ANIMAL CONNECTION

I was so shocked to hear about this because I always had people call Justin if they had an issue with a wild animal.  I love Mixon Fruit Farm and thought Justin was doing the right thing.  A veterinarian I know very well always told me he had concerns about the animals in Justin’s care.  You never know who people really are.

This story needs to be told.  It is about abuse of an innocent creature. Whatever you think of snakes in general, and pythons in particular, you would at least have to agree they do not deserve this sort of treatment.

(JUSTIN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH A THIRD DEGREE FELONY AND WILL NOT HAVE A LICENSE IN FLORIDA AGAIN.)

A Florida wildlife trapper who owns a wildlife rescue company has admitted that his highly publicized capture of a 14-foot python last month was staged.

Justin Matthews, the owner of Matthews Wildlife Rescue in Manatee County, bills himself as a wildlife expert and recently partnered with Mixon Fruit Farms in Bradenton, Florida, to found a wildlife refuge.  The stated mission of Matthews’ joint venture is to “rehabilitate injured wildlife for release back into the wild, and to promote education, appreciation and respect for wildlife.”

Not Much Respect for Wildlife

Matthews, however, has a not-so-funny way of showing his appreciation and respect for wildlife, or his inclination toward their rehabilitation.  According to reports, Matthews purchased the reptile legally more than a month ago from a shop.  He then placed the snake in a concrete pipe in Manatee County near a supermarket and a day care center.  But not before planting rumors of a python sighting in the area and pretending to find a “belly track” near the drain pipe.

While onlookers, firefighters and members of the media crowded around on July 25, Matthews staged a phony battle with the female python while it hunkered in the concrete pipe.  As part of the so-called rescue, Matthews struck the snake in the head with a stick a number of times.

Justin Matthews later gave a statement to the media in which he insisted he staged the capture as an educational public service, to draw attention to the fact that there are so many pythons on the loose in Florida.  However, his excuse lacks credibility.  He initially lied to state investigators about the incident, maintaining that the incident was a true capture.  And his claim materialized only after the media exposed the capture as a ruse.

The incident makes one suspicious of Matthews’ other publicized wildlife captures, including the 2008 capture of a 13-foot python in the same town.

Matthews Deserves an Animal Cruelty Charge

At the least, Matthews could be charged with failure to microchip the snake as required by Florida law.  However, prosecutors should consider charging Matthews under Florida’s animal cruelty statute, which provides that any person who “unnecessarily . . . torments . . . any animal . . . is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.”  Animal is defined in the statutes as “every living dumb creature;” thus, snakes are included within the meaning of “animal” for purposes of the Florida animal cruelty statute.

Justin Matthews’ crime fits the elements of the statute in that he unnecessarily tormented the python by placing it in the drain pipe and staging a “rescue” during which he beat the reptile about the head.

Misdemeanor cruelty to animals in Florida carries a punishment of up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Sweetie can Feel Pain

After the dramatic “rescue,” Matthews named the snake Sweetie and has been keeping her in one of his exhibits.  Sweetie, like all snakes, is capable of feeling pain.  According to the Venomous Snake Research Center, scientists are discovering that pain perception in reptiles is more advanced than previously thought.  Therefore, Sweetie felt the blows to her head.

She did not deserve the treatment she received, and the State of Florida should investigate this incident thoroughly and prosecute Justin Matthews appropriately.
**** Follow up from a viewer:

HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH A THIRD DEGREE FELONY AND WILL NOT HAVE A LICENSE IN FLORIDA AGAIN

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