Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California: illegal

Showing posts with label illegal. Show all posts

Monday, June 19, 2017

Fox puppies offered for sale on Craigslist are now in a sanctuary thanks to Fish & Wildlife! - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

illegal animal sales on craigslist, fox, foxes, mary cummins, animal advocates, los angeles, california, pups, for sale, illegal, breed, dealer, seller, wildlife, rescue, animaladvocates.us, warden, fish & wildlife, fish and game, california

We generally skim the animals for sale on Craigslist checking for illegal exotic and wildlife sales. If you want to own an exotic animal or wildlife, you need special permits from Fish & Wildlife. They can only be used for educational purposes. You need at least two years of experience handling the animals under someone else's permits first. You then have to go through a long and expensive process to get your exhibiting permits. Because this is all a huge hassle and the desire to own a unique animal is high, people buy them on the black Craigslist market without permits.

Back in May 2017 I saw fox pups offered for sale on craigslist. Above is the ad. I reported it to the appropriate warden then I flagged the ad and it was removed. Two days later and the seller reposted the ad. Two women forward the ad to me. I forwarded that to the warden. These two animal loving people wanted to stop the sale and get the fox puppies to a sanctuary. Among all of us, I won't say how, we managed to drag the selling process out long enough for the warden to take the puppy/puppies from the illegal vendor. The vendor is a young guy living here in Los Angeles. We were able to track him down through identifying markers he left in communications.

The warden went on vacation so I hadn't heard what happened to the fox pups. Earlier today a volunteer with The Nature of Wildworks posted pics of herself holding the puppy on Facebook. One fox pup now named Michael J Fox aka Mikey is now at Molly Hogan's The Nature of Wildworks. I'm so happy the fox pup ended up in good hands. As for the vendor I don't know what actions Fish & Wildlife took against him. There are still penalties for selling wildlife or exotics without proper permits. Below are some pics of the fox pups the vendor sent to us.

Article continues below.

Below is a pic of the fox today. He's a little bigger.

This pet fox craze was started by a March 2011 National Geographic magazine article titled. "Designing the Perfect Pet." It was about research done by Russian scientists to find out how we domesticated wolves. They experimented on foxes. They would test the foxes for tameness. They would only breed the tamest of the foxes. The wild foxes were sold to fox fur farms. This continued for a few generations. Ultimately the foxes were as tame as dogs. They could be a house pet. They also noticed changes in the fox. Their ears drooped a little. They had different coloring.

More great follow up news! This is from The Nature of Wildworks email.

“Meet Mikey ( short for Michael J ! ), our new 9-week-old red fox pup.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

Excuse me. Did you say Red Fox? He doesn't look red, does he? And he's not going to turn red later. Red foxes come in different colors like red, brown, black, and silver but they all have one thing in common-- a white tip on the end of their tail. Well, maybe more than one thing. As puppies, or "kits" as they are also called, they are about as cute as it gets and as adults they're absolutely beautiful.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

And apparently a fox is a fox is a fox. When red foxes first meet, even though they weren't raised together and have never seen each other before, they literally almost die of excitement overload, fluffy white-tipped tails wagging in a blur and making their fox happiness noise, which I can't even pretend to describe. This is exactly what happened when Mikey fox met Fire fox.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

Fire is our sweet adult female red fox and she loves everyone. Every person, every animal. I always say she has no appropriate relationships because when walked on a leash she rolls over on her back wagging her tail and whining in front of the mountain lion cage. "Come play with me, Pirate." Not a good idea, Fire. Fire loves Australian Shepherds and was raised by our Aussie dog Hopi. When Hopi passed away Fire moved on to love again with Aussie dog, Star, as her new playmate.

How did we get Mikey? Where did he come from? The foxes were in Sacramento but we met halfway in Bakersfield and there I got the whole crazy backstory. The following is from the Animal Advocates Blog, (Mary Cummings, who initially reported the ad. mmmaryinla@aol.com)

"We generally skim the animals for sale on Craigslist checking for illegal exotic and wildlife sales. If you want to own an exotic animal or wildlife, you need special permits from Fish & Wildlife. They can only be used for educational purposes. You need at least two years of experience handling the animals under someone else's permits first. You then have to go through a long and expensive process to get your exhibiting permits. Because this is all a huge hassle and the desire to own a unique animal is high, people buy them on the black Craigslist market without permits.

