Couple fined $700 after exotic animals seized from B.C. farm

A B.C. couple has been fined $700 and put on two years' probation after SPCA officers seized 87 animals from their farm, including a lynx, three parrots, 10 turtles, an alpaca and an assortment of 70 rabbits, hedgehogs, chinchillas, gerbils and mice.

Michelle Kuberski and Kenneth Bunker pleaded guilty to charges of animal cruelty and were sentenced last week in a Dawson Creek court, according to a statement released Monday morning by the B.C. SPCA.

The court instructed the couple to provide the SPCA with a list of all the remaining animals on their property and to grant the organization access to inspect the animals with only 24 hours' notice.

The SPCA was first called to the property in northeastern B.C. after receiving a complaint of animal neglect and hoarding..." More

1,045 Animals Seized from TX Home

Man who gave up 1,009 animals charged with cruelty

• By PEGGY O'HARE

  
  

  A man who gave up more than 1,000 animals found in deplorable conditions and forfeited his northwest Houston home to the county to pay for their boarding and care was released from jail Monday after being arrested on two charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty.

  Joselito Rivera Boado, 34, whose property became the site of the largest animal seizure in U.S. history last month, is scheduled to be arraigned in court Oct. 19, said Harris County animal cruelty prosecutor Belinda Smith.

  Investigators descended on Boado's property at 6519 Breen Drive on Sept. 23 and found 1,009 animals in filthy conditions, most crammed into tight cages, many without basic necessities such as food and water. Both live and dead animals were found.

  The animals — including birds, ducks, chickens, parakeets, parrots, iguanas, hamsters, rats, three dogs and a goat — were seized and taken to the Houston SPCA. The Houston SPCA continues to ask for donations to help care for them since so many animals were taken into their facility.

  Boado said he was keeping the animals to sell them at flea markets. He agreed to give up all of the animals to the SPCA, while authorities agreed to release two of the dogs to his ex-wife.

  Boado also agreed to forfeit his home and land to Harris County to satisfy the animals' boarding and medical care costs — $213,458 — which authorities sought to make him pay. Appraisal district records show the home and land is valued at more than $142,000..." More

  
  

  
  

  Sept 30, 2009: Houston man to forfeit animals seized by SPCA

  
  

  By PEGGY O'HARE

  
  

  The owner of more than 1,000 animals seized by the SPCA agreed today to forfeit all but two of them to the agency.

  Joselito Rivera Boado, 34, also will vacate his northwest Houston house at 6519 Breen in 30 days and forfeit his house to the county to satisfy $213,458 in medical and boarding costs for the animals that were seized, according to an agreement announced in court today.

  The property is appraised at about $235,000. He still owes about $85,000, so its net worth is $150,000. He has waived his right to appeal this civil action.

  The agreement, however, does not preclude or prevent any criminal charges from being filed in this case. No charges have yet been filed.

  SPCA employees seized 1,009 animals from his property on Sept. 23. About 100 to 200 of the animals have died, said assistant county attorney Linda Geffin. Numerous animal skeletons also were found on the property, she said.

  Two dogs seized will be returned to Boado's ex-wife, once the animals are spayed and neutered and get a clean bill of health, officials said.

  Boado has lived at the property for about eight years.

  Justice of the Peace David Patronella presided over today's agreement in Justice of the Peace Dale Gorczynski's court..." Link & video

  
  

  September 24, 2009: Man Accused in Record SPCA Seizure Wants Animals Back

  
  

  The man at the center of what the SPCA calls the largest animal seizure in U.S. history says he wants his animals back.

  
  
  By: Steve Simmon
  
  
  The homeowner, who only wants to called "Joe", says he did not mistreat the animals.
  
  He gave 39 News a tour of his backyard in northwest Harris County. There are a lot of empty cages; it's the quietest it has been here in nearly eight years.
  
  "This morning I woke up at 8:30, usually its much earlier," Joe said.
  
  On Wednesday, an anonymous tip to the SPCA helped lead investigators to the house in the 6500 block of Breen.
  
  Investigators seized 1,045 different animals. Most are birds and ducks, and it also includes 250 different species of turtles.
  
