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Tigers in Need in OK is NOT a Tigers in Need in OK is NOT a Sanctuary
- From: TheirVoice
-
Description:
On July 15, 2010 we received a complaint that Tigers in Need in Oklahoma was allegedly charging the public to pay with 7 week old tiger cubs in direct violation of USDA's policy that only allows contact between the public and big cat cubs between the age of 8 weeks and 12 weeks. The USFWS deems that a real sanctuary does not breed, buy, sell, trade, nor allow public contact of any kind at any age with exotic cats. Any place that allows contact with their cats is not a real sanctuary.
Tigers in Need goes even further to harm big cats by fighting laws that are designed to protect wild animals from being exploited, abused and abandoned. What kind of rescue doesn't want the abuse to stop?
To see if a sanctuary is accredited go to the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries here: http://www.sanctuaryfederation.org/gfas/gfas-sanctuaries/
To see why allowing contact with cubs is killing them go here: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/2008DyingToBeHeld.htm
To report anyone violation USDA policies click the links at the bottom of the page called Report to Feds to report them.
- Blog post
- 2 months ago
- Views: 176
- Not yet rated
-
Bengal Cat Breeders Hate Big C Bengal Cat Breeders Hate Big Cat Rescue
- From: TheirVoice
-
Description:
Why do Bengal Cat Breeders hate Big Cat Rescue? Check out http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/hybrids.php
Read this hate mail sent to Carole Baskin when she sent out an alert asking people to speak up against lions being slaughtered for their meat in the U.S.
From: The Vitale's <vitalesj@comcast.net>
Date: Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: [MaineCoonRescue] Fwd: Please help us take lion burgers off the menu
To: julie.hanan@bigcatrescue.orgYou are SO RIGHT, this is a CRIME. However, the crime is he did not serve the BIG CAT RESCUE MANAGEMENT ON THE MENU.Shame on him for letting Carole and company get away.Shame on you and your prostitute boss for continuing this sham that you are good and nice when you breed and sell big cats to the public with big bucks.May your boss become tiger meat.... oh yea, heard that's what she did with hubby......Sal Vitale
The Bengal Rescue Network
Catchment area: Worldwide
Contact: Sal & Doris Vitale
Email: vitalesj@comcast.net
Email: bengalcatrescue@comcast.net
URL: http://geocities.com/bengalrescue/If the Bengal Rescue Network really were a rescue facility for Bengal Cats they would know and understand why Big Cat Rescue is opposed to breeding cats that almost never work out as pets in the first four generations. Instead it seems to be a scheme for getting people to turn in their breedable cats so they can use them and sell more kittens into the lucrative trade in exotic hybrids.
- Blog post
- 3 months ago
- Views: 175
- Not yet rated
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Uproar over abused tiger claim Uproar over abused tiger claim
- From: TheirVoice
-
Description:
Uproar over abused tiger claim
Sat, May 22, 2010
The Star/Asia News Network
MALACCA - A 500ha resort in Alor Gajah, with its own safari, has attracted the attention of animal lovers and authorities here over a video clip on the Internet allegedly showing the abuse of a drugged tiger during a photography session.
The two-minute clip first appeared on YouTube in February with the title "Tiger Being Abused For Money." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ACVn73YL0
It shows what seems to be a heavily sedated tiger on a raised platform and occasionally being propped up by its handler.
The recording also includes an audio recording of an unknown person questioning, in Cantonese, the alleged mistreatment of the tiger.
The person also mentions that she was told that patrons had to fork out RM15 to pose for photographs with the tiger.
When contacted, Malacca Society Against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) president Vincent Low said he was not shocked by such allegations as they had received complaints about the resort previously.
"It is a wild animal and should not be subjected to such treatment. Not only is it inhumane to treat the tiger in such a manner, it is also dangerous for patrons," he said.
A Famosa Resort general manager Allan Chee denied the abuse allegation.
"There is no evidence that the tiger was drugged or abused by its handler," he said, adding that he was aware of the video clip and had received numerous inquiries from the public.
Chee said the animal was a captive-bred tiger and was considered very tame and comfortable around humans.
"Tigers are nocturnal and those here are very well fed and become very lazy and lethargic during the mid-morning. So, it is natural that the handlers had to use extra coaxing to move the heavy tiger into position," he said.
He also denied the resort charged RM15 for patrons to take photographs with the tiger.
"We only charge patrons if they ask us to photograph them with our instant camera," he said.
A check revealed the resort had removed all negative comments from its Facebook fan page.
It is learnt that WWF Malaysia had also received numerous complaints over the video and had advised those concerned to take it up with the Wildlife and National Parks Department.
It is learnt that SPCA had submitted its recommendation to the department to ensure that animals at the resort were not abused.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20100522-217788.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org - 4 months ago
- Views: 109
-
Nuevo Vallarta Tiger Abuse Nuevo Vallarta Tiger Abuse
- From: FitzpatrickS
-
Description:
My friends and I just returned from vacation in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. We stayed at Paradise Village Beach Resort and Spa. Paradise Village is in possession of three large tigers (2 females and 1 male). In my opinion the resort does an inadequate job of taking care of these tigers. I am unsure of the subspecies of the tigers but they are fairly large and orange/black in color.
Two of the tigers (1 male and 1 female) are held in a 24x16x12 feet enclosure. The enclosure is surrounded by steel bars and consists of nothing but concrete for a floor. The only relieve the tigers get from midday heat and humidity is the two foot radius "waterfall" pool.
The other female tiger is in an enclosure that is half the size of the other enclosure. Her enclosure also only has a small pool of water and concrete floor. The resort named this tiger Chloe. She seemed thin and slightly unhealthy.
Our balcony from our room overlooked the tiger's cages. Never once did I see any kind of toy or activity device in the tiger's cages (we were there for 7 days). The tiger enclosures are right next to the main entrance road to the resort. The only thing that separates guests from the tigers is a chainlink fence that is around 3 feet from the bars of the tiger's cages. Staff does not seem to monitor guest and tiger interactions, making it easy for guests to taunt or irritate the tigers (which I observed). The tigers do nothing but sleep, lay around, or pace their cages. They seem very unstimulated and sad. The resort seems to only fulfill the very basic needs of these tigers (food and water).
