There are health risks that you should be aware of after any wild animal has been taken from your home.
Armadillo Trapping to avoid the Health Risks Armadillos
Removing an armadillo from a yard or landscaped area is quite a challenge. There simply isn’t any particular bait that will lure an armadillo into a trap. The armadillo has to be steered into the trap in just the right way. Only a professional armadillo removal Lakewood Ranch company has the expertise to do the job right. An experienced armadillo trapper will trap and relocate the armadillo that’s digging up your yard so that you can avoid the health risks armadillos.
Health Risks Armadillos
Leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease, is rarely diagnosed in the United States. Nevertheless, most leprosy cases result from hunting, skinning or consuming armadillos. Approximately 200 people are diagnosed with leprosy in the United States each year. Scientists now recommend that contact with armadillos be avoided altogether. Fortunately, leprosy can be treated with antibiotics and various drugs during the early stages of the infection.
Many people make the mistake of ignoring the skin lesions associated with a leprosy infection. They wrongly assume that the ancient disease of leprosy was eradicated long ago. Even trained physicians fail to consider the possibility of a leprosy infection. Skin lesions should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. Failure to do so could result in lifelong nerve damage.
There are two common forms of leprosy, tuberculoid and lepromatous. Both versions of leprosy produce skin lesions and sores. The lepromatous form is more serious, causing the formation of prominent lumps and bumps. Common symptoms include muscle weakness and lack of feeling and numbness on arms, legs and feet. Researchers have determined that about 20 percent of all armadillos are infected with leprosy.
Armadillo Removal Lakewood Ranch
If you’re sick of that burrowing armadillo, here’s what you need to know. Don’t waste your money on ineffective repellant products. Moreover, it may be illegal for you to capture an armadillo. Call a licensed and insured wildlife removal company to have that armadillo humanely trapped and relocated. A professional armadillo trapper will get rid of that armadillo and save you a fortune on future landscaping costs. One thing about an armadillo, they never get tired of digging.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the LONG-TERM experience that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today and speak with a trusted professional.
There are health risks that you should be aware of after any wild animal has been taken from your home.
Raccoons eating out of container.
What Are the Health Risks of Raccoons in Lakewood Ranch FL?
The health risks of raccoons should never be underestimated. Raccoons create enormous damage and transmit infectious diseases to Parrish adults, children and pets. Contact a licensed and insured nuisance wildlife management company for expert raccoon removal, raccoon trapping and raccoon exclusion services.
The Health Risks of Raccoons
It’s important that you have that Parrish raccoon removed from your attic, crawl space, basement or other building location before things get out of hand. Raccoons contaminate building surfaces with urine and feces and chew up everything from electrical wires to support beams. If you hear noises in your attic, call a wildlife removal professional before a raccoon or some other wild animal causes significant damage or even a catastrophic fire.Wild animal droppings harbor dangerous parasites and foster the growth of mold and microbes. Raccoons are known carriers of infectious diseases that can be contracted by humans and pets.
• Raccoon Roundworm, or Baylisascaris, is a dangerous species of roundworm carried by raccoons. Millions of roundworm eggs are deposited into the environment through raccoon feces. Children and pets can easily ingest fertile eggs by coming into contact with infected soil, tree stumps and other seemingly safe locations. Once inside the body of an animal or human, the larvae migrate throughout the body and infect the brain, eyes, spinal cord and other organs.
• Rabies is a health risk commonly associated with wild animals. Rabies, which attacks the central nervous system, can be fatal if left untreated.
• Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection spread to humans through raccoon feces and urine. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe headaches, high fever, anemia, meningitis and organ failure.
• Salmonella is also spread through raccoon feces. Humans and pets can ingest the bacteria through incidental contact with infected areas. The symptoms of Salmonella poisoning include high fever, severe diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Raccoon Trapping and Exclusion
A wildlife management expert can humanely remove and relocate raccoons and other nuisance wild animals. Professionally trained wildlife removal specialists can also decontaminate building materials, repair all damage and permanently seal your home or business to ensure that the problem doesn’t reoccur. Local wildlife management companies provide expert raccoon trapping, raccoon removal and raccoon exclusion services in the greater Parrish area.