Back in May 2017 I saw fox pups offered for sale on craigslist. Above is the ad. I reported it to the appropriate warden then I flagged the ad and it was removed. Two days later and the seller re-posted the ad. Two women forward the ad to me. I forwarded that to the warden. These two animal loving people wanted to stop the sale and get the fox puppies to a sanctuary. Among all of us, I won't say how, we managed to drag the selling process out long enough for the warden to take the puppy/puppies from the illegal vendor. The vendor is a young guy living here in Los Angeles. We were able to track him down through identifying markers he left in communications.

The warden went on vacation so I hadn't heard what happened to the fox pups. Earlier today a volunteer with The Nature of Wildworks posted pics of herself holding the puppy on Facebook. One fox pup now named Michael J Fox aka Mikey is now at Molly Hogan's The Nature of Wildworks. I'm so happy the fox pup ended up in good hands. As for the vendor I don't know what actions Fish & Wildlife took against him. There are still penalties for selling wildlife or exotics without proper permits."

Well, it was a normal day at the wildlife center for me. Just minding my own business answering one rescue call after another, usually regarding an orphaned or injured squirrel or opossum, when a call from Fish and Wildlife came in. "We have a litter of foxes. Can you take one?" Yes! One of them was particularly friendly and I said, "Then he's the one for us. He'll be a perfect education animal for our outreach programs."

Mikey slept in his carrier the entire way home and who could blame him. But nothing like a red fox mom substitute to make you sit up in bed. Upon first sighting the tail wagging and whining began and hasn't stopped since. The first day it was pretty cute because Fire has a swing which is her favorite spot in the enclosure. In her old age she now spends much of the day napping and relaxing on her personal hammock and Mikey , uncoordinated puppy that he is, couldn't quite figure out how to get up there with her. It was making him crazy. But on the second day he had devised a plan and could walk from the shelf along the midline metal bar of the enclosure and then "jump". Fire growls a little at this invasion of her private island but she's an understanding mom and Mikey has now won his place at the top.

I was right, by the way, when I guessed he would be good at outreach. His first program was last Saturday at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles where he wowed everyone posing (and napping on stage) as a modern day dire wolf. We're happy in every way to have him with us. Right now...and for a lifetime.

If you'd like to meet Mikey up close and personal you can enjoy a private tour of the wildlife center, sign up for our on-site class "Clicker training with a fox" or schedule your own personal outreach educational program.

To sponsor Mikey please visit: Sponsor Mikey!

To learn more visit www.natureofwildworks.org

(Photo credits to Terry Matkins and Lorie Zerweck)”

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Just when I think I've seen it all, raccoons being sold as food in Los Angeles - Animal Advocates

Raccoons for sale as food, Chinese market, Temple City, California, Los Angeles, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

UPDATE: 02/14/2015: Supposedly the raccoons came from a wholesaler in Florida. More than one market was selling the raccoons. One market sold it for $22/lb. Investigation is ongoing.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/health/20150212/frozen-raccoon-at-temple-city-market-may-have-come-from-florida-officials-say

Metro Supermarket located at 4819 Temple City Boulevard, Temple City, CA 91780 (626) 872-6955 is selling dead raccoons in a bag for $54 or $9.99/pound. They have been selling it for years they state. Authorities trying to figure out if it's legal. It might be legal if the source is legal. From a common sense point of view raccoon is the last meat you should eat. Every raccoon we've taken into rescue has had round worms which can be fatal to humans. You can't destroy it by just cooking it. They are also a Rabies Vector Species. This means they are more likely to have rabies though not all have rabies. Our main rabies vector animal here in LA is bats.

Supposedly raccoons are a "delicacy" in China which is odd as they are not native to Chine and have no raccoons there. I think some guy just told people it cures impotence or something to make money off gullible people. Turns out raccoon dogs which are not raccoons are native to Asia. They are called tanookis. Maybe they think they are raccoon dogs which we don't have here. Here is the original video from Christina Dow. In the video you see what looks like some large animals entire paw wrapped up. Here is the website for the market in English. http://metrosupermarket.net/en/

About the supermarket. "Interunited Investment (USA) Corp.has established on October, 2011 in Los Angeles, California U.S.A. This company is a sister company of Hunan Interunited Investment Co. Ltd. Interunited Investment (USA) Corp. has invested and been operating Metro Supermarket, Metro Farm, and International Import and Export company."

