Seized reptiles put down

By Tasha Kates / katest@gnnewspaper.com
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

July 13, 2006 01:58 am

— They just weren’t going to make it.
About 24 of 300 reptiles and amphibians seized from a West End pet store Tuesday were euthanized because of their advanced conditions, an Erie County SPCA representative said.
The SPCA workers have placed the other creatures in a wing of their Town of Tonawanda building, keeping them fed and hydrated after a raid of Pets Plus on West Avenue.
Members of the Erie County SPCA animal rescue team and animal security investigators spent most of Tuesday looking through the store after obtaining a search warrant. The group received a call from the Department of Environmental Conservation over the weekend concerning illegal exotic animals.
The call originally went to the Niagara County SPCA, although executive director Albert J. Chille said the agency had to decline.
“They thought they would take a number of reptiles, which could include poisonous snakes,” Chille said. “We did not have the facility to do so.”
Chille said the group gave permission to the Erie branch to help with the investigation.
Erie SPCA spokeswoman Gina Browning said they are equipped for reptiles, although 300 of them is a tall order.
“Many are still in their temporary enclosures,” Browning said. “But the feces has been removed and they have food and water. Even though they are not immediately equipped, they are getting better care here.”
The SPCA was originally expecting 10 animals based on an original estimate from the DEC. The count became much higher after animal cruelty officials saw the number of seriously ill creatures. Estimates range from 5,000 to 8,000 animals living in the building, including those that were being bred on the second floor.
Joel Thomas, the Erie County SPCA’s wildlife administrator, said two of the animals were euthanized during Tuesday’s search. One of the boa constrictors had a dangerous tumor and an American bullfrog suffered from a bacterial condition.
“It wasn’t able to swim normally,” Thomas said. “It was laying in filthy water.”
A number of the animals, like the 8-foot-long crocodile monitor, are not legal to possess in New York, Thomas added.
Thomas said he doesn’t think the SPCA will be removing more reptiles from the store. Those creatures who have been “red-tagged” will remain in the store and will be dealt with by the DEC. The rest will be cared for by in-house veterinarians and one from the Buffalo Zoo.
In the meantime, investigators will be taking note of the condition of the animals. Officer Charles Braun, an animal cruelty investigator with the Erie County SPCA, said the group will be creating an inventory of animals to give to the court.
Braun said the SPCA is seeking misdemeanor animal cruelty charges for unsanitary conditions and animals without proper medical care. The charges would be under the Department of Agriculture and Markets law.
While the investigation is going on, Pets Plus has been asked to do some cleaning in certain cages and consult a veterinarian for certain creatures. The store was open on Wednesday.
Store co-owner Fred Kick declined to comment Wednesday about the investigation.
Chille said the Niagara County SPCA has received complaints about Pets Plus in the past and investigated those claims. When problems were found, Chille said, they were either corrected immediately or within a short period of time.
Contact Tasha Kates at 439-9222, Ext. 6241.