TOWN OF SALINA -- A woman who had more than 40 reptiles seized from her rescue shelter says almost all of the charges against her have been dropped.
Diana Sleiertin, who runs MaxMan Reptile Rescue in Jordan, says in addition to the charges being dropped, most of her animals have been returned to her.
Last October, the SPCA took the reptiles, saying they were living in dirty and cluttered conditions. Sleiertin said the accusations were not true, and she has been taking care of reptiles for the past 15 years.
"We've had thousands of people come see us," says Sleiertin. "They've seen how wonderfully happy and healthy these animals are. That's not going to change."
Sleiertin says she has gotten 26 of her animals back from the SPCA. She says she took several of them to the veterinarian Thursday to get checked out.
Sleiertin thinks the allegations were brought against her by disgruntled volunteers, and they’re looking at how they can restructure the operation and move forward.
SPCA Executive Director Paul Morgan says Sleiertin agreed to plead guilty to a violation. Morgan says he's not happy with the agreement. He says he would've liked to see Sleiertin plead guilty to a misdemeanor, and he would have liked fewer animals to be returned. He says investigators found animals living in improper conditions and needing medical care.
"We're not going to arrest someone for nothing," says Morgan. "You need photographs, and you need documentation. You need proof that neglect was going on, and we had all that."
Morgan also says Sleiertin has to pay $975 for the SPCA's care of the lizards, when it actually cost the SPCA $4,000-$5,000 taking care of the lizards.
We contacted the district attorney's office and were told the prosecutor that handled the case was unavailable for comment.
Original story from October 2010:
The Central New York SPCA is taking care of some new and unfamiliar animals.
Last week it seized more than 40 reptiles from the MaxMan Reptile Rescue in Jordan, citing deplorable living conditions. It comes after the SPCA says it received numerous tips calls.
"The conditions inside were dirty," said SPCA Executive Director Paul Morgan, "Dirty floors, garbage, boxes (all) around, clutter and so forth. Not something the animals should be living around."
The owner of the rescue, Diana Sleiertin, said she's been caring for reptiles for the past 15 years and was shocked to find out the SPCA would be taking her animals. She said the accusations stem from disgruntled former volunteers, adding her name is being dragged through the dirt for no reason.
Morgan, meanwhile, was quick to admit when it comes to reptiles, Sleiertin is one of the most knowledgeable in area and fully equipped and capable of taking care of them. However, he said this time Sleiertin just got in over her head.
"I think she's trying to do the right thing," said Morgan, "I think what the problem is, is that they get overwhelmed. They get to the point where they get too many animals and it comes to the point where they don't want to give up any animals--but then they get into a situation where they're just overwhelmed with everything...it's just too much."
Sleiertin dismissed that notion entirely, saying she's actually been turning down animals recently because she knows she wouldn't be able to handle them.
In the meantime, the SPCA is looking for temporary housing for the reptiles while the legal process plays itself out. The two sides will be in court in early November.
