NHS responds to criticism following the removal of animals from "Scatter Joy Acres," which also included a citation.
Using a search warrant, animal control officers seized non-domestic animals found at the location, including a coatimundi, a porcupine, and patagonian mara.
“Non-domestic animals can be a danger to the public,” the response states, noting that “the last coatimundi purchased in Douglas County attacked its owner and put her in the hospital, and that porcupine quills can cause serious injury if startled."
6 News reports NHS said it has received “numerous complaints” regarding certain animals housed at "Scatter Joy Acres."
Wednesday’s response detailed three such instances in recent months:
---A call from a government agency in April about a raccoon that had been caught in the wild and was on display in an “unsecured enclosure” prompted a visit from NHS, which also informed the owner that porcupines weren’t allowed at the facility, according to city laws.
---NHS said another caller in May was concerned about “a transport of dogs arriving at Scatter Joy Acres,” which the owner said was part of the facility’s dog rescue operations, though there was no application for a permit that would designate it as an animal rescue facility.
---In August, a government agency’s inquiry once more prompted another NHS visit, at which time the porcupine was found to still be at the facility, along with other non-domestic animals, which the owner said were purchased at an animal auction.
(picture courtesy of 6 News)