Raccoon meat is legal to sell if it's legally procured and presented. This company sells raccoon meat. The small size one is a juvie raccoon. They should have USDA stamps. I think they sell them whole as there is no butcher who wants to dress them, i.e. skin, gut, cut up...

http://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/raccoonmeat.html

Here is the bar code from the package 230500 754350. The "2" means it's meat that was weighed and wrapped in the store. The "5435" is the price. The "0" verifies the price. Still trying to figure out the "30500." That should be the type of meat.

Raccoon meat sale market Los Angeles, California temple city chinese mary cummins animal advocates

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Thursday, August 11, 2011

USDA lynx breeder dealer "Lynx Lair" Dorrie Walsh in Tehachapi, California

I first met Dorrie Walsh of the "Lynx Lair" in Tehaqchapi, California in 2007. Someone she knew told me that she saw what appeared to be a tame bobcat at her back door begging to come in. She said there was an old lady in town breeding them. She thought she would breed them release them. I said that didn't make sense but we should go check it out. The neighbor invited me over.

I was a bit shocked that all the cats were declawed. Some were declawed before the ban but some were also declawed afterward. She proudly proclaimed she knew about the ban but did it anyway.

The cats were in 6' tall cage with no enrichment. They were on cement. California Dept of Fish & Wildlife have minimum cage sizes. These were all the bare minimum breeding only cages except they were shorter than the current 8' tall minimum.

While I was there Dorrie told me she has to retire because she's too old. She broke a hip the previous year. Her family doesn't want the cats. She swore to her husband she'd never get another one. She even posted a sign to that effect at her home. I think she had 22 at the time. She didn't know what she would do with the cats.

Some filmmakers for large production companies asked me if I knew of any large wild animals that needed help. I instantly said yes and told them about Dorrie. The people called Dorrie and asked if they could see her cats. Dorrie said yes and we set up an appt.

A group of filmmakers with permission from Dorrie took video of Dorrie Walsh and her cats. They were limping, pacing, lunging, had arthritis, limped when they walked, had no enrichment.... Dorrie admitted on tape she declawed them after it was illegal. She admitted she'd been attacked by her cats and lied to her doctor about her wounds. She admitted the females hated her because she stole their babies soon after birth. It was actually very sad video to see what appeared to be a sweet old lady admitting these horrible things. She didn't realize how incredibly cruel she was treating these animals. The females lunged at her while she walked by their cages. I have about two hours of video of all of this. The others have been more as four of us were taking video.

The people said the situation was very sad. They decided they didn't want to do a show but they did want to help her anyway. We all got to work rounding up help. We offered free surgery to fix all of their paws which were destroyed when they were declawed. We offered free, new larger cages, enrichment items. We also offered to place them if needed.

Dorrie then out of nowhere replied on the phone she had an agreement to give them to a big cat "sanctuary" in SoCal. She was going to leave money to care for them. This other sanctuary is also a breeder, dealer. They can't afford to take sanctuary animals. They can barely care for the few they have. It costs a lot of money to care for 22 big cats. If she had a place for them, why did she tell me she didn't know what she was going to do?

Dorrie refused all help and that is how we left it. Since then every now and then someone will attack me on one of the videos of the limping lynx I took at Dorrie's house. Seems Dorrie made up a bunch of lies saying we paid for our visit with a credit card with zero balance, totally false. She then said she sent us a cease and desist letter. She said she called the cops on us. She said the cops told us to leave her alone. None of those things happened. I never heard from her again.

UPDATE: Last week 12/2015 someone allegedly by the name of Jenny Walsh who is a salesperson at Kohls started posting crap on my videos. She told me all the shit Dorrie allegedly said about me or us or whomever. She also said she reported MY videos for copyright violation. I took the video with video permission. I own the video. I am only person who can make a copyright complaint. Then she said she reported me for sharing private information. I never posted the name of the woman or her breeding permit information. YouTube said I didn't violate any TOS agreement. They dismissed her ridiculous complaints.

