Sioux City Journal

Exotic animals seized from Sioux City home

1:15 AM

By Alicia Ebaugh Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, January 26, 2007

Sioux City police responding to a call at a near northside home Thursday afternoon found more than they had expected -- an assortment of exotic animals.

Officers discovered more than 30 animals inside a home at 15th and Court streets, said Sioux City Animal Control owner Cindy Rarrat -- including a 12-foot-long snake weighing about 80 pounds and an alligator. Officers called animal control workers around 4 p.m. to report the animals, which they found while on the unrelated call.

There were a few "normal" animals, Rarrat said, including dogs, scorpions and lizards, but some of their other finds were exotic -- and illegal to have within the city limits.

"Snakes like boa constrictors and ball pythons aren't allowed, and neither are alligators," Rarrat said of some of the animals found in the home. "If someone turns you in for having one, they (the animals) will be seized, so before you purchase animals you should make sure of the city's rules and regulations regarding them so they don't end up in a similar situation."

Workers carried the assortment out in plastic Tupperware boxes, stacking them into the back of truck. The animals' owner, who wasn't named, surrendered the animals to workers peacefully, Rarrat said.

"I'm sure he just likes those kinds of animals; that's why he had so many," she said.

Now Animal Control will need to make room in its already-full facility for 25 aquariums to hold the exotic animals until they are able to find them good -- and legal -- homes.

"We may contact area zoos to see if they want some of the banned animals," Rarrat said. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens after we process all of them ... it'll definitely put extra stress on our staff and building for a while."

Story Comments

Poor Kids wrote on Feb 9, 2007 4:40 PM:

" I saw on the news that there are 2 little kids that live there as well. That's just wrong. "

SL wrote on Jan 29, 2007 6:14 PM:

" I don't live on the northside but who needs to have the cops there 24/7 when you have snakes and alligators. I wouldn't go near that house. I still don't understand what the big deal is with what side of town people live on. Like there isn't crime on all sides of town. "

Stupid..... wrote on Jan 29, 2007 3:27 PM:

" WHO IN THE WORLD HAVE A SNAKE OR A SNAKES,ALLIGATOR. THE COPS NEED TO BE ON THE NORTHSIDE 24/7 BECAUSE IT IS SO STUPID OVER THERE. "

Stephanie Hansen wrote on Jan 28, 2007 12:56 AM:

" I would like comment to the person who said it's because of where they live. You and the city need to get off your high horses and worry about more important like education, drugs and violence. Instead of what side of town you live on or how many animals you have. "

Stephanie Hansen wrote on Jan 28, 2007 12:52 AM:

" I also think that it is funny that Animal Control is asking for a new shelter. What better way to prove that a new facility is needed then to go into a home of animals that animal control already knew were there. It is my understanding that they knew about the animals for several months and were fine with it. I think that animal control is trying to set a example of this family. They are doing so to benefit themselves with a new facility not to benefit the animals that were taken. One of the dogs that were taken from the home was adopted from the Humane Society. She was almost starved to death. When she was taken from her home Thursday she was at least 20 pounds heavier. I think that they are better off being in their home where they belong. Not in cages being sprayed with cold water and fans blowing on them or sleeping in their own feces. And not being starved to death because minimum wage workers don't really care what happens to these animals just as long as they are getting their paychecks. "