After my observations, I felt compelled to contact someone who may be able to help these animals. I am already worried about the way these tigers are treated. What worries me more is the fact that resort seems to be "going down hill" and becoming "hard up" for money. I think that the tiger's conditions will only worsen in the future. - Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 157
- Not yet rated
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Vanishing Species Barbara Jeff Vanishing Species Barbara Jeffrey Harrod
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 235
- Not yet rated
-
Vanishing Species Barbara Jeff Vanishing Species Barbara Jeffrey Harrod
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 152
- Not yet rated
-
Vanishing Species Barbara Jeff Vanishing Species Barbara Jeffrey Harrod
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 158
- Not yet rated
-
Vanishing Species Barbara Jeff Vanishing Species Barbara Jeffrey Harrod
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 103
- Not yet rated
-
Vanishing Species Barbara Jeff Vanishing Species Barbara Jeffrey Harrod
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 144
- Not yet rated
-
Abuse at Vanishing Species Abuse at Vanishing Species
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 146
- Not yet rated
-
Abuse at Vanishing Species Abuse at Vanishing Species
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 96
- Not yet rated
-
Abuse at Vanishing Species Abuse at Vanishing Species
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 173
- Not yet rated
-
Abuse at Vanishing Species Abuse at Vanishing Species
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
- Views: 146
- Not yet rated
-
Abuse at Vanishing Species Abuse at Vanishing Species
- From: Anon
-
Description:
Feb 9,2010 Barbara Harrod entered a no contest plea in front of Judge Ginger Lerner Wren Broward County Florida Court House. The judge found Barbara Harrod guilty of all 5 counts and sentenced her to 12 months of probation and she was ordered to pay court costs roughly in the amount of $1000.00. NO fine was given by the judge even though she could have done so.
Barbara Harrod often “gets” her baby tigers from Larry Wallach whom is licensed out of NY and Ft Lauderdale. Barbara uses these babies for pets then tosses them into a tiny cage for the rest of their lives which typically isn’t very long.
I have now released graphic video’s of what these animals had to endure every day at the Davie location of Vanishing Species under the lack of care of Barbara Harrod.The Sun- Sentinel also did three stories on Barbara Harrod and the property of Vanishing Species. Here’s the link to the latest story. If you type in Vanishing Species you’ll be able to locate David Fleshlers other stories on Vanishing Species.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-wildlife-violations-20100313,0,2508711.story
DAVIE An arthritic tiger failed to receive proper veterinary care. Small mammals housed in a shed died when the air conditioning broke down. Tigers disappeared without proper documentation.A Davie wildlife exhibitor has been accused of those violations in federal inspection reports.
She faces the possible loss of state and federal licenses, after years of using animals to entertain at schools, summer camps, fairs and parties.
Barbara Harrod, who operates Vanishing Species Wildlife Inc., pleaded no contest in February to state charges that she kept animals in unsanitary conditions, used cages that were too small and engaged in other wildlife violations.
She was assessed court costs, not fines.
But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing the case to determine whether to suspend or revoke her license, said Capt. John West, of the agency's law enforcement division.
After a separate federal review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said she has failed to comply with a federal consent order to move all big cats off her site.
The order was issued after inspectors found animals' food contaminated with blood and maggots, inadequate veterinary care, and tigers left unprotected from sun and rain.
The agreement signed last year gave her until July 31, 2009, to get big cats off her fenced compound along Southwest 136th Avenue in Davie.
However, visits by federal inspectors over the past several months found big cats still there and repeated violations of the laws requiring adequate care for the animals.
"It's been systematic noncompliance," said Nolan Lemon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Animal Welfare Act details minimum standards — minimum standards," Lemon said. "These are repeat violations of those standards."
Harrod said she would answer questions only in writing. Questions were sent by e-mail March 3, but she never responded. Her lawyer, Marshall Platt, could not be reached to comment despite messages left by phone and e-mail.
Despite the agreement to move out big cats, a Feb. 4 inspection found two adult tigers and an adult cougar on the property.
Lemon said Harrod was in violation of the consent agreement.
"It's with our legal folks at this point," he said.
Inspections over the past several months have turned up other violations.
Several small mammals housed in a windowless structure died after the air conditioning failed, according to USDA inspection reports.
hree adult tigers disappeared without the required documentation showing to whom they were given or sold.
The Feb. 4 inspection found an adult tiger named Nicky limping and suffering from arthritis and not receiving adequate veterinary care. The attending veterinarian, who last signed a program of care in 2008, does not live in the area, according to the inspection report.
"It's not like owning a dog or a cat," Lemon said. "There are people who get in with the best intentions and they forget that Tigger is a dangerous animal with very demanding and expensive needs. Vet care is expensive, but you can't compromise on that."
David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4535.
Video Links
Warning these videos are graphic, I recommend not eating prior to viewing if you have a weaker stomach.These video’s are on you tube under vanishing species.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDq9vLf51io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXW2Gz3YBJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruby5Kyoo2Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGv6rR2fV0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi8pyhZpmwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKj8W8zCsEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5ap6EDI4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJVs3izR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGQLoWfmtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmij5EUcuU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9OOqCchZQ
Some of the animals in these pictures are now dead due to "unnatural" causes.
The Palmdale facility was closed to the public in Feb 2009 by the USDA after a plea agreement with Jeffery and Barbara Harrod owners of Vanishing Species was reached.
USDA fined the Harrods $27,000 for violations and citations at the Palmdale facility but after the plea deal USDA reduced the fines to $3,700.00 with $100.00 payments per month.
USDA didn't return to enforce the plea agreement. Through repeat calling Dr Goldentire , Dr Gibson whom is Dr Goldentire's boss and then calling Joe Nelson I was informed they couldn't discuss the case with me but this case is public record yet none would comment on the case.
In accordance to the public record of USDA it states all cats’ juveniles and adults must be removed off the Davie, Fl. location by July 31, 2009. It's now March 31, 2010 and still class 1 and 2 cats remained on that property. No enforcing of the USDA rules for the plea agreement.
Send a message to USDA to enforce their own plea agreements, revocate licenses, not allow exotic permits or licenses to be given out like candy unless more stringent rules such as testing, serving 500 hours in a vet office that deals with exotic animals, having 500 hours of apprentice experience with FWC and field work, pass a written test, produce 1000 hours of logged time working with exotic animals.
USDA doesn't care about the animals nor enforces their own plea deals.
CALL THESE PEOPLE TODAY!
DEMAND AN EXPLAINATION TO WHY VANISHING SPECIES CAN RETAIN EXOTIC ANIMAL PERMITS AND LICENSES WHEN THEY HAVE VIOLATED EVERY LAW FROM A-N. USDA HAS 2 FILE FOLDERS OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS; THEY HAVE EVEN FORDGED VET RECORDS AND HIDDEN DEATH OF THE ANIMALS, SALES OF THE ANIMALS AND TRANSPORTS OF ANIMALS. SINCE THE PALMDALE FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC HOW CAN THEY EXHABIT LEGALLY! THEY CAN'T! ANOTHER LAW BROKEN BUT WHO'S LOOKING. I HOPE CAROL CAN ATTACH THE ORIGINAL PLEA AGREEMENT TO THIS ARTICLE I SENT HER.
The Key players with this disaster with USDA are:
CALL TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR VOICE
_____________________________________
Dr Goldentire USDA District Manager: 919-855-7100, Fax: 919-855-7123
Dr Gibson, Dr Goldentire direct supervisor: 301-734-4980.
