On June 29, 2000. a U.S. Department of Agriculture administrative law judge found Reginald Parr, doing business as Animal Extravaganza in Houston, Texas, guilty of numerous Animal Welfare Act violations.
"Parr broke the law, we caught him, and a judge agreed. He's guilty of not providing adequate care and housing for his animals," said W. Ron DeHaven, deputy administrator for animal care with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area. "We've been working on this case for quite some time and nothing pleases me more than to see Parr out of business for the next five years."
The administrative law judge found Parr guilty of several violations of the AWA. In addition to suspending Parr's exhibitor's license for five years, he was also fined $10,000 and to ordered cease and desist from:
--Constructing and maintaining housing facilities for animals that are not structurally sound and in good repair;
--Failing to provide animals kept outdoors with shelter from inclement weather;
--Failing to utilize a sufficient number of trained employees to maintain the prescribed level of husbandry practices; and
--Failing to establish and maintain programs of disease control and prevention, euthanasia, and adequate veterinary care under the supervision and assistance of a veterinarian.
Parr has a limited time to appeal this decision. The appeals process for AWA cases begins with a judicial review officer. If the decision by the judicial review officer is appealed, the case leaves the USDA administrative court and enters the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Case UpdatesA worker was injured during a feeding incident February 11, 2005 at Cut and Shoot, an exotic jungle cat preserve located in Conroe Texas. The woman was preparing to feed the cat, a leopard named Zuma, around 5 p.m. when it became impatient and pulled her right arm through the feeding hole, said Kelli Copeland, director of Montgomery County Animal Control.
According to witnesses, the woman's arm was cut when other workers pulled her back through the cage, Copeland said. The incident occurred at 6912 Dusty Lane at Wildlife Extravaganza, owned by Reginald "Lefty" Parr. "It is unclear at this time how severe the injuries are," Copeland said. It is also unknown whether her injuries occurred from her arm being pulled through the cage or she actually was bitten, Copeland said.
Copeland said she could not confirm the identity of the woman injured but was sure she was a worker at the facility. The woman was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Copeland said.
The opening in the cage was just large enough for the leopard to get its paw through, she said. "The animal was hungry and a little agitated," Copeland said.
Zuma will be quarantined for the next 90 days, according to state law, to determine whether it has rabies, Copeland said. For at least the first few days, the animal will be quarantined on the site in Cut and Shoot. After a few days, the leopard could be moved to the Montgomery County Animal Control facility, Copeland said. Following the quarantine, the leopard is not expected to be euthanized, Copeland said. "I don't think Mister Parr would want it to be euthanized. He's had the cat for a long time," Copeland said. "But I'm leaving all of mine and Mister Parr's options open."
The facility is registered with the county and has a license to keep the exotic cats, she said. "The pens are in excellent condition," Copeland said. "Mister Parr is up to code with everything." "There was never any danger to the public at all," she said. Parr owns two leopards, a cougar, several tigers and a lion, she said.
There have been two prior incidents where cats escaped from Parr's facility, Copeland said. In 1998, two tigers escaped from their cages after a trainer had left them open. Both tigers were later shot. In another incident, two cougars escaped from their cages, Copeland said. At that time, the animals were just housed in cages, which violates the Animal Welfare Act, she said. Parr has significantly upgraded his facility since those incidents, Copeland said.
Following the second incident, Parr lost his exhibitor license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He also was found guilty of several violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including constructing and maintaining housing facilities for animals that are not structurally sound and in good repair, failing to utilize a sufficient number of trained employees to maintain the prescribed level of husbandry practices and failing to establish and maintain programs of disease control and prevention, euthanasia and adequate veterinary care under the supervision and assistance of a veterinarian. | | Update posted on Dec 5, 2005 - 1:00AM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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