Raccoons can gain entry to homes and businesses by squeezing through hard to detect gaps and holes in rooflines, HVAC systems and foundations. Rats, mice and squirrels breed and contaminate food and building surfaces quickly.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the LONG-TERM experience that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today and speak with a trusted professional.
There are health risks that you should be aware of after any wild animal has been taken from your home.
Infected Squirrels in Lakewood Ranch and Beyond
Call a Wildlife Removal Pro to Eliminate the Health Risks of Squirrels
Do you think of squirrels as cute and cuddly or just another rat with a long tail? Either way, you don’t want squirrels taking refuge in your home or business. Squirrels carry and spread a number of serious diseases, not the least of which is rabies. Contact a squirrel removal Bradenton professional to avoid the health risks of squirrels. Only an expert squirrel trapper can safely remove and relocate pest squirrels and other disease carrying wild animals.
Squirrel Removal Bradenton
Squirrels have an uncanny ability to slip through small holes and cracks to enter home and business attics. Once inside, they get busy chewing and building nests. They will chew wood, wires, pipes, and HVAC ducts to sharpen their teeth. Squirrels will keep you and your family awake at night with the sound of scampering, scratching and chewing. They also contaminate building surfaces with feces and urine, destroy building materials and create a significant fire hazard.
Health Risks of Squirrels
Wild animal droppings host a variety of dangerous parasites and promote the growth of mold and disease causing microbes. Nuisance wild animals also carry infectious diseases that can be spread to pets and humans. A licensed and insured squirrel trapper has the knowledge, experience and equipment to humanely remove squirrels from attics and other building locations.• Rabies is a dreaded disease, but most people don’t realize that squirrels are common carriers of the disease. Rabies can be fatal without proper treatment. The disease infects the central nervous system and brain.
• Tick fever can be contracted by humans. As one might expect, squirrels and other wild animals attract large numbers of ticks and fleas. The squirrels then carry the ticks and fleas into home and business attics. The fleas and ticks begin the search for a new host when a squirrel leaves the nest for any significant period of time. Common tick fever symptoms include chills, fever, aching muscles, headache, rash and light sensitivity.
• Powassan encephalitis is another disease associated with squirrels. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, stiff neck, respiratory problems, seizures, coma and paralysis.
Squirrel Trapping
Speak with a squirrel removal Bradenton company the moment you suspect that squirrels are living in your home or business attic. An expert wildlife management company can remove all wild animal species, restore contaminated building surfaces and repair any damage. A wild animal removal specialist can also seal your home or business to prevent the problem from reoccurring. Only a professional wild animal control company is prepared to remove the health risks of squirrels for an affordable price.
Due to what the animals leave behind, such a urine, feces, ticks, fleas and parasites which wildlife leave on the premises that they inhabit (whether it is attic, garage, roof, walls etc.) The below info is to educate you about the possible health risks that can happen if you, your family or your pets are exposed to any of this infected matter.
Rats and other rodents can gain entry to homes and businesses by squeezing through hard to detect gaps and holes in rooflines, HVAC systems and foundations. Rats, mice and squirrels breed and contaminate food and building surfaces quickly.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the LONG-TERM experience that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today and speak with a trusted professional.
Click the above link to open the pdf (portable document format) file, which is the best quality for print.
West Central Florida’s Four Venomous Snake Species [Native]
There are four venomous snakes that flourish in central and southern Florida, namely the eastern diamondback, the eastern coral snake, the dusky pygmy rattlesnake and the Florida cottonmouth, also known as the water moccasin.
Florida offers ideal weather conditions and habitat for dozens of snake species, but only four of those snake species are classified as venomous. Venomous snakes inject venom when they bite. Although venomous snakes are often described as poisonous, venomous snakes aren’t actually poisonous since poison must be ingested rather than injected. Technically, there’s no such thing as a poisonous snake. Venomous snakes, on the other hand, are dangerous and should be avoided.
Florida residents shouldn’t be overly concerned about non-venomous snakes, but it’s important to note that it can be difficult to distinguish between the previously mentioned venomous snakes and certain non-venomous snake species. It should also be mentioned that north Florida is home to the timber rattlesnake and the copperhead.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake species in the United States. The average length of an eastern diamondback is between five and six feet. This dangerous venomous snake will strike from a classic coiled position and can extend half of its body length to reach a target. Never go near an eastern diamondback to avoid serious injury.
