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PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-crawlin
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by tigers9 on October 24, 2008
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http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_1snakes.6642652oct24,0,6150019.story
Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-crawling discovery
160 snakes had been abandoned in store. Many found ill, dead.
By John J. Moser
Of The Morning Call
October 24, 2008
Lehighton police and animal rescue officers have confiscated 160 snakes, many venomous and dangerous, from a downtown exotic pet store whose owner left them ill and dying -- and unsecured -- in the closed store for months, officials say.
The July 22 seizure at Serpent's Den, which operated at 114 S. First St., was the largest known reptile seizure in the state, said Jack Ardey, an animal cruelty officer with the state SPCA. It came to light Thursday because an animal rescuer petitioned Carbon County Court to take them off his hands.
Authorities said they entered the closed store to find a boa constrictor crawling loose and other snakes in unsecured boxes and food containers.
In addition to the live snakes, investigators said they found nine dead ones. Forty-three of the snakes were ill when seized and three have died since, officials said.
The store's owner, Steven Markevich, 44, of 83 E. Third St., Jim Thorpe, and a woman helper -- described in court papers as Markevich's girlfriend and identified only as ''Becky'' -- have disappeared and are being sought, officials said.
Authorities have filed warrants against Markevich charging him with reckless endangerment, maintaining a public nuisance, 17 counts of animal cruelty and 160 counts of violating the borough exotic pet ordinance.
The reckless endangerment charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of two years, comes from the snakes being kept without a license in a ''high-density commercial/residential district,'' according to court papers.
The storefront was locked Thursday, its windows covered with white paper and summonses taped to its door.
Chris Foley, the animal rescuer petitioning the court to release the animals, said that among other things, he faces risk handling the snakes and doesn't have antivenin to treat any bites -- and neither do local hospitals. Foley declined to reveal where he lives or where he is caring for the snakes.
If Foley is successful, the snakes would be released to be sold, Ardey said.
Foley's attorney, Stephen Vlossak of Palmerton, and Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Dydra-Hatton met privately on the matter but didn't reach an agreement.
Court papers give this account of the raid:
Authorities said they were alerted to the snakes by Keith Schaffer, the owner of an adjacent business, who told them venomous snakes were being kept in unsecured containers. He told police Markevich had not been at the store for more than three months, and ''Becky'' nearly that long.
Police met with building owner Michael Sulek, Foley and another animal rescuer, Kelly Switzer, and entered the store to find a ''rancid odor'' that intensified as they walked through the store.
They saw a boa constrictor crawling loose on the floor and found plastic containers holding live and dead reptiles, unsecured venomous snakes in wooden bins and 11 venomous snakes in containers with easily removed lids.
Other snakes were covered in feces and urine, Foley found some with respiratory and oral infections, and there was inadequate water and food for the animals.
Ardey, who was not part of the search, later determined the snakes' conditions were caused by the unhealthful conditions and carelessness of the owners.
Police said Schaffer previously complained about white mice being kept at the business, and authorities said they saw them at that time as well.
Police determined the conditions were ''a danger to residents and visitors'' and took custody of the animals. Foley said it took a 26-foot truck to transport all the snakes.
Neither Markevich nor ''Becky'' had a license to keep the animals, according to court papers.
Lehighton Borough Council in November adopted an ordinance that prohibits keeping exotic pets, such as reptiles, raccoons or porcupines, in homes or businesses within borough limits. Serpent's Den opened before the ordinance was adopted.
SNAKES IN A STORE
Here are the types of snakes investigators said they found in an abandoned Lehighton pet store:
103 ball pythons
16 boa constrictors
9 prairie rattlesnakes
7 unspecified rattlesnakes
4 sunset monocled cobras
3 Bredl's pythons
3 Brooks king snakes
2 Saharan sand boas
2 Honduran milk snakes
2 urutu vipers
2 Baja rattlesnakes
1 jungle carpet python
1 Irian Jaya carpet python
1 Dumeril's boa
1 leucistic Texas ratsnake
1 Moroccan cobra
1 black-necked spitting cobra
1 snake not identified
Source: Carbon County Court documents
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by LadyBloodRose on October 24, 2008
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If this i sthe petstore I am thinking of seems likea while back they had a website up, an on thats ite showed some prety disturbing images most speciifcly with some packman frogs they had. Many where eating far to large meals even goings o far as to feed pacmans to pacmans, an feeding lizards, an snakes to the animals an a bunch of other stuff.
I'm glad it seems this place is now outa buisness an feel sorry for the animals left to suffer but least now they are in capible caring hands.
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by theemojohnm on October 25, 2008
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This sounds a bit strange to most, but I worry about instances like this EVERY day. It is a major stress factor for me daily, which I know is not healthy.