  Joe says the two acre property is his home and a business he's been involved with for ten years. He says he buys the animals and later sells them at local flea markets.
  
  He says he's never had legal trouble, and claims an investigator with the Harris County Health Department gave him a satisfactory report last month.
  
  "I'm not one of these people that's involved in cock fighting or dog fighting, I'm trying to make an honest living in a bad economy," said Joe.
  
  The SPCA doesn't see it that way..." More & video
  
  

More info on the Houston SPCA site

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• 1,045 Animals Seized from TX Home
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• By Alice Kalthoff

HOUSTON - SPCA investigators worked one of the largest animal rescue operations in U.S. history out of a small Houston house last night.

When they received an anonymous tip about animals in need of medical care, they were stunned to find hundreds of chickens, ducks, parrots, gerbils, iguanas, turtles, snakes, a pony, a goat, and more.

"Very few of the animals had the basic staples of life -- food, water and shelter," SPCA chief investigator Charles Jantzen told the Houston Chronicle. Some of the animals were dead.

The owners told investigators they were raising the creatures to be sold at flea markets.

The animals were immediately taken into SPCA custody, but there will be a court hearing in ten days to decide who will get final ownership of the animals.

So far, the unidentified owners have not been charged with anything..." Link

Animals seized in area's largest hording case recovering

By Fred Hiers

The animals that were seized in Marion County’s largest animal cruelty case in recent memory are recovering. The animals’ former Citra owners will likely not fare as well.

Marion County spokeswoman Christy Jergens said Animal Services officials will soon recommend to the State Attorney’s Office charges against the couple that allegedly kept the 432 live animals in horrifically filthy conditions until their rescue last month.

“They have not been arrested but we are planning to go ahead with charges,” Jergens said.

“With so many animals, we’ve been trying to get them all settled in, get them vaccinated. The focus has been on that,” she said.

Along with the living animals at the 7680 NE 192 Pl. home of Ileana Verguizas and Andrew Gonzalo Perez, 15 dead animals were also found.

Some of the animals, which included dogs, cats, goats, quail, chickens, geese, ducks, sheep, rabbits, snakes, parrots and turtles, were found by county investigators to be living in filthy cages and pens, and their fur matted with feces and riddled with fleas. Of the living animals, almost half were kept inside the 2,200 square-foot home..." More

More charges for Salem woman with 60 malnourished animals

By ANNE YEAGER

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Additional charges have been added and another arrest has been made in a Salem animal abuse investigation after authorities seized dozens of horses, dogs and other animals earlier this month from a rural ranch.

Marion County Sheriff's Lt. Sheila Lorance says investigators have now learned that the suspect, 26-year-old Kristina Early, also sold a horse that belonged to someone else without the owner's knowledge. Besides animal neglect, Early is now charged with theft and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.

Also this week, deputies arrested 23-year-old Natalia Mikkola of Aumsville on tampering and animal neglect charges, saying she helped Early move some of the horses before authorities could seize them..."  More & video

July 12, 2009:  More than 60 animals seized from woman in animal neglect case

SALEM, Ore. — Marion County authorities and the Willamette Humane Societyhave removed more than 60 animals from a rural Salem woman's home, including horses and goats.

Humane Society officials said it was one of the largest cases of animal cruelty and neglect in the Salem area in recent history.

Marion County Sheriff's officials said the 63 animals seized Saturday from a home in the 6800 block of Skyline Road South included more than 40 horses, four goats and two parrots. Authorities say 26-year-old Kristina N. Early was arrested Saturday on charges of animal neglect, interfering with a peace officer and tampering with evidence. She operates the Early Rise Ranch, which boarded, trained and breeded horses and boarded and trained dogs.

Early had surrendered some animals when sheriff's Deputy Cliff Self responded to her home Friday to a report of possible animal neglect. But when officials returned the next day, authorities say she had moved at least 17 horses in an attempt to hide them.

The Humane Society said most of the animals were found in poor shape and without access to food or clean drinking water. Many of the horses were found severely emaciated and some had significant injuries, including one that had a fractured leg, the Humane Society said...  More