Eastern Coral Snake
The eastern coral snake is distinguished by a red and yellow coloration pattern. The venom of the eastern coral snake is neurotoxic, affecting the nervous system and causing paralysis of the diaphragm.
Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake
The dusky pygmy rattlesnake is a small rattlesnake with an average length of between 15 and 22 inches. The rattle is so small it sounds like a buzzing insect. This venomous snake is gray with colored blotches running along its back. The venom of the dusky pygmy rattlesnake is painful but not lethal. This particular snake accounts for more Florida snakebites than any other venomous snake species.
Florida Cottonmouth
Also known as a water moccasin, the Florida cottonmouth is a venomous water snake. This dangerous venomous snake is characterized by its solid dull black or patterned coloration. The most common way to identify a water moccasin is to watch for the black eye line running from the side of the snake’s eye and down the side of its head. Even baby cottonmouths have this distinctive eye line.
• Never feed coyotes. It is illegal and can cause them to associate people with food and lose their fear of humans.
• Secure garbage cans, and clean up pet food, fallen fruit and spilled bird seed.
• Walk dogs on short leashes, especially at night.
• Don’t allow small pets to roam freely.
• During dusk and dawn, be careful taking small pets into wooded areas.
And although they don’t typically attack humans, your pets may be at risk. They may view a large dog as a rival, and since a cat is such a small animal, they could be viewed as prey. This would hold true also for small dogs. It is suggested that you should NOT leave your pet out doors unsupervised. The most important times to recognize this are at dusk, dawn or overnight. You should definitely keep cats indoors and dogs on a leash. Your trash should most certainly be kept under a tight lid– and not left exposed in any way to a roaming coyote. If you have any fallen fruit from your fruit trees– that should be picked up! Be aware of any areas you have that they could use as a den. For example close up open areas under your deck. To proactively keep them out– installing a fence is one tactic you could take. Fences should be 6 feet tall, to prevent them from just jumping right over.. and 18 inches deep to keep them from digging underneath.
If you encounter a coyote, here is an example of hazing.
WORRIED ABOUT COYOTES?
Call 1-866-263 WILD!
IF YOU ENCOUNTER A COYOTE:
Don’t turn your back, and don’t run. They might chase you and they can run up to 40 mph.
If the coyote moves closer use the method known as “hazing.”
Blow a very loud whistle.
Blow a whistle if confronted by a Coyote. [Manatee Sarasota County]
Clap hands loudly and stomp feet.
ΩClap hands loudly if confronted by a coyote. [Lakewood Ranch Sarasota Bradenton]
Throw sticks or rocks at their feet.
If you don’t have anything available, act large ie. open your jacket, raise your arms and yell.
Don’t engage a coyote that is cornered, injured or with pups – instead slowly walk away backwards.
Follow all of these tips to keep you and your pet safe.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the long term EXPERIENCE that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today to speak with a trusted professional.
Coyotes were considered a western species in the US, but expanded their range to north Florida in the 60’s and 70’s according to the wildlife commission. The wildlife commission states that it is now common for coyotes to co-exist in neighborhoods due to the decline of any predator populations. Humans, are most likely to blame for the coyotes expanding their territory as we have reduced their available natural habitat. Keep in mind that urban zones are typically filled with easily available food resources. So for a coyote who is ready to consume just about anything, why hunt for food? Scavenging is much easier.
So Residents with Small Pets Must Be Careful
Coyotes are becoming less scared of humans, because people are feeding them.
Please be advised:
Coyotes will eat dogs, goats, miniature horses, horses, sheep, cows, or ANY farm animal.
How to Decrease the Chances of Seeing a Coyote while Walking your Dog
Wait until the sun is already up before walking the dog in the morning, and in the evening, walk the dog prior to the sun setting.
Do not let your dog out in the yard without observation, before sunrise or after sunset.
Make sure that your dog will reliably come when he is called.
Walk the dog along with other people, and in well-trafficked areas.
Remember the times of the year when coyote activity is heightened. That is Feb-May- give or take.
Have the pet spayed or neutered – or be sure to keep a super close eye and reliable leash on the animal.
WORRIED ABOUT COYOTES?
Call 1-866-263 WILD!