Joe Nelson: 919-855-7106You can access the Harrods inspection records at:
http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/pdfpage.jspx?custid=9487
If this link doesn’t work type in aphis, then on the left side click on animal welfare, then
On the right side click on publication and reports, next you’ll get a “ warning “ page, just click except, it’s legal for you to look at public records, next your get a page with a box asking name your looking up type in Vanishing Species, under state type in florida hit enter. At the bottom you’ll click on the PDF file and there you go, all of the inspection reports by USDA.
Ask why they have not revoked the Harrods license with repeat violations. Last I checked forging vet records is still forgery and is a felony.
FWC has the green light to revoke Barbara Harrods license yet Captain John West out of Tallassee has done nothing at this point.
Please call: 850-488-6253
Demand answers why FWC won’t revoke Jeffery Harrods or Barbara Harrods license after repeat violations with their agency and numerous complains. They have my log book, video’s I shot that you can now view and still more animals continue to die from lack of vet care, lack of knowledge and lack of funding to buy food.
3 weeks ago Art Matson whom is the inspector for Vanishing Species called and said he had just preformed an inspection at Palmdale, he said he eye balled the tigers and said they looked happy and healthy, I questioned Arts inspection as to what paper work did he receive in regards to the transfer of 7 cougars to Jeffery Harrods friends. Art replied no he ever checked. Art indicated he never went to check on the transferred cougars and made sure their cages were up to FWC standards or checking the proper permits of the friends. I asked Art if he checked for food on the premise to ensure the tigers, lions, leopards and cougars had enough palatable food to feed them daily, Art replied no he did not check to see how much food was in the refrigerators or freezers.
I asked Art if he knew what the proper weight was for a Siberian tiger was, he replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew the proper weight for a Bengal tiger, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he knew what the percentage of food per animal and their weight was too been to feed daily, Art replied no he did not. I asked Art if he looked at any current vet records as a yearly vet check is needed, he replied no he did not.
Art Matson said to me and I quote” the tigers look happy and healthy”. I asked Art what does a happy and healthy tiger look like, he said he didn’t know. I said how do you know the tigers are healthy, are you a licensed veterinarian? He replied no he was not. I asked if a Bengal at proper weight was to weight 600 lbs, eyeballing the tiger how do you know it’s at proper weight? He said he didn’t know but said and I quote again” no bones were sticking out”. This I said would be past malnutrition this is called Emaciation.
Art Matson said to me he couldn’t find any violations or anything wrong yet never checked anything, just talked to Mr Harrod and left.
Concerned a proper inspection wasn’t done and biased friendships seemed to have gotten in Art Matson’s view I called Tallahassee and lodged a complaint against his “inspection”. The next week 2 state officials out of Tallahassee were sent to Palmdale and they discovered MANY, MANY violations!!! Odd how a week prior to that Art Matson said he couldn’t find one thing wrong.
Art Matson said he knows of a sanctuary out of Colorado called Wild Animal sanctuary and they were willing at their own expense bring in eight tractor trailers and take every cat the Harrods have to their rescue where they have set aside 250 acres giving each cat 20 acres to themselves with dens and water falls. Jeffery said he’d agree to it but the condition was he had to also give up his breeders license so this mess can’t be repeated down the road. Jeffery refuses to give up his breeders permits and indicated to Art he wanted to get more babies for money making opportunities. So this process will begin all over again.
From my sources Jeffery Harrod is planning on putting all the animals names in his girlfriends name but she doesn’t yet have a class 1 & 2 license however Jeffery indicated he was going to “ sign” saying she has her 1000 hours per species even though she has none logged and has no idea of animal husbandry.
This way Jeffery Harrod can manipulate the system again and gets to keep the cats.
Art Matson said to me Jeffery Harrod told him he was selling Palmdale by the end of his month, so I said to Captian Ardleen yesterday were at the end of the month is Palmdale sold, he said no Jeffery now said it’ll be at the end of the year. STALL, STALL, STALL!!!!
Right now according to Art Matson Jeffery Harrod has housed on the Palmdale property:
7 tigers7 cougars
2 lions
2 leopards
6 alligators
Host of other assorted animals from raccoons to pheasants, emu’s, goats, pigs, etc.
On the property of Palmdale one black leopard according to my close source died about 2 months ago, he was only 2 ½ years old. To my knowledge this animal was not listed on the inventory register as dead with FWC or USDA. No records were ever looked at by Art Matson to compare what animals were there last inspection verses what animals aren’t there this inspection. If sold where is the transfers paperwork and sellers book? Art said he never checked.
March 29, 2010 I received credible information Jeffery Harrod was housing a 3 week old baby cougar in his trailer, according to my inside source the baby is very ill and has diaherra. I was on the phone till after 2 am with a hot line operator whom was in communication with Captain Adleen whom indicated he and Pat Reynolds with FWC would be visiting Jeffery Harrods home and checking if the cougar was ok. He looked at the cat saw the diaherra asked Jeffery if he was going to seek medical attention with a vet at which time Jeffery answered no he wasn’t. He has this cougar baby according to my sources on whole cow’s milk, diluted with water and cat food mixed in. Jeffery indicated the baby is on cat formula and it’s common to remove the baby as soon as it’s born away from the mother. They believe Jeffery Harrod but took pictures
BARBARA HARRODS BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE CASE RECORD
Link HERE
These three powerful people had the green light and authority to revocate ( strip these licenses and permits) but instead looked the other way and gave them a tap on the wrist while more animals suffered and died. The USDA and there laws are worthless to animals.
This is why I've been working to help shut down Vanishing Species because under there lack of proper animal care the species is truely vanishing.
Remember when viewing these animals some here in these pictures are now dead and no one cared!
Who know's what's become of the others in the pictures. Change needs to come to the laws governing who can and can't have exotic animals.
The Harrods have no formal education in attending college for animal husbandry also known as animal science, they have no formal training as a veterarian assistant or in veterinarian medicine, the Harrod's don't possess a master's degrees or doctorates in disciplines such as nutrition, genetics and animal breeding, or reproductive physiology. Yet The Harrods have been given permits for breeding and exhibition by FWC and USDA.
They were just simply given permits! So in essence you need no skill, training nor knowledge to possess and keep a tiger , cougar or leopard which is a class 1 animal!
You just need to “know" someone that already has a class 1 and 2 permit to sign for you stating you have the 1000 hours per species even if you never had 20 hours. You don't need to prove you have the knowledge you just have to produce a few bucks for the permits and off you go.
Unite your voice with mine and stand up to politics that condemn these sacred and endangered animals to a life in a small prison, there only crime was they were born.
Unfortunately these animals you see were only a commodity and expendable.
If one baby died and many did they'd just go BUY another tiger baby to exploit for money doing baby pets at fairs such as Dade County Youth Fair, Birthday parties , schools, and other private functions ,Saw Grass Rec Park where they used to exhibit some of these animals and used the baby tiger pictured here , lioness named " Savanna" and the bob cat for baby pets for money but had lost their contact there and weren't asked back , along with other fairs.
