US Global Exotics saisis...

Les détails ici, et les photos là :http://blog.peta.org/archives/2010/01/us_global_exotics.php

Citation :

1) Copy of Sworn Affidavit Used to Seize Control of All Animals Alive, Dead and Unborn at U.S. Global Exotics Signed by Mike Bass, an animal control officer in Arlington, TX. Lists in detail what was happening at US. Global Exotics as reported by PETA staff member (via video, pictures, and personal testimony) who worked undercover at U.S. Global Exotics for previous 7 months. Affidavit found at
http://media.star-telegram.com/smedia/2009/12/16/10/Affidavit.source.prod_affiliate.58.pdf
(if URL doesn’t work send request to asalzberg@herpdigest.org)
WARNING: Some of what's described in the affidavit is hard to take: Prairie dogs eating one another because of a lack of food, 50 live frogs stuffed into a two-liter bottle with no food or water, pythons crushed to death by the weight of other pythons piled on top of them in holding troughs.
______________________________________________________________________
2) Spotlight On Arlington Animal Business Could Include Industry
Editorial from Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1/6/09

The Dec. 15 seizure of 27,000 animals from U.S. Global Exotics in Arlington — and the seven days of municipal court testimony as a judge decided whether the company or its owners could regain custody of them — must have startled many people who were not yet aware of the exotic animal trade.

The thought of 27,000 animals in one private building is shocking enough.
The episode also showed a well-tuned, thoughtful and balanced court process in Arlington as the city first took control of the animals after receiving evidence of mistreatment and then carefully and extensively followed state law to protect the owners’ rights. Municipal Judge Michael Smith ruled Tuesday that there was indeed ample — even abundant — cause to terminate those rights and turn the animals over to the city for proper care.

Conditions at U.S. Global Exotics, as described in Smith’s ruling, were deplorable:
"The facility was seriously understaffed." Only three workers present at the time of the seizure were dedicated exclusively to caring for the thousands of mostly "wild-caught" reptiles, rare mammals, amphibians and spiders. Experts testified that the number should have been 20 to 40.

"All of the animals were subjected to poor air quality . . . a constant stench of death . . . [and] a strong ammonia odor resulting from urine."
"Many of the animals were housed in overcrowded conditions, including many types of animals that are solitary by nature and should not be forced into close proximity even with others from their own species."

"Many of the animals were unreasonably deprived of basic needs, such as food, water, clean bedding, and heat." That includes 414 iguanas boxed up for shipment and left without food or water for two weeks while the order for them fell through.

Another surprise: Smith ruled that the 600 dead animals found on the day of the seizure "do not constitute conclusive evidence of cruel treatment." Nor, he wrote, should Arlington be held responsible for the deaths of almost 4,000 more that died after the city took custody.

The "death rate in the animal trade is generally high," Smith wrote. "One witness cited a study that indicated that as many as 70 [percent] of reptiles die before reaching their ultimate purchaser."

Some animals have diseases or parasites when they are captured. Some experience stress from capture, from being transported, from temperature changes or other factors. Some stop eating and die.

While finding that all of the animals had been cruelly confined, cruelly treated and denied necessary veterinary care, Smith added another sobering thought:

"Evidence was received which indicated that this facility was operated in accordance with industry standards of the exotic animal trade. While this may be true, this Court is not free to substitute those standards for the standards set by Texas statutes."

U.S. Global Exotics and its owners tried to deflect blame to an employee hired by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to infiltrate the company and report on conditions there. They said the employee neglected his caretaking job. If that were so, why didn’t U.S. Global Exotics fire the PETA mole long ago instead of keeping him on staff for seven months? Not to have fired an employee who posed a danger to the animals would signal neglect by the company and its owners.

Smith’s ruling deals a severe financial blow to U.S. Global Exotics. After all, the "animal trade" places a high price on its merchandise.

But if conditions at the company really do reflect industry standards, it is a profoundly troubled industry.
____________________________________________________________________________
3) City of Arlington Awarded Custody of 26,411 Reptiles, Insects, Arachnids, Crustaceans and Mammals (75-80% WildCaught) to SPCA
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
By: Jaklin Kaden , http://www.spca.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=27387&news_iv_ctrl=1441

(DALLAS, TX); January 6, 2009--The City of Arlington was awarded custody of 26,411 animals--reptiles, insects, arachnids, crustaceans and mammals--seized from U.S. Global Exotics on Tuesday, December 15 under the authority of Arlington Animal Services at a hearing at the Arlington Municipal Courthouse.

Click here to download the ruling.
http://www.spca.org/site/DocServer/27000_Animals_Seized_12-15-09_Ruling.pdf
A must read for further details.

