Statement re Adams County Sheriff’s Office’s news release on ‘Pet’ Trade Dealer Investigation

For Immediate Release:
December 12, 2014

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office’s (ACSO) news release attempts to justify inaction, despite the mountains of fresh evidence that PETA provided to the ACSO more than 10 weeks ago and again this week documenting thousands of animals in imminent danger of death from starvation, dehydration, untreated injuries, drowning in flooded enclosures, and other ways—all in violation of Colorado’s animal-protection laws. The sheriff’s office has ample evidence to secure a warrant and file charges and would have only itself to blame for any destruction of evidence, since it didn’t act in tandem with the Thornton Police Department as it had pledged to do in early October. Also, the raid on Jurassic Pets alone would have tipped off the perpetrators. PETA intends to cooperate fully, but time is going by, and immediate action is required of ACSO. Every additional minute wasted on ACSO’s part leaves countless rats, mice, and other animals in danger.

— PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations, Daphna Nachminovitch