One way or another the laws are going to have to change and if I have to stand alone then so be it but I'd like you the ones reading this to get involved because laws only change when people make law makers change them.
I don't feel the punishment for Barbara Harrod fit the crimes and should have been much more severe. Once again the animals died for a slap on the wrist and court costs. Where is the justice for the voiceless! This statement is my own personal feelings. After this case sat in the legal system with postponements for 3 years this was the outcome for the animals that suffered and died.Please help me to help the animals and be a voice with mine to demand answer from USDA and FWC. How many more animals have to die at the hands of the Harrods? When is enough, enough?
I am an animal advocate, a voice for the voiceless and I’m not going away. If I have to stand alone so be it, I have fought this ongoing night mare for the animals for 3 years and I have no intensions of going away any time soon.
Written by eye witness Chrissy Fischer
Email: witcheswand@yahoo.com
- 5 months ago
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Puppy Mills Puppy Mills
- From: TheirVoice
-
Description:
Statement of Marshal Smith, USDA Whistleblower
I am perhaps one of the least likely people to have turned government whistleblower. I was raised in a family whose agricultural interests included a cattle ranch in south Texas. My father was Executive Director for the USDA's Fever Tick Eradication program. For nine years I was a member of the 4H club. I was comfortable with structure and rules. I was also brought up to adhere to a personal code of ethics; that meant doing what was right.
With my father's code of ethics as my model and a desire to protect the livestock industry, I joined USDA in 1976, while in my early twenties. To me, USDA exemplified doing what was right to protect the public and industry. I was assigned to a mounted patrol along the Rio Grande under the Veterinary Services Fever Tick Eradication Program. In 1979 I moved to Big Bend National Park as a Quarantine Enforcement Officer and continued riding horseback patrol for Veterinary Services. From there I was promoted to a Supervisory Animal Health Technician with the Screwworm Eradication Program, acting as an agricultural attaché to the US Embassy in Mexico. I resigned for a short time to go into private business but returned to USDA in 1984.
In 1984 I was assigned to brucellosis eradication efforts in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It was during my tenure in Arkansas that I first learned of the Animal Welfare Act. I learned that pet producers. i.e. breeders for pet stores were required to be licensed and inspected to conform with federal standards. Since USDA’s brucellosis eradication efforts had been successful I volunteered to participate in the Animal Welfare Program.
In 1985, I volunteered as an inspector for USDA'S Animal Welfare Program in order to ensure that puppy mills followed federal regulations. I recall the brief training period, which included viewing footage from a news show that had investigated pet store breeders. There was no discussion following that footage and no mention of the fact that USDA had, since 1967, been responsible for ensuring that conditions like those no longer existed. Thus began many of the naive assumptions I would make in the subsequent years when I was committed to believing the agency I worked for. I assumed then that since the problem of puppy mills had been publicly disclosed, USDA taken remedial steps. I assumed that the sobering news segment, my colleagues and I were viewing was old footage. In the field, I would learn that my assumption was wrong.
My territory included 40 kennels in northwest Arkansas. I approached my new job conscientiously. Records of these pet producers were transferred to me from a retiring inspector who told me, "If you’re smart you'll do what I did, you’ll check everything is OK." I told him that I intended to abide by the law. Another assumption: I assumed he was a lazy good old boy, that he was not voicing the agency's mindset.
The kennels I visited had seemingly never been inspected. I was overwhelmed by what I saw: the wretched looking animals, the mounds of fecal matter reaching in some cases to my knees, at very least to the wire caging of the rabbit hutches which most puppy millers used to house the dogs. In every instance that I recall, the filth and deprivation were shocking. I recorded scores of violations prompting complaints to my supervisor in Little Rock. Luckily for me however, my supervisor, DR. W. J. Ward, who had carved a niche for himself in the Animal Welfare Program, supported me. I was given a cash award and Certificate of Merit for my inspection activities.
I assumed that further measures were taken to enforce the regulations and bring offenders into compliance. I later learned that cases were not developed for enforcement, and that those that were would languish years before coming to hearing, when they would invariably be dismissed. Thus some of the most horrendous conditions under which dogs were bred festered, unfettered by federal intervention.
I accepted a promotion and transfer to Jefferson City, Missouri in 1986 as a Compliance officer, later reclassified to Senior Investigator. In this capacity I documented violations of regulations which were administered under the Veterinary Service Program; the cases were a combination of animal quarantine, animal welfare and veterinary accreditation violations. During this time, my colleagues and I were instructed to review the Animal Welfare case files and close them out with a VS Form 3-60. These were "warning tickets" used to essentially dismiss cases due to a backlog at the Office of General Counsel (OGC). These cases represented the more deplorable pet breeding facilities and I was dismayed at USDA's seemingly inability, or unwillingness, to deal with the violators as the law stipulated.
At this time USDA announced its re-organization which would separate the Animal Welfare Program from the Veterinary Services division. Agency officials publicly stated that the newly independent Animal Welfare Program's workforce of VMO’s and inspectors would be dedicated solely to animal welfare inspections. With the focus exclusively on the Animal Welfare Program it was touted that inspections and enforcement would be more effective and consistent. I would later hear that this re-organization was simply a strategic ploy to obtain larger congressional appropriations. Under Veterinary Services funds appropriated for brucellosis eradication had been allegedly diverted to subsidize Animal Welfare activities. With an independent division designated exclusively for the Animal Welfare Program additional appropriations were needed to properly fund the program. To this day the bulk of the funds account for salaries and equipment.
The resulting reorganization formed Regulatory Enforcement and Animal Care (REAC). It consisted of two distinct divisions; one for the enforcement of all APHIS regulations, Regulatory Enforcement (RE); and one for inspections, Animal Care (AC), which was responsible solely for the Animal Welfare Program. These branches were supposed to work together; Animal Care performing inspections, Regulatory Enforcement developing cases against alleged violators of various APHIS programs including AC. Five geographic sectors were created, but the RE and AC boundaries did not mesh. For example, investigators stationed in Missouri reported to the North Central Sector while Animal Care inspectors reported to the South Central Sector. This arrangement made for confusion and inefficiency.
Following the creation of REAC, Dr. Edward Slauter left his post as Director of the Animal Health Division of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Why he left this position is telling: he was under pressure from the state's Attorney General for his failure to enforce state animal health regulations. Slauter, an associate of Dr. Joan Arnoldi, the newly named Deputy Administrator for REAC, found a welcoming home at the newly created division.
REAC's publicly stated mission to enforce the Animal Welfare Act and bring offenders into compliance is articulated by Dr. Glosser, APHIS Administrator at that time. As Glosser put it, REAC would "lead people into compliance," through "a flexible, dynamic body of regulations."
I was hopeful then that REAC would begin to address the serious inconsistencies in the inspection program and the agency's chronic failure to seek legal remedy against offenders.