One post by Jenny asked for a copy of the official complaint sent to the USDA and California Department of Fish & Game. Jenny said "if it's public, why don't you post it?" Okay, here it is. I will now share this public information about Dorrie Walsh of the Lynx Lair who illegally declawed some of her big cats.

Dorrie breeds "funny cats" which are as per Dorrie mix between Canadian and Siberian lynx. The resultant cat is therefore no longer a "wild," "protected" or "threatened" animal. This is how she gets around the breeding, selling regulations. She breeds them to sell to zoos and other private individuals.

Below is public information about Dorrie Walsh of the Lynx Lair who was/is a "lynx" breeder, dealer in California. She never had an exhibit permit ever yet she exhibited her cats to the public.

BREEDER CA 1861 93-A-0106 Dorrie L Walsh The Lynx Lair 1/24/2003

If you search USDA, it shows that she never had a license. She did have a license but they since removed all records of her license. They can't allow someone who illegally declawed cats to have a license.

In the meantime Dorrie says she still has all her cats as of 12/12/2015. Is she operating without a license? Is she fibbing? If you look at Bat W*rld S@nctuary they also show up as never having a license when their permit was cancelled in 2011.

Dorrie is also a dog groomer in Tehachapi. She drives a red Hummer and her license plate has the name "Lynx" in it because she believes she is a lynx lady. Her only identity in this world is as the "Lynx Lady." She takes her most arthritic lynx to work with her when she was grooming. There are many photos which she gives to people of her lynx sitting on her car, in a holiday hat.... Dorrie put all that information out there.

I will be posting the full reports from all of us tomorrow. There were a few wildlife experts and even a lawyer in the group. Everything was coordinated by a lawyer and the production companies. When I presented to ALDF I spoke with the main person in charge of big cats in California for the Federal Dept of Fish & Wildlife Services and Attorney General for California. She agreed it was a major violation.

I later learned that the big cat rescue that she said would take her cats was actually dumping more aggressive lynx on her! Dorrie kept one in a very small cage because he said he was so violent. Who would dump an aggressive lynx on an old lady with health issues? When Dorrie dies they'll take her money and most likely euth her cats.

The below photos were given to me by Dorrie (Doris Louise Burrati Walsh February 3, 1939) who told me to share them any way I like. I am using them for non-profit comment under the fair use of copyright act.

Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing,

Below is the public address for "Lynx Lair." You see the house with a brown roof. Then you see cages covered in green tarp. That is where 22 cats lived, live.

Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing

Here is one of the complaints to USDA and DFG. I think USDA, DFG felt bad for her because she was so old. She would act like a sweet old lady until she started telling you the horrible things she did to the mothers and cubs. Then it was frightening. Her husband Leonard Patrick Walsh was also dying at the time. He was ex-police. He's since dead. This is why we only offered to help her. Then she started spreading outrageous lies about us.

Official complaint to CADFG and USDA
(address)
Subject of complaint:
Dorrie and Pat Walsh
The Lynx Lair
USDA 93-A-0106 Cust # 1861
Facility address: 18080 Tejon Dr
Tehachapi, CA 93561
home 661 822 5616
Work Address: 20733 South St. A,
Tehachapi, CA 93561
work 661 822 6704

In 2007 I received a report of animal abuse regarding large exotic cats owned by Dorrie Walsh
of the Lynx Lair. The report came from some of her neighbors. They told me she was keeping
large cats in small cages. I was told Dorrie gave tours in exchange for cash. I asked Dorrie for
a tour and was accompanied by her neighbor. I asked for permission to take photos and Dorrie
said “yes.”

I saw approximately 22 adult large exotic cats and three lynx kittens that day. I saw Eurasian
lynx, Canadian lynx, bobcats and threatened fishing cats. They were all declawed except the
kittens. Some were limping, could barely walk, others were pacing from boredom or growling,
lunging.

None of the cats had toys or enrichment. She told us it was a hassle to clean up. They only
had plastic children furniture and an igloo in their enclosures. The fishing cats only had one
small water bowl, no water feature.

All of the cages were maybe six feet tall maximum when DFG code states they must be at
least eight feet tall. The enclosures each contained two cats when the females were not pregnant.
If the female was pregnant, she cut the cage in half to separate male and female of each
pair. The cages were not large enough. Not all enclosure areas had double doors.
Dorrie told me she had all of them declawed. I asked her "isn't it illegal to declaw big cats
nowadays?"* She said it is illegal but she does it anyway.