BONUS
There is a protective vest available for pets. You can find it here: https://www.coyotevest.com/
Click here for the coyote vest https://www.coyotevest.com/
Don’t turn your back, and don’t run. They might chase you and they can run up to 40 mph.
If the coyote moves closer use the method known as “hazing.”
Blow a very loud whistle.
Clap hands loudly and stomp feet.
Throw sticks or rocks at their feet.
If you don’t have anything available, act large ie. open your jacket, raise your arms and yell.
Don’t engage a coyote that is cornered, injured or with pups – instead slowly walk away backwards.
Follow all of these tips to keep you and your pet safe.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the long term EXPERIENCE that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today to speak with a trusted professional.
Portland has few homeless shelters designed to serve families with children.
The Human Solutions Family Center, which opened in 2016, is the largest, with cots for 130 people. To understand why the family center is a big deal, it helps to meet Michael Bunch.
He’s 4 and carries around a black plastic bag filled with his favorite toys: Play-Doh and Ninja Turtle Legos.
When OPB met him, he was struggling to learn an important new word on what was moving day for his family.
His mom, Andrea Bunch, prodded him: “We’re going where?”
“To a hotel,” Michael said.
“Nope.”
Michael tried again: “Motel!”
Still not right. So Andrea gave him a hint. “To our new …”
He frowned and exhaled in frustration, so his mom provided the correct answer: “Apartment.”
Michael struggled to get that word out because he’s never had a home of his own. He and Andrea have been staying with friends, in motels or at shelters, moving from place to place his entire life.
The Bunches are part of a growing population of homeless families in Portland struggling to get into permanent housing. Not for days, or weeks, but for months, even years at a time.
It’s the population county leaders promised to help when they worked out the deal to create this family shelter. Two and a half years ago, as the cost of apartments in Portland shot up, Multnomah County gave Human Solutions more than half a million dollars to buy an old strip club, remodel it and open the family center.
The county promised the shelter would be a safe place for families in crisis, and it has credited the shelter with reducing the number of children forced to sleep on the streets and in cars.
But the shelter wasn’t safe. In early February, county leaders announced they had evacuated 110 families staying there and moved them into motels.
“Yesterday I learned that the roof at one of our homeless family shelters was failing,” said County Chair Deborah Kafoury. “Multnomah County and our provider have suspended operations at the Human Solutions Family Center.”
In fact, the failing roof was just one problem among many that have led families, volunteers, social workers and staff to question the health and safety of the shelter.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services, which was created by Portland and Multnomah County the same month the shelter opened, has received multiple complaints about the facility, which it funds.
“As individual issues have come up we have worked with Human Solutions to make sure those issues were being addressed,” said Mark Jolin, director of the Joint Office.
Many of the problems at the shelter stem from the building it is in: a wooden-shingled restaurant and bar built in 1975.
In 2015, Multnomah County asked Human Solutions, which ran their winter warming center for families, to open up a low-barrier shelter year-round.
In return, Human Solutions pressed the county to help it buy a piece of property for the shelter. The nonprofit had been renting space for its warming center up until then and the bare-bones space lacked showers, a laundry room and a kitchen.
The property Human Solutions settled on, on SE Stark Street near the Rockwood neighborhood, had once been the Woodshed Restaurant and then a vegan strip club known as the Black Cauldron.
The deal Human Solutions proposed was unusual. They wanted a $300,000 loan to help buy the property and close to $400,000 for a renovation.
It’s rare for the county to cut checks like that without some kind of competitive process.
“This is by no means an easy ‘yes’ for me,” County Commissioner Loretta Smith said at the time.
She pointed out another unusual aspect of the deal: The county was in effect using public dollars to buy land for a nonprofit.
“I do have a problem with us, you know, setting up a nonprofit and giving them an asset that’s theirs,” she said.
But Kafoury pushed for the deal. Portland had just declared a housing emergency, and Kafoury said the new shelter would be a big improvement over the old one with showers, a kitchen and pretty much everything families would need to thrive in between homelessness and a permanent home. Smith ended up voting yes.
After a renovation, the new shelter opened in 2016. Almost immediately, people started noticing problems.
According to county records, Rachel O’Rourke was the first to try to get the county to intervene.
“We have kids under 5 living in conditions that I wouldn’t want any child to live under at that shelter,” she said.