By 1990, my Midwest colleagues and I were working fewer cases than prior to REAC's creation. Congress and the media however were not as willing to overlook transgressions right under the nose of USDA. A September 7, 1990 letter from Indiana Congressman, John Meyer, related to a complaint from one of his constituents who attended an exotic animal park and described it to Meyer as a concentration camp for animals. Forced out of its passive role into action, Animal Care under Dr. Mott investigated and reported three violations; I found 12 categories of violations, with numerous sub category violations. During the course of my investigation I also learned that the Missouri Department of Conservation had convicted the manager of this exotic animal park for hunting those exotic animals under his protective care. The thoroughly documented case was sent on to the USDA attorneys but never reached hearing and prosecution.
At the end of 1990, Dr. Walter A. Christensen, Animal Care Sector Supervisor, requested an investigation of a Stover, Missouri kennel operated by two sisters, Janice Knierim and Rhoda Burnett. The case is a classic example of USDA's corruption of established procedures. The kennel in question had been previously licensed under Mr. And Mrs. Vinson Whittle, their parents, who USDA convinced to surrender their license and re-apply under their daughters’ names to clean their slate of severe violations; a new license was thus issued, giving this same kennel a fresh slate, on paper. Yet the same and worse violations persisted: sick dogs ("dehydration, open sores, skin infections"), lack of water and food; improper records; failure to account for the disposition of many of the dogs they sold.
My division, Regulatory Enforcement was, however, never called in to investigate. When the sisters refused Animal Care access to their kennel, Animal Care requested intervention by the local sheriff to gain entry, this in an effort to keep in-house Animal Care's own negligence in issuing the license. The warrant secured by the Sheriff’s department was invalid due to an incorrect address. Later AC did gain access and the kennel passed inspection. But, as indicated by documents in my case file, a complainant who phoned in asked Dr. Slauter "How could they pass? Your inspector must be on the take." Slauter responded, "I know the inspector, he's an excellent inspector." In 1996 the inspector, Robert Dunning, was nabbed in a FBI sting for soliciting a bribe from a kennel owner.
For me, 1992 was a turning point. The stolen pet issue had gotten so hot that local sheriff departments were asking USDA for help. One in Missouri told me pet theft was so widespread that it wanted USDA to set up a hotline to track cases; his request fell on deaf ears. Bunchers were in their heyday, picking up animals from newspaper ads, neighborhoods and I could not understand why USDA was denying there was a problem. I speculated at the time that the situation had gotten so out of hand that the catch up work alone would inundate Animal Care's staff, in addition to reflect poorly on management. I later understood this as an attempt to keep the egregious, long unaddressed problems confined in-house. Animal Care had begun isolating itself from its sister division- it was covering its tracks by excluding Enforcement officers like myself from investigations.
To conceal their misdeeds Animal Care turned to local sheriff's rather than its Enforcement arm, as in the Donald Wood cattery. The conditions there festered over time: sick animals, lack of food or water, improper identification of cats, failure to remove excrement from cages, lack of veterinary care to the extent an inspection report noted: "The gravity of this situation is compounded by the fact that the animals were apparently temporarily abandoned." A warrant was issued with the assistance of the local sheriff and five cats were seized; the warrant, however, did not authorize the seizure. Regulatory Enforcement was subsequently called in to clean up the mess. In an apparent effort to destroy the evidence of the illegal confiscation, Dr. Christensen ordered the cats destroyed. The APHIS Administrator had to sign a confiscation order after the fact. Had Animal Care gone through the proper channels the confiscation would have been legal.
In the Bryant case, yet another case of improper authorizations by Animal Care involved instructions given to an inspector to falsify his reports. When I accompanied this inspector and entered the filthy kennel building, which housed the puppy mill, my eyes immediately started burning from the ammonia vapors; there was no ventilation. One-gallon cans, which formerly contained toxic paint, served as water buckets. When I returned to our vehicle, the Animal Care inspector wrote up his report, clearly omitting some of the most serious and obvious violations. He explained to me that his supervisor had told him "not to document too many violations." I then phoned my own supervisor to discuss this situation. I followed up with a memo, which I faxed to his office as requested. I subsequently learned that the memo had been destroyed "to protect" me. I had not done anything wrong and I was angry that my superiors would not or could not address the issue of a falsified document or the alleged instructions to do so.
This was the last pet producing facility I was asked to visit. In fact, I was not given cases from Animal Care until year-end 1992 when I was dispatched to examine the records of two long time research suppliers, Bruce Barnfield and Randall Huffstetler. The Animal Care inspector responsible for inspecting Huffstetler's kennel had formerly worked at one of the dealer's clients, a university in Missouri. This same inspector had previously called Huffstetler for tips on getting hired by the agency. He returned the favor quid pro quo. On the occasion of my visit, he gave Huffstetler an inappropriate correction deadline. I reported my objections to this action to my supervisor. Huffstetler lodged his own complaint: he was incensed that he had been cited at all. Dr. Bruce Mammeli, Assistant Sector Supervisor, sent an apologetic letter to the dealer exempting him from responding to those citations. Suddenly the inspection had become simply a "fact finding mission." As Mammeli wrote: "On fact finding inspections correction dates are not given, therefore they are not mandatory and will not be held against you during your next routine inspection."
The following year I was asked to review 16 computer generated pages of selected excerpts relating to suppliers of random source animals whose records I had copied. I was not allowed, however, to use the records I had copied, only what headquarters had sent down to me. The resulting case, which I prepared with such selective evidence, was, not surprisingly, returned to me as insufficient for prosecution. The voluminous records I had copied which indicated scores of violations had disappeared. It was not until 1996 that, under pressure from the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and finally a threat of prosecution, Huffstetler voluntarily relinquished his license.
At that time, it was advantageous for the sake of public relations and political expediency to finally sacrifice this one dealer, whose kennel should never have been licensed.
In May 1992 the OIG issued its audit of APHIS. For me, the report was confirmation of what I had long been observing and reporting back to my supervisors: there was internally an ongoing pattern of mismanagement, lack of enforcement of the regulations, and a passive, reactive administering of the Animal Welfare Program. OlG concluded that "APHIS cannot ensure the humane care and treatment of animals at all dealer facilities as required by the Animal Welfare Act...did not inspect dealer facilities with a reliable frequency and it did not enforce timely corrections of violations found during inspections." Of the 284 facilities reviewed, 46, or 16.2 percent, had received no annual inspection; 80.8 percent of the remaining facilities found to be in violation had received no follow-up; that APHIS does not have an effective inspection monitoring system... had not timely penalized facilities found to be in violation - in one case "continuous, uncorrected violations” were noted as far back as July 1988.
Notwithstanding this scathing federal report, USDA took no corrective action. Valuable time and resources were thus wasted and admonitions soon forgotten by USDA. Operationally, USDA continued to fall down on the job. In the next year, 1993, there were even fewer inspections fewer re-inspections, fewer cases investigated and reviewed, fewer cases submitted to Regulatory Enforcement; fewer compliance inspections; fewer cases submitted to OGC; fewer official warnings, and on and on. Licensed facilities in violation remained virtually unchanged. I began to understand that USDA had assumed the position that it was above the law.
