Over 26,000 Animals Seized In Cruelty Raid In Texas, including Tarantulas.

[dragontears]

I had read that somewhere, but wasn't sure if it applied to the inverts (it doesn't apply to the hedgehogs which are going to various rescues across the country). As long as they aren't destroyed, I'm content to know that they are going to be cared for. Thanks!

 

[violentblossom]

I had read that somewhere, but wasn't sure if it applied to the inverts (it doesn't apply to the hedgehogs which are going to various rescues across the country). As long as they aren't destroyed, I'm content to know that they are going to be cared for. Thanks!

I don't think that they'll destroy them, and I'm pretty content, too, with the decisions of the SPCA.

I plan to donate what I can, too, because I know it's costing them a fortune to care for all of the animals. I think they said it was costing around 8,000 to $10,000 a day, which is pretty brutal, considering the amount of animals that they already had before the seizure.

 

[iluvcreepystuff]

PATHETIC ECSCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING!!:evil:

 

[Arachnoheebs]

The greater portion of the animals, reptiles and others have a predetermined destinations, for the ones that have survived anyway. That's the situation as I understand it. I'm sure that the organizations had the forsite to have places for the animals with the knowledge that if the ruling was in the favor of the animals they would need placemaent with reputable institutions, indaviduals or rehabs that would insure their well being. With some kind of insurances that Jason and Vanessa Shaw (US Global Exotics) would not be able the regain possession of any of them.

I cannot stress how important it is to purchase captive breed animals because if you purchase wild cuaght animals these are the practices you are funding. Please take a moment and think about what we are looking at, a 70 percent death rate at the judges calculations. A conservative number if you really knew how the industry operates. You might want to keep that in mind the next time you are shopping for a vetebrate.

Mark

 

[ZergFront]

It's a shame. Is there anyone in the area who can talk to people about getting the T's at least homes? I have no idea how it could happen, but I'm sure if the tarantulas were offered they would go fast considering people in the hobby tend to keep LOTS.

No kidding. If they kept any arboreals, I'd take a few of them; wether for keeps or fostering.

All I got to say about this topic is What a horrible waste and horrible ways for animals to die..

 

[Arachnoheebs]

The way I understand it the inverts are going into good hands and should be fine.

Here is another link on the story http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1877602.html

Mark

 

[BlackCat]

I found PETA's article about it. The video is in the article also, and most of it is hard to watch. =/

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2010/01/us_global_exotics.php

As annoying as PETA can be sometimes, they get much respect when they put an end to practices like this.


Photos here, again, some are hard to look at so be warned. Slides 21 & 22 show the spiders, a lot of T. blondis being kept in tiny containers. So glad they were shut down!

http://www.slide.com/r/tNuuWHkA7T-l...on=TICKER_ITEM_CLICK&ciid=3386706920217597299

 

[ZergFront]

Man..those tarantulas don't even have the room to turn over for a molt. What would possess even someone who sells animals to pile them up into feeding bins? All those poor animals. I don't see any excuse for this. Don't get more animals than you can possibly sell especially when you obviously don't have the right housing for them! I'm done with this thread now. I'm afraid if I respond anymore I may break an AB rule. :evil:

 

[violentblossom]

Oh my. I had not seen those slides until just now. I'm VERY, very saddened by what I have just seen. How utterly terrible, ghasty, disgusting, and evil.

I'm actually crying kinda hard.

 

[Arachnoheebs]

Man..those tarantulas don't even have the room to turn over for a molt. What would possess even someone who sells animals to pile them up into feeding bins?

When you bring the amount of animals in like Us Global Exotics it isn't possible to house them correctly.

Mark

 

[Nomadinexile]

That is very sad. I don't understand how people do what they do to animals and each other. Some people don't deserve the title.

That said. I want to correct something I have seen repeatedly through this thread.

This story has nothing to do with wild-caught or captive bred. In a way, kind of, but not really. This is about a giant store/distributer not caring for it's critters. If everything was captive bred, he would have been stocked to the gills with starving captive bred critters. No, this is about the employees, and others in the know, not getting them shut down sooner. IF this was going on for a long time, WHY, did this not happen sooner? How long has spca known? Why did Peta have to get involved to get this fixed? That's the problem.

I collect wc scorpions. I have 8 scorpions in my house right now. 8. They are all well cared for I assure you. Most of the species I have collected are not available that I have found, or have been available one week in the last year. I am trying to get them in the hands of breeders. But wc does not equal what this store did. So, so different. I support captive breeding. But there are not enough breeders, and not enough breeding pairs in captivity.