O’Rourke is an art therapist who works with schools in the Gresham area. She spent close to a year visiting the shelter to create portraits with the families. She saw a lot she didn’t think was right.
“I witnessed a dad and a small baby sleeping next to belongings that went all the way up to the ceiling,” she said. “I went into the kitchen, there was dirt all over the floor.”
In September 2016, O’Rourke photographed the conditions inside the shelter and sent the pictures to friends and colleagues at Multnomah County.
A week later, staff from the Joint Office of Homeless Services went to visit the shelter themselves.
In an email, program manager Sally Erickson described the conditions as shocking and chaotic.
“There were dirty floors, overflowing trash cans and very damaged walls,” she wrote. “We observed several parents sleeping on the floor with small children and extremely over-crowded conditions, including enormous stacks of belongings. The kitchen was particularly of concern — stacks of food product, filthy dish area, and more.”
Records show the Joint Office stepped in, giving Human Solutions money to move some families into motels to reduce the crowding, purchasing storage containers for people’s belongings and pressuring the nonprofit to hire a daily cleaning service.
But while Joint Office was focused on the high number of families at the shelter, it missed warning signs about the condition of the building itself.
Glenn Dettwiler worked briefly as a cook at the shelter in October and November 2017. He was supposed to provide three meals a day for more than 100 people. He started by trying to clean the kitchen.
“I moved a bunch of equipment, and there were literally thick layers of rodent droppings,” he said, “desiccated rodents that had died there.”
The shelter had an old walk-in refrigerator. Dettwiler said it didn’t effectively keep food cold — or rodents out.
“Rats and rodents would come inside the refrigerator and chew on food product that was in the refrigerator,” he said.
In addition to the rodents in the fridge, pigeons roosted, died and decomposed in the shelter’s attic.
Dettweiller quit after a month. He wrote to his manager and said the kitchen was below health department standards. He cited the rodent infestation, problems with the flooring and roof leaks.
“It was frustrating overall,” he said, “because you had staff that were asked to deal with situations they didn’t have the resources for.”
The families staying at the shelter noticed all this too.
“In my opinion, it should be condemned,” said Joe Tomasso, who had been staying in the shelter with his girlfriend and her sons for two months in November 2017. “It just seems to have so many different issues.”
Shortly after they arrived, staff at the shelter smelled a gas leak that eventually took two weeks to fix. During that time, the hot water was turned off.
“Then you can’t take a shower, you can’t wash your laundry, you can’t wash your hands,” he said.
Records show it was the third gas leak since the shelter opened.
“Was that frustrating for folks to be without hot water? Absolutely,” said Andy Miller, Human Solutions’ executive director, who spent more than an hour speaking on the record to OPB about problems at the shelter.
But, he noted, every shelter in the city experiences challenges like these at some point.
“Those issues will be exacerbated in a shelter that faces very, very high utilization over a concentrated period of time,” he said.
Human Solutions says its staff has hired contractors to deal with the gas leaks, signed a contract with a pest control company and changed how they store food to protect it from mice.
Yet of all the problems at the shelter, the most serious is the leaking roof.
This is the first story of a multipart series by OPB detailing health and safety issues at Portland’s largest shelter for homeless families with children.
Rats and other rodents can gain entry to homes and businesses by squeezing through hard to detect gaps and holes in rooflines, HVAC systems and foundations. Rats, mice and squirrels breed and contaminate food and building surfaces quickly.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. is fully licensed and insured. We are a locally and family-owned business that has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota county for 20 years. We are the REAL experts with the LONG-TERM experience that can save you from costly mistakes. Don’t trust your home or budget to a new guy on the block. Call today and speak with a trusted professional.
A TIGER snake with a taste for Australian beer found itself trapped while trying to drink from a can this week.
The venomous* reptile slithered into the can in Wyndham Vale in Melbourne’s western suburbs and became stuck.
Stewart Gatt — aka Stewy the Snake Catcher — said its head was trapped.
Stewart Gatt, the snake catcher, frees the tiger snake from a beer can. Supplied image
The residents who found the snake in trouble tried to free it themselves. Not a wise move as getting the snake free was not easy — even for a professional.
“It was awkward*,” Mr Gatt said.
“The snake was in enough it was stuck in the can. If you cut the wrong spot you could hurt the snake. It is a very delicate* situation.”
Mr Gatt tried to reassure the snake that he was there to save it, not that it helped.