Meanwhile, complaints had been flooding USDA in states hardest hit by pet theft, including Missouri and Iowa. Media were breaking stories of animals vanishing without at trace. USDA had been forced to respond. A mid West Stolen Dog Task Force had been hastily formed in 1990; I was not asked to participate. Nearly 150 pages of unreleased field investigator notes indicated that dog dealers under investigation had in a few months period obtained dogs from 148 illegal sources, from dealers who had been convicted in local court of stealing pets, and from long dead individuals or those who simply did not exist. Yet APHIS administrator Dr. James Glosser issued quite another finding to the public and press. USDA concluded, "There was a lack of substantive evidence that dealers were knowingly dealing in stolen pets.” Inspectors were told to offer licenses to the 148 illegal suppliers, also known as bunchers.
Providing improper statements to the government (18, U.S.C., 1001) could have sent USDA administrators themselves to jail for a maximum of five years, and a $10,000 fine, let alone imposed maximum sanctions against the dog dealers.
This dog task force would be the first of three, which provided fodder for the agency's self-justified inaction and involved significant laundering of data and tampering with evidence. A January 1993 task force, from which again I was excluded, found rampant falsification of records among long prospering violators in Missouri and Arkansas, and evidence that dealers were obtaining dogs and cats from “Free to Good Home” ads and from other dealers who had been convicted of illegally acquiring animals. One dealer whose underground, football field size underground kennels service most of the large mid west research institutions, burned his records prior to an announced inspection visit and, according to one of its Senior Investigators, moved about 300 dogs overnight to undisclosed locations. Instead of aggressively pursing this dealer, the Task Force was instructed to drop his from further investigation.
Ultimately the entire task force project was canned, despite or perhaps because of, accumulated evidence of wrongdoing by USDA licensees. In November of the same year, another stolen dog task force was revived, this largely in response to the publication of STOLEN FOR PROFIT, a book about the theft of pets and USDA's role in enabling those crimes. This Stolen Dog Traceback Project like its predecessors uncovered severe, widespread violations of the law at dog dealer kennels.
According to USDA regulation, 9 CFR, Section 2.132 (b), dealers must determine whether or not a particular animal was born and raised on his supplier's premises. Yet USDA had constructed pre-written affidavits, which omitted this crucial question, thus exempting critical evidence from case files. I had sent on records containing obvious violations, which should have again justified punitive action, but when those records were returned to me they were purged of these observations and watered down to a handful of relatively minor violations. In one case, Animal Care referred to Enforcement only 17 minor offenses out of hundreds of major, well-documented violations.
National news magazine shows had picked up the story. I was interviewed in silhouette for "Eye to Eye with Connie Chung." Although I was a key source I remained anonymous, out of fear of agency reprisals. Yet there were mounting suspicions that I had provided the author with damning internal documents and that it was in fact I on the news show. By the end of 1993 I had been removed from Animal Care cases involving dogs and cats. My work assignments were principally in the area of animal quarantine cases under the purview of Veterinary Services. I was totally out of the dealer and puppy mill investigation loop.
Throughout 1994 into 1995, USDA's public exposure and vulnerability was increasing. The re-release in paperback of Stolen for Profit drew yet more public and media attention to stolen pets and USDA's role. Despite specific federal code Title 7, Section 2159 "Authority to Apply for Injunction" if the agency believed that "any dealer is dealing in stolen animals or is placing the health of any animal in serious danger," the only occasional cases which made their way to the OGC were invariably granted safe haven. In its by then 28 years monitoring dealers - some of whom had been found guilty by local courts of stealing pets, dealers who had been housing animals in everything from front load dryers to mailboxes to chicken coops, dealers who were selling infected and dying animals to research institutions, the USDA Attorney General had only once taken injunctive action. At this point, only the high profile cases, which had attracted media attention were being, resolved other than by warnings. Under threat of punitive action, relatively small dealers voluntarily relinquished their licenses, among them Randall Huffstetler. This was good PR for USDA, which could claim to shut these dealers down.
USDA's "discretionary powers" were, however, enabling the agency to re- write its federally mandated job description, favoring industry (dog dealers and their research, puppy mills and their pet store clients) over the public. The agency was making obtaining and retaining those licenses by violators easier. It was simply governing "by consensus," and actively removing dealers from legal obligation to comply with regulations. One USDA memo specifically states that corrective measures for non-compliant items cited during routine inspections should be a “…consensus between the inspector and the licensee or registrant.”
It is particularly noteworthy that USDA continued its laissez faire policies despite a 1995 internal report by the Office of Inspector General identifying the agency's negligence and non-enforcement. USDA seemed to have also lost control over not only dealer kennels but its own employees. During a 1994 annual meeting in Oklahoma word got out that a USDA employee within Animal Care had reportedly embezzled over $80,OOO from USDA, primarily in dog dealer license fees and subsequently sabotaged the computer systems so that it became impossible to determine the full extent of this damage.
Shortly after the 0IG report was released, REAC's own internal assessment was provided to headquarters; this report was not made public. In fact, administrators flatly told press inquirers that no such report existed. In the summer of 1994 Morley Cook, had conducted a review of the South Central Sector REAC program whose office was in Fort Worth, Texas. Cook found significant failings within that area's program: the data base system impeded efficiency and management control; public complaints were not being recognized; inspectors were not adequately trained and lacked sufficient information for their job performance; REAC policy was not uniform, etc. What the report did not mention was that the Sector Supervisor, Dr. Walter Christensen had been taking matters into his own hands.
Since 1992, Dr. Christensen had been arbitrarily clearing Enforcement files of violators. Animal Care supervisors had access to the Compliance Investigations Tracking System (CITS) which tracks cases from initiation date to final resolution. This was initially an investigative tool designed to track the time spent gathering evidence and completion of an investigative report subsequent to formal prosecution. Dr. Christensen lobbied for and was eventually granted access to the CITS System so AC could track cases handled by the AC Sector offices. However, Dr. Christensen was closing out cases, oftentimes the same day of their entry. He was accomplishing this by arbitrarily issuing warning tickets. In many cases the violation would have justified a far more punitive action, for example dealer license suspension and even confiscation of animals whose health and safety was in danger. It was my understanding the Enforcement's investigations were a management tool for Animal Care, a back-up for any violations Animal Care had failed to observe. This, apparently, is just what Animal Care did not want: any further indication of its negligence. To bolster its slack enforcement image, the south central sector was padding its enforcement entries.
In spite of or perhaps because of my frustration with USDA authorities I applied for a promotion and was interviewed by RE Sector Supervisor Neil Williamson concerning an Enforcement Specialist position, a promotion that would have entailed my moving to Denver. I even received a confirming letter. However, I received a call from Williamson stating that he had been instructed by Ron Stanley, Deputy Administrator for Regulatory Enforcement, to advise me that the job in Denver had been "put on the shelf." I immediately faxed a memo to Williamson, requesting clarification.