"The Respondents (Jasen and Vanessa Shaw) cruelly treated all of the animals made subject of this hearing by cruelly confining the animals. In particular, all of the animals were cruelly treated in one of more of the following manners: cruelly confined and injured due to such confinement; unreasonably denied necessary food and water, subjected for an extended period of time to food and/or water contaminated with foreign substances including but not limited to feces and urine…and denied necessary veterinary care," said Judge Michael Smith.

"Given that thousands of animals were clinically/subclinically sick on seizure, many will continue to suffer morbidity and mortality due to Global's abuse; veterinary treatment and other expert care can do only so much. My understanding is that Global was losing/throwing in the dumpster 500 animals--not all quite dead at the time--a day (which fits with the finding of 600 animals discovered sick/dead at the facility on the day of the seizure), and that makes 3,500 animals a week; we've certainly reduced that figure.

Approximately 80% of Global’s animals were identified (by independent veterinary and other assessment) as sick and dying at seizure; whereas now approximately 80% (due to our care) are out of danger/healthy. Many of the 4,000 'listed dead since seizure' were necessarily euthanased on humane grounds; many showed truly pitiful suffering from starvation, dehydration, gross infectious disease including devastating radiating sores, partially cannibalised yet still living bodies, and many others in unsavable condition," said Dr. Clifford Warwick, one of the scientific specialists brought in to assist with the animal seizure, aftercare and testimony in court.

This case sheds light on a very dark industry that sells pets commonly sold at pet stores. Purchasers are often not aware of the horrific conditions in which these animals live. This industry is regulated, but that regulation has not prevented the suffering. Better enforcement of existing laws and regulations is critical to preventing animals from suffering this kind of abuse.

None of the animals will be available for adoption. The SPCA of Texas will place the animals with reputable organizations such as zoos and sanctuaries to ensure they do not go back into the pet trade business or are not released into the wild.

Four days before seizure, Arlington Animal Services asked the SPCA of Texas and the Humane Society of North Texas to assist with the transport and housing of these animals. This multi-agency partnership between the Arlington Animal Services, the SPCA of Texas and the Humane Society of North Texas was critical to ensuring the care of these animals until the final ruling made at the custody hearing.

Species-appropriate experts arrived from all over the world to direct the care of these animals that were seized in what is being called the largest animal rescue of exotic animals in a cruelty case ever in the United States. These experts were on hand during the seizure and while the animals are being housed.

The animals were removed from a business that specialized in shipping them to pet trade businesses globally. Hundreds of the animals were found dead, and thousands more were acutely suffering from severely overcrowded conditions, cruel confinement, lack of food and water and lack of appropriate care.

A pervasive smell of death permeated the U.S. Global’s building where the animals had been housed. Some animals, including Iguanas and turtles, had been left in packing crates without food, water or appropriate living conditions for unknown periods of time, possibly weeks. Other animals had begun to cannibalize each other, possibly due to severely overcrowded conditions and utter lack of food. Many animals may have been crushed to death by the weight of the hundreds of other animals piled on top of them in certain enclosures. In some cases, hundreds or even thousands of animals were forced to live in containers together to fight for what little food and water was available. Snakes and other reptiles were housed in areas that were far too cold while other animals were kept in individual containers so tiny that they could not move.

This massive effort has required a tremendous amount of effort, time and expense. The SPCA of Texas would like to thank the City of Arlington, the Humane Society of North Texas and the veterinarians and experts from around the world for their tremendous efforts on behalf of these animals.

"The sheer volume of animals in this seizure was unlike anything I've seen before in more than 30 years working in the animal welfare field," said James Bias, President of the SPCA of Texas. "Without the partnership between these groups, these animals would still be living in the horrific conditions they were removed from, and the loving care of the veterinarians and experts was critical to the animals' well-being."

To help the SPCA of Texas fund future rescues like this and to support the SPCA of Texas' other programs and services, please visit www.spca.org/helptheanimals. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, please visit our website at www.spca.org.

The SPCA of Texas is the leading animal welfare agency in North Texas with two shelters and two spay/neuter clinics located in Dallas and McKinney, and serves as an active resource center providing an array of programs and services that bring people and animals together to enrich each others' lives. A comprehensive animal welfare agency, the SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other humane organization.

____________________________________________________________
4) Detroit Zoo Assists Peta in Identifying and Treating 27,000 Seized Animals
1/12/2010 ,By Patricia Janeway, Zoo and Aquarium Visitor

Royal Oak, MI - The Detroit Zoo is providing expert assistance in the care of more than 27,000 animals seized last month in Arlington, Texas, from U.S. Global Exotics, an international exotic animal dealer. Six Zoo animal curators and supervisors have been working in Dallas for the past four weeks to help triage, identify and care for the confiscated animals, many seriously ill, at a temporary rescue facility.