EVERYTHING like this that happens in PA worries the hell out of me even more, just because this state is home for me.
Take Care.
~John Mendrola.
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by tj on October 25, 2008
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"It is a major stress factor for me daily, which I know is not healthy."
I wouldn't worry about that, John. The state will more than likely take that stress away from you now.
If PA lasts through next year without changes in regulations, I'd be really surprised. How is the state supposed to think we are responsible keepers when the morons who sell them can't even responsibly take care of them?
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by Cro on October 25, 2008
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That is one of the biggest problems with the reptile hobby.
All it takes is a few morons who do not care for their animals correctly, to create an incident that makes the news, and then changes the laws in a State or County for all of the folks who are doing things right.
The unfortunate thing is that more regulation will force the hobby underground, and that will be a far worse situation than a regulated hobby that is out in the open.
Best Regards John Z
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by theemojohnm on October 25, 2008
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Sadly, I know this. It is uterly ridiculous. If I get convicted of murder should the rest of you get life in prison aswell. If one does it, certainly everyone else has to have aswell right?
I have high hopes for the Herpetological Society I have stablished for PA. And now, without gaining enough momentum in the community yet, we will likely have no influence if somthing happens very soon with this. The fate of the rest of the country rests with organizations like USARK and REXANO. Hopefully, legistlators are open enough to listen, as half of the folks proposing these bans have NO CLUE what they are talking about anyways, but it seems it can only be prevented so long... It will be the worst day of my life when the captive keeping of these animals is made illegal in PA.
Take Care.
~John Mendrola.
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by tj on October 25, 2008
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"The fate of the rest of the country rests with organizations like USARK and REXANO."
No, it doesn't. It rests with the lazy ass hobbyists who actually get off their asses and do something about it. Nothing pisses me off more than leaving things up to one or two groups to do everything for people. It's been like this for years. Noone wants to do anything but sit back and let someone else fight for their rights, then bitch and moan when things dion't go the way they feel they should have, while letting people like Andrew, Roark, and Z do all the work for them. It's gotten ridiculous that this is the mentality now, as has the fact that people actually look up to and respect the "reputable", scumbag vendors, instead of policing them when it was needed years ago.
You seem like a smart, passionate, young man. Start writing letters when it's needed, even when it's not your state that needs help. GET INVOLVED! The few groups CANNOT win without help from us, and a $20 or $30 membership fee isn't gonna do it. Yours, as well as everyone else's voices, need to be heard. Don't be like 75% of the "herpetoculturists" who sit back and do nothing.
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by theemojohnm on October 25, 2008
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Tom,
Perhaps my last post wasnt worded quite right. I do not intetend to leave the fate of this hobby in the hands of ONLY the hands the individuals responsible for the existance of these organizations. I mean, these gropus as a whole, wich, like you said, is up to EVERYONE to make a difference.
I personally have written many emails, sign those comment-type guestbooks on the legistlative sites, and sent out two handwritten letters in the last 2 months. I feel I am as active as I can be at the moment. Two weeks ago, I sat in the same chair I am now with $125 I planned to send to USARK. Some other obligations came up, but that $125 will be sent no later than friday of next week.
Writing is one of my strongest points, but having very little knowledge of how such bans are approved, it sometimes makes it difficult to word things right, to make it valuable to these legistlators. I have used statements on the economic value of breeders, manufacturers, etc... because, honestly, what legistlator wants to hear how much we love our animals? They also like to work these proposals very sneakily, making very obscure and general statements, which leave alot of loop-holes and make it very frustrating.
It seems even more pointless to even try when I feel like I may be one of only 10 people (if that) in my state that have actually done somthing about this.
All I want is to be able to have "as many years" as the rest of you, working with the animals I love.
Take Care.
~John Mendrola.
(Pennsylvania Woodland Herpetological).
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by atrox56 on October 26, 2008
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This simply serves as more ammunition to be used against reputable keepers like a majority of us are. We need to start policing our own hobby and do something when we see morons like this causing injury to the reptiles we love so.
WE already fight an up hill battle with most of society and news paper articles such as this only make it easier for the special intrest groups to slip ridiculous laws into effect and in the end we become outlaws because we ( or at least I ) will not give up our charges.
Just another day in the jungle and the fight goes on.
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RE: PA-Venomous reptiles in Lehighton are skin-cra
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by tj on October 26, 2008
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"It seems even more pointless to even try when I feel like I may be one of only 10 people (if that) in my state that have actually done somthing about this."
Don't let it get you down. There's pride in knowing you did all you could do and there will always be people who will skate through life doing nothing, only to reap the benefits of the people who were proactive.
It's no different than working and paying taxes while someone sits in a trailer with their wife beater on, drinking a beer you payed for.
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