A month later, on May 15, 1995 I was told by Dianne Shank, Regulatory Enforcement Supervisor for the South Central region, that my position in Jefferson City had suddenly been "abolished." I was also told that I had to choose one of seven cities as my new duty station. There was no mention of my promotion to the Denver office. The agency was asking for an immediate reply indicating my compliance with its sudden new directive.
To address this clear evidence of retaliation, I contacted an attorney. He advised me not to comply until I received a written request and had an opportunity to review the agency's offer. On May 22 I advised the agency that I had hired an attorney. That same day Ron Stanley left me a voice mail stating that I would not have to relocate after all. I do not believe the agency was prepared for me to take such aggressive action.
By now I was receiving only insignificant investigations which had no merit. But my complaint concerning the rescinding of my promotion had drawn the attention of OlG. In late November 1995, I was interviewed by an investigator. He told me that Office of Inspector General was looking into allegations of corruption within REAC. At this time, I was sent a case from Animal Care. On fact value it seemed open and shut: minor violations involving the unlicensed sale of some dogs to research. Animal Care did not expect me to further investigate using the records they supplied. I learned that this buncher had been selling dogs to one of the major Arkansas based dealers during a period of ten years, using his relative's names. Again I had, by simply doing my job, placed Animal Care in a bad light. In 1997, that Arkansas dealer who received this buncher's dogs would only be fined $5000 for his own longtime, serious violations.
Following OIG's inquiry I contacted the Government Accountability Project (GAP) in Washington DC. GAP was ostensibly established to address government whistleblower complaints. It was clear by now that I was the subject of retaliation by the agency. GAP was not aggressive in filing a complaint on my behalf, however. GAP suggested I accept USDA's offer that would allow me to remain in the Midwest in my current investigative position. The USDA had created a position that was unacceptable in that I was to educate the industry and public regarding Animal Care’s mission. I simply wanted to do the job I was assigned to do, document alleged violations of APHIS regulations. I could not accept an untenable compromise that would further isolate me.
The on-paper supervisory position would have made me the target continued hostility. Already my once amicable, productive relationship with my longtime office mate in Jefferson City had been eroded. The officer told me, "I'm tired of your whistleblowing shit" and expressed a desire to "beat the shit out of me." He made these statements in the presence of three superiors including Ron Stanley, *none of whom defended me.
Meanwhile Animal Care was consolidating its power. Through a voice mail announcement -no paper trail, we were informed that Regulatory Enforcement would be severed from Animal Care and transferred to the Office of Management and Budget. By assigning enforcement to an office which makes regulations, rather than enforcing them, the former REAC, thus divested of it RE, would take even fewer steps to deal with alleged violators.
In February 1997, I resigned from USDA, a disheartening end to nearly 20 years of services. I forfeited my retirement as well as a lifetime career. The untenable atmosphere had taken a toll. Fortunately, I found a niche with IDA through friendships I had nurtured during my tumultuous last few years with USDA. I quickly embarked on a war against puppy mill leading national, regional, and local television crews to deplorable facilities. On one of my escapades the news crew and I were shot at by the kennel operator and the news vehicle hit with pellets from the shotgun. The shooting incident was caught on tape yet two years later a jury acquitted the shooter.
The suffering and misery that I have seen and continue to see motivate me to fight for the animals who have no voice, no representation, and virtually no standing with our laws. I am determined to expose the evil puppy mill industry, which is supported by the retail pet industry. Each day our efforts improve thanks to those who have seen a mill or vicariously experienced the agony victims of this industry endure each day. Many will suffer and others die at the whim of people motivated by greed instead of love for animals that they profess to the world.
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
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Dr. Isis Johnson-Brown, USDA W Dr. Isis Johnson-Brown, USDA Whistleblower
- From: TheirVoice
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Description:
Statement of Dr. Isis Johnson-Brown, USDA Whistleblower
Former United States Department of Agriculture Animal Care Inspector for Oregon, Whistleblower
While working for the United States Department of Agriculture as the inspector in Oregon for the Federal Animal Welfare Act, I was dedicated to providing the animals the protections, minimal as they are, that are stipulated by law. This is no easy task. As Oregon’s only inspector, I was responsible for the oversight of over 120 facilities throughout the state. I barely had time to visit each facility as required, which for some facilities was no more than once every three years. If that wasn’t enough, I soon found out that my own supervisors were working against me at every turn.
The research institutions I visited, including the Oregon Primate Center, were not happy to see me coming once they realized that I was going to hold them to the law. This reaction I expected. What was surprising to me was my own supervisors were disappointed and unsupportive of my efforts to simply enforce the bare minimum standards in the Code of Federal Regulations. The USDA has a good ol’ boy relationship with the research industry and the laws are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. More than once, I was instructed by a supervisor to make a personal list of violations of the law, cut that list in half, and then cut that list in half again before writing up my inspection reports. My willingness to uphold the law during my site visits at the Primate Center led to me being “retrained” several times by higher-ups in the USDA.
Understand that the laws I was attempting to enforce require no more than minimum standards— food and water, shelter from the elements, a clean cage that protects from injury and “adequate” veterinary care— that’s about it. At the Primate Center, the attending veterinarian tried to march me through as fast as he could. Only when I specifically asked to see a husbandry task, like cage washing, would he grudgingly show me. I would spot check records on paper but for the most part, I had to take the attending veterinarian on his word about procedures and veterinary care.
Because monkeys are intelligent, curious, active and social, so very similar to people, in 1985 the Animal Welfare Act was amended, adding language that focuses on their psychological well-being. The Federal Animal Welfare Act, by regulation emphasizes monkeys’ social needs and states in a special policy that these needs must be met, preferably by monkeys being housed together. Unfortunately, these provisions were set up without any real teeth. All the facility has to do is have a written plan on file that says how they intend to provide for psychological well-being. Dr. Kelley, the attending veterinarian, bragged about their psychological well-being plan for the hundreds of monkeys housed indoors. The plan states that the Primate Center will pair monkeys “to the extent possible.” When I toured the facility, what I actually saw was that the monkeys were almost all singularly caged and resultantly displaying neurotic behaviors. The well-being plan also stated that foraging devices intended to distract monkeys from self-abusive behavior were to be routinely, regularly provided, especially to the singularly housed animals. Instead, the staff admitted that they often didn’t have the time to attend to the time-consumptive task of filling the devices with food. It was clear that ORPRC had a psychological well-being plan that wasn’t working but I was powerless to fix the problems. All I could do was make suggestions that monkeys be housed in pairs or groups. Nothing changed in the two years I was the inspector.