Dorrie then showed us and let us play with three lynx kittens. She told me they will be declawed.
One was going to a local zoo. She also let us pet and take photographs with her Eurasian
lynx.

While I was there Dorrie told me that she broke her hip while working with a bobcat the previous
year. She also admitted to being bitten many times. She showed us her scars.
I asked her what she will do when she gets older. She said her kids didn't want the cats so she
didn't know what she would do.

(I gave her a $100 bill as I left)

January 2011 some friends of mine wanted to see Dorrie's cats. They said they could help
place her cats, help her with caging and enrichment for the cats. I called up Dorrie and asked
for another tour. January 17, 2011 we all paid her a visit. I asked her if we could take photographs
and videotape. She said “yes.” We videotaped our tour.

This time there were only 22 big exotic cats. The two endangered fishing cats had died, so had
others. In the meantime she's taken in three new cats in the last two years. All of her cages
were full. All of these new cats had been declawed within the last three years. Dorrie admitted
she had declawed these cats against the law.

We witnessed the larger cats limping, having problems walking. They were laying on their
sides on the ground. The two Eurasian lynx could no longer climb up or jump. Their igloos
were on the ground. There were no ramps or cat walk for them.

Two smaller lynx were constantly pacing. They'd worn out the floor where they paced. Others
were growling, lunging at Dorrie and us through their cages. One Eurasian lynx was trying to
bite Dorrie. Dorrie told us she was bitten a day earlier and showed us the wound.

We asked Dorrie again what she will do when she can no longer care for the cats. She is 72
years old with medical conditions. Her husband is dying. She told us she stopped breeding
them this year. She said the Cat House in Rosamond agreed to take all of the cats.

Violations witnessed.

1. The cages are too short. They are maximum 6' tall when they should be at least 8' tall.
2. The cages are too small.*
3. There are no toys or enrichment.
4. Animals are showing aggressive and neurotic behavior.
5. Dorrie has a permit to breed only from the USDA. She's been exhibiting them for years without
an exhibitor permit. She's even taken them to the Cat House to give a public presentation
walking her Eurasian lynx on a leash. She lets people hold and pet them besides take photos
with them.
6. Dorrie has a permit to possess and breed only from the CADFG. She's been exhibiting them
for years without an exhibitor permit. They are not being exhibited in a safe manner.
7. Dorrie never had DFG permits for a caracal or the fishing cats. She only has permits for
Eurasian and Canadian lynx, and bobcats.
8. Dorrie has buried all of the cats that have died in the last 35 years on her residential property.
Animals may only be buried in Cemetery zones after being properly prepared for health
reasons.
9. Dorrie declawed some of the cats after the 2005 and 2006 declaw ban. She declawed at
least eight of the cats after the ban that we know of.
10. Dorrie's vet must inspect her facility every year and sign off on her USDA permit. Her vet
did not note the illegal declaws or lameness. We believe her vet may have done the surgeries.
Page 2
11. Dorrie lied to her medical doctor every time she was bitten by her cats. She told them she’d
merely fallen.
12. Dorrie can no longer safely care for these big cats. It is a threat to her safety and that of the
public.
13. Dorrie does not have a kennel permit with Kern County Animal Control.

*CADFG minimum caging requirements for Eurasian lynx 200 sq.ft, 8’ tall, Canadian lynx/
Bobcat 80 sq.ft. for one, 120 sq.ft. for two, 8’ tall.
**It's been illegal to declaw big cats in California since January 2005. It's been illegal for USDA
permittees to declaw any animal since 2006. If a USDA permittee is found to have declawed a
big cat after these dates, they would lose their USDA permit.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Mary Cummins
President
Animal Advocates
http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us
Rio Hondo Police Academy
San Diego Humane Academy
CADFG permitted wildlife rehabilitator
IWRC, CCWR, NWRA, EARS, HSUS NDART team"

This was one complaint I sent. Others in our group sent more. So did our veterinarians. They offered to help with the cats. Dorrie refused.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

Monday, June 19, 2017

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Thursday, August 11, 2011