matt K]

Euthanisa is a hard decision to make...and how the hell is it a flaw to NOT be a fully qualified vet?? Vet school is what, 6-8 years of instruction and learning? That's like saying I should be a fully qualified economist to work on balancing my budget, or an engineer to work on my own car...WTF? I agree with some of the criticisms here, but some of them are just...wow. Everyone needs to *be* a vet to operate a rescue?
.... oddly enough.

Partly just shaking the tree a bit to see what falls out, and partly because I ahve no problem euthanisisng (spelling?) any animal- it's natures way.

But I do think if people are going to "rescue" something, they may not need to be a vet but at least be knowledgeable enough to deal with the animal they are trying to save- i.e. stick to what you know. For any animal I have, I know everything that can be known about them as far as thier physiology and medical requirements should something arise ever. So in turn, I rather expect someone to bother to educate themselves regarding any animal in thier care to the fullest extent. Its not hard to do- vets go to school for 6-8 years because they have to know alot more about many more genera of livestock, not just the medical knowledge referenced in my previous posts. Of course, you probably didn't think of that before your "WTF" post, but that's understandable....

 

[paulWTAMU]

My, you sound arrogant Seriously, you know everything that can be known about all your animals as far as thier medical care goes? So you'd be comftorable going in and conducting surgery? You have the means to open up an egg bound snake (or lizard), or cast a broken bone?? You'd feel fine running a biopsy to see if that growth is cancerous or not? You're all right doing X-rays (and correctly reading them?). You can do all that without going to a vet?

 

[KNOBTAIL]

To coastbreeder

I am a bit confused, you were working for Jason only for a month, and you took it upon yourself to ask the owner why he does not use banks ? Were you part of his accounting dept ? Did he have to even provide you an answer to that question, or maybe you overstepped your own position just a little to far. In turn you got fired... Deservedly so !

You really have allot of nerve asking questions that go well beyond your job title... If you were giving money to Jason, then maybe you would have some justification...

Now your willing to be a good Samaritan and testify against him !... Why does Jason have to justify his purchase of animals to you. Mata mata's are all over the place.

I guess had you done the work you were hired for, you would not have been fired for sticking your nose into other peoples business, especially if they are an employer who was paying your salary (which I am sure you did not complain about!)

So now you have come to Fauna to show us how injured you have been and at a moments notice you are ready for the big conviction....Stay in Calif, and better yet, let someone else deal with your immaturities when it comes to job related issues.... Mind your own business if you are getting paid for a job that has nothing to do with the owners responsibility.... JERRY

 

[brd7666]

I know people don't like the Humane Society and animals rights groups.

Check out this thread on the Humane Society.
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166704

 

[Matt K]

My, you sound arrogant Seriously, you know everything that can be known about all your animals as far as thier medical care goes? So you'd be comftorable going in and conducting surgery? You have the means to open up an egg bound snake (or lizard), or cast a broken bone?? You'd feel fine running a biopsy to see if that growth is cancerous or not? You're all right doing X-rays (and correctly reading them?). You can do all that without going to a vet?

You must be pretty young I am guessing....

But you totally missed the POINT, which may be common for you. Obviously not everyone is going to have to conduct surgury on an egg-bound animal (if anyone). If your reptile (whatever it may be) gets sick- you should know how to recognize that and what to do about it, don't be stupid about it. Animals that left USG and went to adoption organizations/ rescues/ etc. should have known what to do, not pass the buck, which they may or may not have done. The ball was dropped all along the way, and it started at USG apparantly.... somehow or way.