PetPoint Aids in Arlington Seizure

On December 15th, PetPoint software was utilized to aid in the seizure of over 26,000 animals from U.S Global exotics, an exotic animal trader based out of Arlington, Texas.    Three PetPoint users organized the raid; The SPCA of Texas, The Humane Society of North Texas and Arlington Animal Services.   Among the 50 animal welfare employees involved in the raid was Jorge Ortega, Pethealth’s Regional Shelter Outreach Director.

“Pethealth deployed staff to the scene whose assistance was very helpful,” added Ann Barnes, Senior Vice President of Operations for the SPCA of Texas. “Pethealth assisted us by inputting all 26,411 animals into the PetPoint shelter management system so that we could keep the most accurate count of the animals. This is something that would have been impossible for our staff to accomplish in the absence of Pethealth.”

Mr. Ortega recalls the seizure, “Starting early in the morning on Tuesday, the team did not leave the facility until 12:40AM on Wednesday.  Overcrowding in the pens caused horrible conditions for the animals, driving many to starvation”.

Throughout the seizure Mr. Ortega was responsible for:

• The inventory log for all snakes removed from the second floor of the facility
• Recording the temperature of most of the animal housing areas
• Assisting in the capture and removal of snakes, lizards, frogs and some mammals from the facility
• Moving animals out of the facility and into transport cages.

The data entered into PetPoint later aided in the prosecution of U.S Global Exotics.  Judge Michael Smith of the Arlington Municipal court presided over the hearing to determine if U.S Global Exotics indeed treated the animals in a cruel manner.The court found the facility to be  “seriously understaffed” and  “many of the animals were deprived from basic needs, such as food, water, clean bedding, and heat”.  Poor air quality and overcrowded conditions were also noted as a leading cause of death for hundreds of  animals within the facility.

On January 5th, 2010 the Arlington Municipal Court ordered that U.S Global Exotics sell the animals at a public sale by auction or give the animals to a non-profit animal shelter, pound, or society for their protection.

“This is an incident that has really tested the commitment of those working in animal welfare organizations in the greater Dallas area.  I am delighted that all the organizations that have been involved have risen to the challenge and have shown remarkable strength and stamina in the face of adversity. We are happy to make a small contribution to the effort and are prepared to assist as needed to ensure all these animals are properly housed and cared for.” said Mark Warren, President and CEO of Pethealth Inc.