Dealer charged under AWA Prophetstown, IL (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Jul 17, 1996 County: Whiteside Disposition: USDA Citation Person of Interest: Francis Corl

Case ID: 6056 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: captive exotic View more cases in IL (US) Login to Watch this Case

On July 17, 1996, the U.S. Department of Agriculture charged licensed animal dealer Francis Corl of Prophetstown, Ill., with violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Dale F. Schwindaman, deputy administrator for regulatory enforcement and animal care with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area, said that in 1993 Corl violated the regulations and standards of the Animal Welfare Act.

APHIS inspectors found that Corl failed to handle a dangerous animal so that there was minimal risk of harm to the animal and to the public. Corl allowed an intoxicated person to have physical contact with the bear while it was being unloaded from a transport enclosure, resulting in an attack by the bear.

On Oct. 17, 1997, a U.S. Department of Agriculture law judge has found Francis Corl of Prophetstown, Ill., guilty of violating the Animal Welfare Act.

"Corl broke the law and now he will have to pay for that transgression," said W. Ron DeHaven, acting deputy administrator for animal care with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area.

Corl has been disqualified from becoming licensed under the AWA for 10 years. He was also fined $5,000, but that penalty has been suspended provided there are no further violations.

APHIS inspectors found on two occasions that Corl failed to handle a dangerous animal (a black bear) so that there was a minimal risk of harm to the animal and to the public. An individual was attacked by the bear while it was being unloaded from its transport enclosure.

References

	USDA  - July 17, 1996
	APHIS  - October 17, 1997

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.