Officials with the City of Arlington carried out the raid, the largest such rescue ever in the U.S., on December 15 after obtaining evidence gathered during a seven-month long People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) undercover investigation. PETA documented cruel conditions and the suffering of animals such as ring-tailed lemurs, wallabies, sloths and other small mammals, as well as snakes, turtles, lizards and frogs.

The Detroit Zoo was contacted for assistance with the care and prospective placement of the rescued animals, seized with the help of animal protection groups including PETA, Humane Society of North Texas and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Texas. The Zoo is frequently asked to help with the rescue of animals from private owners, pseudo-sanctuaries, roadside zoos, circuses and the exotic pet trade.

“Often, the welfare needs of exotic animals in these environments cannot be adequately met and they end up in compromised conditions and in need of rescue by zoos and other animal welfare organizations,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society Chief Life Sciences Officer.

“We knew we could count on the Detroit Zoo to come to the aid of these abused animals,” said PETA vice-president Daphna Nachminovitch. “The director and zoo staff have been indispensable, giving countless animals their first-ever expert touch and expert care, including the basics of clean water, nutritious food, enrichment, kindness and respect.”

After seven days of testimony, an Arlington municipal judge ruled last week that the animals were cruelly treated – confined in cramped and filthy cages and denied necessary food, water and veterinary care – and should not be returned to U.S. Global Exotics. The company’s owners have until the end of this week to appeal the decision.

If the ruling stands, the SPCA of Texas will work to place the animals with zoos and sanctuaries to ensure that they are not put back into the pet trade or released into the wild. The Detroit Zoo plans to provide a home for a number of the animals, including five wallabies, four sloths, three agoutis, two ring-tailed lemurs, two coatis, two kinkajous and hundreds of reptiles, spiders and amphibians.

The Detroit Zoo’s National Amphibian Conservation Center is a leader in amphibian conservation and research and is now helping with the largest rescue of captive amphibians in the U.S. The animals rescued by the Zoo will be in quarantine upon arrival to ensure they are healthy and acclimating well before being released into their respective habitats.

_______________________________________________________________________
5) Detroit Zoo May Take Hundreds of Exotic Animals Rescued From U.S. Global Exotics
By Tammy Stables Battaglia
Free Press Staff Writer,1/13/09

The Detroit Zoo may be the new home for five wallabies, four sloths, three agoutis, two ring-tailed lemurs, two coatis, two kinkajous and hundreds of reptiles, spiders and amphibians after the seizure of 27,000 abused animals in Texas.

Six Detroit Zoo curators and supervisors have been in Dallas for four weeks helping to care for the animals, taken Dec. 15 from U.S. Global Exotics, an international exotic animal dealer. The city of Arlington carried out the raid based on evidence from a 7-month investigation by the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that found the animals confined in cramped and filthy cages and denied necessary food, water and veterinary care.

“Often, the welfare needs of exotic animals in these environments cannot be adequately met and they end up in compromised conditions and in need of rescue by zoos and other animal welfare organizations,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society chief life sciences officer.

After seven days of testimony, an Arlington municipal judge ruled last week the animals should not be returned to U.S. Global Exotics. The company’s owners have until the end of this week to appeal the decision.

If the ruling stands, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas will work to place the animals with zoos and sanctuaries to ensure that they are not put back into the pet trade or released into the wild.

The animals rescued by the zoo will be in quarantine upon arrival to ensure they are healthy and acclimating well before being released into their respective habitats, Detroit Zoo spokeswoman Patricia Janeway said Tuesday.

[url][/url]

C'est dégeulasse !

Moi je dis c'est gens là faut leur faire la même chose !

Les pauvre hérisson entassé et les pauvres hyla dans les bouteiles de soda Mais une chose m échappe en maintenant les animaux de cette facon énormement d entre eux meurt et donc il en vendent moin et donc moin de rendement .

Putain c'est quoi cette horreur? ça me rappelle un importateur Belge dans les années 80 à Liège ! Ces gens là devraient être claqués et montés par des ânes en rut!
Voilà pourquoi je me refuse à acheter des animaux sauvages et que j'écume les bourses d'éleveurs non pros.
On est ainsi à peu près sur de trouver des animaux qui ont été élevés avec un minimum de passion et d'amour du travail bien fait !
Ps:Sans balancer qui que ce soit, il y a dans les Vosges un "blaireau pro" qui n'est pas loin de faire pareil. Que ses dents tombent sauf une, celle où il y a une carrie