“Yeah mate, I know you are in pain. Just relax for a minute,” he said in the video.
“Stop struggling for a minute. Relax mate, I am saving you.”
The residents who found the snake in trouble tried to free it themselves. Not a wise move as getting the snake free was not easy — even for a professional.
“It was awkward*,” Mr Gatt said.
“The snake was in enough it was stuck in the can. If you cut the wrong spot you could hurt the snake. It is a very delicate* situation.”
Mr Gatt tried to reassure the snake that he was there to save it, not that it helped.
“Yeah mate, I know you are in pain. Just relax for a minute,” he said in the video.
“Stop struggling for a minute. Relax mate, I am saving you.”
As Mr Gatt cut a hole in the can, the snake popped its head through and tried to bite the can.
“Snakes are deaf so I have no idea why I was doing it. I was talking myself through it really,” Mr Gatt said.
“I do not know what the fascination* with snakes and cans is. He was thirsty and probably wanted a dark spot and once he sticks his head in, he cannot stick his head out again.”
Mr Gatt has been caring for the tiger snake since the rescue and is expected to release the animal this week.
“We are going to make sure there are no ongoing injuries,” he said.
Tiger snakes are highly venomous, quick to bite when cornered and very common around most of Victoria, much of New South Wales, far southeast Queensland, Tasmania, southeast South Australia and southwest Western Australia.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal, Inc. is very well known in the community as the GO-TO expert with the highest experience level in solving difficult insect and pest infestations efficiently and easily. We employ advanced technology such as thermographic cameras and Go-pro technology. This reduces the amount of damage to your structure and this will reduce the overall cost of your project.
Dozens of venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, alligators, turtles and other creatures are pictured at a warehouse at 641 W. 6960 South in Midvale on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. In a phone interview from his hospital bed at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray on Wednesday, James Dix, owner of Utah’s Reptile Rescue Service, said he had a heart attack and that is why he hasn’t been able to care for dozens of venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, alligators, turtles and other creatures at he left at the warehouse.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal, Inc. is your expert for snake removal in Sarasota County.
Call today to talk with a professional wildlife technician.
For more information or a FREE estimate call 1-866-263-WILD or 941-729-2103.
MIDVALE — A well-known reptile rescuer is under investigation, accused of abandoning dozens of venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, alligators, turtles and other creatures at a Midvale warehouse for two weeks.
James Dix, owner of Utah’s Reptile Rescue Service, denies abandoning the animals at the warehouse at 641 W. 6960 South. In a phone interview from his hospital bed at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Dix said he had a heart attack and that is why he hasn’t been able to care for the animals. He is currently listed in serious condition.
Despite this, county and state officials say dealing with Dix has been an ongoing saga since the summer.
“Twenty years of my life I’ve dedicated, and now they’re just trying to destroy the rescue and flush it down the toilet,” Dix said.
Deseret News archives
James Dix, owner of Reptile Rescue Service, holds several Albino Burmese Pythons Friday Feb. 18, 2011.
Dix left the roughly 100 critters at the warehouse on Jan. 22, according to workers.
“He promised to have these animals out of here in two days,” said Kyle Workman, one of the workers. “It’s been two weeks-plus.”
Workman said Dix had only returned once since that time, and several of the workers had tried to feed and care for the reptiles themselves over concerns of their well-being, despite little experience of how to do so.
He characterized the situation as Dix, a subcontractor for the organization, essentially dropping the reptiles in the workers’ laps.
“It more or less came down to, ‘You will watch these animals,’” Workman said. “‘You employ me, you are obligated to help me.’”
Dix said he got permission from his boss to bring the animals to the warehouse and that his ex-girlfriend was told by the boss that he had no problems having the animals stay a few more days.
Dix said he had to suddenly move the animals out of a building in Magna because the owner got tired of dealing with the Salt Lake County Zoning and Ordinance rules. She sold the building, and the new owner wouldn’t let him stay there. He said he moved them to the Midvale location and only planned on staying there for four or five days while they found another building.
Steve Breinholt, Deseret News
A snake is pictured at a warehouse at 641 W. 6960 South, Midvale, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. In a phone interview from his hospital bed at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray on Wednesday, James Dix, owner of Utah’s Reptile Rescue Service, said he had a heart attack and that is why he hasn’t been able to care for dozens of venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, alligators, turtles and other creatures at he left at the warehouse.