One day in February of 1999 I received a phone call from an animal technician working at the Primate Center who wished to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job. I later found out it was Mr. Rossell. He reported an outbreak of listeria in the outdoor corrals. He said that monkeys were sick because of the winter rains and lots of babies were dying. I went out to the Primate Center to take a look for myself. I cited in my report, “…Corrals 5,3,6,4 and 1 were excessively wet and muddy…Most adult monkeys appeared to have wet muddy tails buttocks and feet…about 40 percent of the monkeys in Corral 5 and 3 have alopecia (hair loss).”
The Center was experiencing an outbreak of listeria and 10 of 82 females in Corral 5 had stillbirths as a result. I counted the numbers sick with listeria, shigella, campylobacter, diarrhea and dehydration and confirmed the complaint’s validity on all counts. I dug up the sick and death tolls of previous winters and discovered that for the monkeys housed outdoors, many more monkeys get sick and die during winter months than in summer. I summed it up in my report to say the statistics “…cause question if the monkeys are truly acclimatized to the weather conditions here in Oregon.” The Attending Veterinarian, Dr. Kelley, disagreed. He said the monkeys were acclimated. The law has a loophole. The attending vet has the final say about whether animals are acclimated, just as he does with psychologically adjustment and distress. I filed my report which confirmed the complaint, but the USDA took no action.
The USDA has little motivation to enforce the already weak laws of the Animal Welfare Act. I was unable to do my job and eventually, out of frustration, I had to quit. I recognize the system is not set up to protect the animals but instead the financial interests of the research labs.
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- 6 months ago
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Enforcement of the Animal Welf Enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act – the Corruption of the USDA
- From: TheirVoice
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Description:
Is Anyone Enforcing the Law?
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the primary piece of legislation that protects animals bred and sold by dealers, exhibited by zoos and other attractions or experimented on in laboratories. The United States Department of Agriculture/Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service/Animal Care (USDA/APHIS/AC) is the federal agency charged with enforcing this law.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the USDA has audited USDA/APHIS/AC 3 times regarding enforcement of the AWA. Each of these audits had found major problems with the enforcement of the AWA.
Coincidentally, three past/present USDA inspectors, each dealing with one of these same areas, have turned whistleblower since the OIG audits took place. They have been uniformly critical of USDA/APHIS/AC, showing that little had changed within the agency after the OIG audits.
Enforcement Inside Laboratories
In 1995 USDA/APHIS was audited by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the USDA. The investigation dealt with enforcement of the AWA in laboratories. The results were not favorable:
“APHIS does not have the authority, under current legislation, to effectively enforce the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. For Instance, the agency cannot terminate or refuse to renew licenses or registrations in cases where serious or repeat violations occur (such as the use of animals in unnecessary experiments, or failure to treat diseases or wounds). In addition, APHIS cannot assess monetary penalties for violations unless the violator agrees to pay them, and penalties are often so low that violators merely regard them as part of the cost of doing business.”
Essentially, the OIG said that USDA/APHIS lacked sufficient authority to effectively enforce the AWA within laboratories, and that the USDA/APHIS didn’t effectively utilize the limited authority that it did have. Have things changed within the USDA since 1995? Apparently not. In fact, it appears that the USDA/APHIS hierarchy may have become openly hostile to effective enforcement of the AWA.
In 2000 Dr. Isis Johnson-Brown, a former USDA inspector issued the following statement at a news conference in Portland Oregon:
“The research institutions I visited, including the Oregon Primate Center, were not happy to see me coming once they realized that I was going to hold them to the law. This reaction I expected. What was surprising to me was my own supervisors were disappointed and unsupportive of my efforts to simply enforce the bare minimum standards in the Code of Federal Regulations. The USDA has a good ol’ boy relationship with the research industry and the laws are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. More than once, I was instructed by a supervisor to make a personal list of violations of the law, cut that list in half, and then cut that list in half again before writing up my inspection reports. My willingness to uphold the law during my site visits at the Primate Center led to me being “retrained” several times by higher-ups in the USDA.”
Enforcement Inside Animal Dealers
In 1992 USDA/APHIS was audited by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the USDA with respect to enforcement of the AWA regarding animal dealers. The report was summarized:
“Our audit concluded that APHIS cannot ensure the humane care and treatment of animals at all dealer facilities as required by the act. APHIS did not inspect dealer facilities with a reliable frequency, and it did not enforce timely correction of violations during inspections.”
Essentially, with regard to dealers, USDA/APHIS was not enforcing the law. This situation is echoed by the words of Marshal Smith a former USDA inspector:
“My territory included 40 kennels in northwest Arkansas. I approached my new job conscientiously. Records of these pet producers were transferred to me from a retiring inspector who told me, "If you’re smart you'll do what I did, you’ll check everything is OK." I told him that I intended to abide by the law. Another assumption: I assumed he was a lazy good old boy, that he was not voicing the agency's mindset. The kennels I visited had seemingly never been inspected. I was overwhelmed by what I saw: the wretched looking animals, the mounds of fecal matter reaching in some cases to my knees, at very least to the wire caging of the rabbit hutches which most puppy millers used to house the dogs. In every instance that I recall, the filth and deprivation were shocking.”
Enforcement Inside Animal Exhibitors
In 1996 the OIG audited the USDA with respect to animal exhibitors. The findings were no more encouraging:
“Although APHIS Class “C” exhibitor licenses were intended solely for those who wish to exhibit animals to the public, our visits to 28 APHIS-licensed exhibitors in 3 states disclosed that 18 (64 percent) did not actually exhibit their animals, but instead maintained them as pets. Using the regulations broad definition of an exhibitor, individuals obtained exhibitor licenses in order to circumvent State or local laws intended to protect the public by restricting private ownership of wild or exotic animals such as bears or tigers.”
In this instance APHIS regulations and enforcement practices of the AWA actually allowed individuals to circumvent local laws and potentially endanger the public.
Similar information has come to light in the statement of current USDA Animal Care Specialist Richard Botelho. A five-year veteran of almost 1000 inspections inside Florida, Botelho has made some familiar-sounding statements about the USDA
“Failing to enforce the minimum standards and regulations of the AWA has harmful risks to the animals and to the public. Potentially dangerous animal are being allowed to be exhibited to the public without direct control of a handler(s), sufficient distance or barrier between the animals and the public.”
What you can do to help:
1. Read, copy, and distribute this fact sheet.
2. Contact the Chairs of the House & Senate Agriculture Committees to demand that they immediately convene investigative hearings to examine how USDA/APHIS enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.
Bob Goodlatte
2240 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-5431
202-225-9681 (fax)Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
416 Russell Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3521
202-224-0103 (fax)3. Contact the Office of the Inspector General to demand that the current OIG audit of USDA APHIS deal with the agency’s enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.
United States Department of Agriculture
Office of the Inspector General
Room 41-W Jamie Whitten Bldg
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
202-720-56774. Contact the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture to demand both stricter enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and an internal investigation of the allegations made by the present and former USDA staff quoted in this fact sheet.
Mike Johanns
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave SW Room 200A
Washington, DC 202505. Send a tax-deductible donation to Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! (SAEN) to support this campaign.
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 462