Hundreds of animals seized from unlicensed breeder
Visalia, CA (US)Incident Date: Friday, Dec 5, 2008
County: Tulare
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Manuel D. Jesus Hernandez
Hundreds of birds, reptiles and other small creatures were confiscated Friday at the garage of a north Visalia home that city animal-control officers said was being used to warehouse animals to be sold at flea markets.
City animal-control officer Deven Warren said citations for animal cruelty and operating without a business license were issued to a resident of the rented home, in the 200 block of East Prospect Avenue.
The birds and other animals were taken to Valley Oak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They are likely to remain there, said SPCA spokeswoman Lanie Wagenberg, until a determination is made whether they will be returned to their owner, Manuel D. Jesus Hernandez, 32, the person issued the citation.
Warren said he witnessed these incidents that he said formed part of the basis for the animal cruelty citation:
* As many as 35 parakeets crowded into cages that were 2-foot cubes.
* As many as eight rabbits crowded into the same space.
* Water turtles with no way to get out of water.
* Iguana and snakes confined in aquariums where there was no artificial heating, leaving the reptiles suffering from hypothermia.
Warren said possession of the creatures was not in itself illegal. None was of an endangered species nor appeared to have been illegally imported.
The legal issues, he said, will be animal cruelty and city permit, license and code violations.
Warren said the Prospect Avenue residence first came to his attention last week through anonymous telephone reports that fighting roosters and hens were being kept there.
He said animal-control officers went to the residence and the owner voluntarily surrendered seven roosters and two hens. Warren said it's illegal to have chickens within the Visalia city limits.
Then on Thursday night came another call reporting that birds and animals were being unloaded into the garage from a rental van.
The Friday morning raid discovered about 300 birds - about 180 of them parakeets, but also parrots of various kinds, pheasants, doves and pigeons - plus 11 iguanas, two snakes - one of them a boa constrictor, the other an undetermined variety - seven mice, seven water turtles and 25 rabbits.
Warren said animal-control investigations have determined that pheasants, doves and pigeons are sometimes sold at flea markets to customers who have a cultural preference for freshly killed foul.
He noted that Visalia city ordinances prohibit slaughtering any kind of animal within the city limits without a permit.
Wagenberg said that if the creatures are not returned to Hernandez, they likely would be available for adoption or turned over to animal-rescue groups. References« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
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