“We were going to move them Friday, and I wound up having a heart attack on the road and had to go to the hospital,” Dix said.
Workman said he ultimately contacted Salt Lake County Animal Services.
“See, one of the lizards has died,” Workman said, pointing to a carcass Tuesday. “We’ve had a few turtles perish.”
Dix said he had friends feeding the critters while he was in the hospital.
Wednesday morning, workers with Salt Lake County Animal Services assessed and removed the creatures from the Midvale location with the help of experts from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Inside the warehouse was an SUV belonging to Dix that was marked with caution signs about venomous snakes and reptiles inside.
Salt Lake County Animal Services spokeswoman Callista Pearson said Tuesday that Dix was already under investigation for suspicion of animal cruelty and abandonment after workers roughly two weeks ago removed and relocated nearly 150 animals from a space in Magna that Dix had been occupying. Pearson said a quarter of the animals appeared to be undernourished.
“It looked to us as if he had not fed or watered them for an extended period of time,” Pearson said.
Dix denies it.
“I didn’t know anything about that, but we are a rescue and some stuff comes in rough, and moving animals in the winter affects them, can put them in shock, hypothermia because they are all temperature related,” he said.
Pearson said the case would ultimately have to be screened by county prosecutors.
Dix, who was awaiting surgery Thursday, said it was not unusual for his service to receive animals that were undernourished, and he suggested that the recent matter in Magna was simply part of an ongoing dispute with the county.
He maintained that the animals he had were generally well-cared for.
Comment on this story“This is 20 years of dedicated service to the state of Utah and all the cities and counties who relied on me,” Dix said. “This has cost me thousands and thousands of dollars dedicated to whenever they call 24/7, 365 days a week, and the last thing we would do is just leave our animals and walk away from it. That’s not what happened.”
Workman said the reptiles left at the warehouse would likely receive better care if turned over to animal services.
“This is not the environment for these reptiles,” Workman said. “It’s not our responsibility as a business owner to take care of rescued animals.”
Nuisance Wildlife Removal, Inc. is very well known in the community as the GO-TO expert with the highest experience level in solving difficult insect and pest infestations efficiently and easily. We employ advanced technology such as thermographic cameras and Go-pro technology. This reduces the amount of damage to your structure and this will reduce the overall cost of your project.
To avoid snakes is really a rather difficult task. The main suggestion given is to try to keep the pet indoors as much a possible during the season when snakes are highly active. According to the school of veterinary medicine that is April -October. However this is likely very difficult to impossible for many pet owners.
Well, as far as snakes are concerned- keep in mind that most snakes want to be left alone… However when a curious pup comes along sniffing every hole in the ground, tree trunk, and leaf pile, BOOM they can get a strike from a serpentine creature that neither of you were planning on.
It is possible that your dog would be out playing when such an encounter occurs– and so, you might suddenly find your pet in distress, and not doing well. But, if you ARE with your pup walking on a trail, etc when a snake bite occurs.. Try to get a picture of the snake for reference. If your pet has been bitten, seek medical care for it immediately.
If your pet is acting unwell — the animal might be in shock. The following actions are recommended to treat your pet and keep them safe. You must act quickly to give your dog the best chance for a full recovery.
EXAMINE
Examine the dog or cat, by looking him over closely. Probe the back and down the legs.
Take note of any swollen areas.
—if you do NOT see a laceration, scratch etc., the culprit causing the issue is not visible so, therefore, could be a bite.
Carry the animal to a clean smooth area such as a tile floor, where you have good lighting.
Examine and look for puncture wounds they will likely have blood coming out.
If it has been bitten by a venomous snake, the swelling will be apparent and move rapidly up the leg.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal, Inc. is your expert for snake removal in Sarasota County.
Call today to talk with a professional wildlife technician.
For more information or a FREE estimate call 1-866-263-WILD or 941-729-2103.
Nuisance Wildlife Removal, Inc. is very well known in the community as the GO-TO expert with the highest experience level in solving difficult insect and pest infestations efficiently and easily. We employ advanced technology such as thermographic cameras and Go-pro technology. This reduces the amount of damage to your structure and this will reduce the overall cost of your project.
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