Raid at feedstore uncovers 240 dead animals
Dalworthington Gardens, TX (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Apr 29, 2009
County: Tarrant
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Adam Zduniewicz
A feed store owner faces two animal-cruelty charges after a raid that investigators said revealed numerous dead animals at his business.
Adam Zduniewicz, 44, owner of Adam's Feed Store at 2601 W. Arkansas Lane, posted $5,000 bail on two Class A misdemeanor charges. Each charge is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
The charges stem from an April 29 raid by police acting on a complaint by the Humane Society of North Texas. Officials said they confiscated 240 dead animals and more than 700 live animals, most of them for sale as pets.
No trial date has been set by County Criminal Court No. 10. The next hearing on the case is set for July 27.
Zduniewicz declined to comment as he worked at his store Wednesday. His attorney, Wes Ball of Arlington, said the allegations are exaggerated and part of what he called "constant harassment" by Dalworthington Gardens over alleged ordinance violations.
"I've never seen in 29 years of practicing law a city that continues to go after a local businessman in this fashion," Ball said.
Zduniewicz has battled city officials over code compliance for more than 10 years, including going to court at least twice over paint-ball gaming and firewood storage. But officials say they only want him to play by the rules that apply to everyone.
"He has not complied," Public Safety Director Bill Waybourn said. Tammy Hawley, the Humane Society's operations director, said her group and the city separately received numerous complaints about animal treatment and filthy cages at the store for many months leading up to the raid.
"I personally saw the animals and saw the conditions," Hawley said. "I was appalled at the environment."
The store sold dogs and cats and dozens of varieties of livestock and exotic animals, from ducks and chickens to tarantulas and boa constrictors.
Zduniewicz and store employees have said many animals died during and after the confiscation, including some fish that were mingled with aggressive species. Hawley denied that Friday and said investigators found fish species already improperly mingled.
Ball said he's still investigating and can't explain the number of dead animals reported. He said that a certain number of deaths are to be expected where many animals are kept and that Zduniewicz had a veterinarian routinely check on the animals.
Hawley said almost all the hundreds of live animals confiscated have been adopted or placed with livestock foster families. References |