So here's some solutions if you don't like what you see. Start breeding. You don't have to become a super store. But if you are in the hobby, and don't like seeing this stuff, breed SOMETHING. Pick a specie or two, and breed them. Then put them up for reasonable price and see how it goes.
At worst, you will pay for what you spent on supplies and food, and you are doing the right thing. Another suggestion for people is to know who you are buying from. What's their reputation online? Do they publish papers? Do they post pictures? Videos to help hobbyists? Not all WC animals are bad. It's something we should try to avoid, but there is no avoiding it until:
A. we have enough breeders
B. we have enough breeding pairs of everything
C. Consumers take the time to do more than just act like they care, and actually do the right thing, and do research not just settle for cheapest price they can find. Knowing your suppliers, whether a large supply house, or small breeder, is important.

But we know that don't we? It's the people not on here we have to reach.
Peace, r

**Just for clarity, I want to add this. Of all the wc animals I have sold, they haven't covered the gas I spent to get them. Not even close. I don't collect to make money. I do it it to get species into breeders hands, (and a few zoos), and for the experience itself.
I am not out there trying to make money. I am trying to enjoy life, get a break from the city, and get to send out a few special packages to happy scorpion enthusiasts.

 

[BlackCat]

When you bring the amount of animals in like Us Global Exotics it isn't possible to house them correctly.

Mark

A staff of only three or four people was tasked with providing care for tens of thousands of animals.

There is no way the animals stood even a remote chance of being treated correctly. It doesn't look like the company even bothered trying. I mean wow... if you can't afford to feed the animals you have, don't take on MORE. The whole thing is just angering!

 

[Arachnoheebs]

I beg to differ, the import of wild caught animals, mainly vetebrates is the fuel that drives these endeavors not captive bred animals. The conditions that exist are pretty standard throughout this industry. I have first hand knowledge of how these facilities run and operate. These operations have no interest in breeding or the lives of the animals. They are importing hundreds or in US Global Extotics case thousands of the same species at one time. In my opinion there is no call for this type of behavior. I have witnessed 750 Avicularia avicularia come in on a single shipment along with 500 Grammostola rosea along with multiple others, these are just a few examples of the abuse. There were just as many abuses in regards to the vetebrates that were brought in. There is no need for these actions to take place, it hurts the hobbies by driving the prices down to a point that breeding isn't cost effective and the imports continue. I would suggest if you think differently go and visit a large scale import/exporter and see if you feel that it's a valuble aset to have. I can bet you won't find many rare or hard to find specimens there because thats not what makes them their money.

Mark

 

[Nomadinexile]

I beg to differ, the import of wild caught animals, mainly vetebrates is the fuel that drives these endeavors not captive bred animals. The conditions that exist are pretty standard throughout this industry. I have first hand knowledge of how these facilities run and operate. These operations have no interest in breeding or the lives of the animals. They are importing hundreds or in US Global Extotics case thousands of the same species at one time. In my opinion there is no call for this type of behavior. I have witnessed 750 Avicularia avicularia come in on a single shipment along with 500 Grammostola rosea along with multiple others, these are just a few examples of the abuse. There were just as many abuses in regards to the vetebrates that were brought in. There is no need for these actions to take place, it hurts the hobbies by driving the prices down to a point that breeding isn't cost effective and the imports continue. I would suggest if you think differently go and visit a large scale import/exporter and see if you feel that it's a valuble aset to have. I can bet you won't find many rare or hard to find specimens there because thats not what makes them their money.

Mark

I assume you were responding to me, correct me if I am wrong.

This is my reply, if I am right:

W/C animals drive it, because that's what's available. If all the exotics came from a zillion breeders most all trying compete on price point, you would end up with the same thing. Allowing these people to operate like this is the problem, and I tend to think anything done on a huge scale is going to have issues as well. Again, I agree with most of what you are saying. What I am saying though, is that Wild Caught is the "driver" because that is what is there. If it was thousands of C.B., they would sell those instead. There wouldn't be the same profit margin, or would there be? We don't know, because there are too many variables for the feeble human mind to even comprehend. But you can't honestly and truthfully say that if there were no wild caught, this wouldn't happen. That's just wishful thinking!

