GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — On Sunday, deputies with the Kent County Sheriff's Office showed up to a home on East Amber Dr. SE for what they thought would be a fairly straightforward domestic dispute. After they arrived on scene, they were tipped off about a case of potential animal neglect going on inside.
Deputies, along with Kent County Animal Control officers, ended up seizing 27 live reptiles from the small home— pythons, boa constrictors, corn snakes, tree snakes, a tarantula, a Tegu and an Apricot Pacman frog.
They also found and took ten dead snakes.
The homeowner was not arrested on Sunday, and still has not been charged criminally with anything.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said Wednesday that his office has not yet received the case.
“There isn't a specific law in regards about how many reptiles one can have," Sgt. Eric Brunner of the Kent County Sheriff's Office told FOX 17 earlier this week.
"However, based on a totality of circumstances, the condition of the home, if there is health and safety issues, because of feces, dirt, kids in the homes, that is then where it potentially crosses the line.”
Once Animal Control finishes their investigation, the prosecutor's office will decide whether or not to file criminal charges.
FOX 17 sat down with a former girlfriend of the man at the center of the investigation, who lived in the Gaines Township home for about two years.
"He called it his hobby. He would cry when I told him it was interfering with our lives,” the woman explained.
"When he started his small collection of animals, I was like, 'I cannot help you with this. This isn't going to be something I'm going to do for you.'"
FOX 17 has agreed not to identify the woman, who shares a young child with the homeowner.
"He would buy in bulk... baby ball pythons or baby corn snakes. He would buy any snake from Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist," she said.
"I stuck it out so long. I was so patient, and it just got worse and worse and worse."
She described their home quickly becoming filled with reptiles of all sorts, placed in small plastic containers, and stacked one atop the other.
“There was little lizards and things that need to eat every single day, and I was like, 'you know, Google says these need to eat every day, and I don't see you feeding them,'" she recalled.
"He was like, 'I promise I'm feeding them every day, don't worry about it.'”
The reptiles were taken to John Ball Zoo to be evaluated medically.
“At this point, we are committed to providing them the immediate care that they need here," Ryan Colburn, DVM, told FOX 17 on Monday.
"We'll be working with the Kent County Sheriff's Department as they go through the legal steps of the case, and that will really end up dictating the timeline.”
There have not been any charges authorized against the homeowner as of Wednesday.
Sgt. Eric Brunner told FOX 17 this week, "I'd say the biggest concern is the neglect aspect. We have people living in the home, children in the home and deceased reptiles.”
The man's ex-girlfriend doesn't believe he is concerned about the possibility of facing criminal charges in the case.
“I think a lot of his issue is lack of care and lack of...he just forgets about them, because they're not important enough for him to remember to feed them or to take care," she said.
"He doesn't understand his own capabilities, because nobody would have that many animals and expect to be able to feed them and take care of them.“