I don't think places like this are a valuable asset to have. The first sentence of my post mentioned something along the lines of "they don't deserve the title human". But this is much different than just a captive bred/wild caught issue. And if you can't even understand the problem, how are we going to fix it? The fact is, they should have been shut down long ago. I'm not saying I want thousands of Avics coming in on trucks from the rainforest either. But I collect wild caught scorpions, in small numbers, at a financial loss. And by over simplifying the problem, you lump in all sorts of activities that have nothing to do with 26,000 animals. These people were horrible. We all agree on that. Just understand this is more than just a problem with collection of wild animals. Much more. Much different. I just want a full complete understanding, so that we can find a real solution to a real problem, instead of just using the moment to rant against our favorite easy target, over collected commoditized animals. I get it. I'm an environmentalist and have been for as long as I had freedom to get around on my own. I care. I care enough to spend the time to look at a complex issue, and look at the root causes. Don't just generalize and lump people in to a horrible industry. That's not fair, right, or a solution to the problem at hand. r

By the way, there are a lot of species not in the hobby that could be. Should we just say na', don't want them. Cause someone does. And if no one collects them and gets them into breeders hands, then someone has a lot of money to make by doing this kind of junk. Take away the motive. If we breed them, and offer competitive prices, and people would turn in animal abusers, we'd be a lot closer to a solution than if everyone just sits here are rants about wc. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, and this is exactly what we should do. But I doubt it.

 

[Arachnoheebs]

But you can't honestly and truthfully say that if there were no wild caught, this wouldn't happen. That's just wishful thinking!

By no means do I think animal abuse will end with stop by the ending of exessisive and needless imports. I don't believe a large operation like this could survive on a few breeders or groups of breeders.

Don't just generalize and lump people in to a horrible industry. That's not fair, right, or a solution to the problem at hand. r

I didn't lump individuals into the industry, the act of catching a few specimens and trying to start a breeding project is a good thing in my opinion. Who can find harm in the efforts to establish a rare species? Not I, if one wants to spend his days in the persuit of this I think that is the mark of a true hobbiest.

By the way, there are a lot of species not in the hobby that could be. Should we just say na', don't want them. Cause someone does. And if no one collects them and gets them into breeders hands, then someone has a lot of money to make by doing this kind of junk. Take away the motive. If we breed them, and offer competitive prices, and people would turn in animal abusers, we'd be a lot closer to a solution than if everyone just sits here are rants about wc. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, and this is exactly what we should do. But I doubt it.

I am aware that there are many species still out there that I myself would like in the hobby, I just don't think that should be a reason to pillage.

Mark

 

[Hobo]

That sucks.

I feel most for the verts/mammals in this one. I'm not saying they kept the Ts well by any means, but at least the Ts don't have to eat everyday. Damn watching those snakes roll around was awful.

 

[Nomadinexile]

By no means do I think animal abuse will end with stop by the ending of exessisive and needless imports. I don't believe a large operation like this could survive on a few breeders or groups of breeders.


I didn't lump individuals into the industry, the act of catching a few specimens and trying to start a breeding project is a good thing in my opinion. Who can find harm in the efforts to establish a rare species? Not I, if one wants to spend his days in the persuit of this I think that is the mark of a true hobbiest.




I am aware that there are many species still out there that I myself would like in the hobby, I just don't think that should be a reason to pillage.

Mark

Well dang, why did you disagree with me then? I think we agree on most of this. My point was that WC is constantly berated as having no value when that just isn't the case right now. Of course this stuff is whack. What exactly are we arguing about?? :?

*If they abuse a bunch of it, they are abusing it all. The verts may bring more money, but I don't value them over inverts.

 

[BCscorp]

the lack of care is disgusting...but having to hear "I forgot..." really made me sick.
no respect at all

 

[TheBugBarn]

All I can think is OMG, I almost bought some frogs from those guys!!! Fortunatly, I ask questions. Some of these question I may already know the answer to. Yeah it's sneaky, but so is selling me a busted up animal. Another great thing is these forums. The feedback keeps everyone honest. I think prison is almost as stupid as crime, but I'm hope there's space there for the owners of global exotics.

 

[violentblossom]

All I can think is OMG, I almost bought some frogs from those guys!!! Fortunatly, I ask questions. Some of these question I may already know the answer to. Yeah it's sneaky, but so is selling me a busted up animal. Another great thing is these forums. The feedback keeps everyone honest. I think prison is almost as stupid as crime, but I'm hope there's space there for the owners of global exotics.

Well, at the very least, I am glad that your frogs are in much better hands now.