Former puppy shop staff say West Kelowna budgie hoarder changed into widely recognized – West Kelowna Information

A former Kelowna puppy shop worker has come ahead after the BC SPCA took ownership ultimate week of just about 100 budgies following an animal coverage investigation in West Kelowna.

Madison Pausch tells Castanet she labored at PetSmart in Kelowna between January and September of 2019.

”He changed into referred to as ‘chicken man’ or ‘budgie man’ relying on who you requested,” she mentioned, explaining he would come into the shop each and every social help cheque day to shop for “tons” of chicken seed.

“And extra steadily than no longer, any other budgie or two.”

Pausch tells Castanet she and several other different staff turned into involved for the welfare of the birds being bought, ”we begged control of PetSmart not to allow us to promote to him as it’s inside their coverage that if we imagine an animal isn’t going to an appropriate house, we’re allowed to refuse a sale.”

Pausch says a puppy shop budgie prices between $10-35 and the person would steadily pay for feed and the birds with exchange.

“All people operating in puppy care knew he changed into a budgie hoarder and at one level he bragged about having over 200 budgies. Now not handiest that, however he mentioned how he’d stay about 20 budgies no less than in a cage at a time.”

Every other former PetSmart worker tells Castanet the similar guy would are available in nearly weekly to shop for budgies, “a number of body of workers individuals and control had observed him panhandling in West Kelowna, he may slightly come up with the money for meals or facilities for them.”

The opposite former worker says she referred to as the SPCA to record the placement.

“The parent changed into no longer in a position to handle such numerous birds correctly, leading to a large number of well being and sanitation problems,” mentioned Eileen Drever, senior officer, coverage and stakeholder family members for the BC SPCA, in a information unencumber pronouncing the seizure of the birds.

The BC SPCA declined to remark when requested about how one particular person can come to possess such a lot of birds.

“We would not have the ability to remark at the moment as that is an open report, however it no doubt is difficult when a psychological sickness like hoarding is concerned – our function is to alleviate the misery of the animals however we even have compassion for the person as nicely. This is a unhappy state of affairs throughout,” mentioned BC SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk.

For her phase, Pausch says she reached her snapping point after taking her issues to PetSmart control.

“They pressured us to promote budgies to him. It were given to the purpose the place 4 people in puppy care all refused him at some point when he got here in to shop for extra budgies as a result of we had been in poor health of it. At that time, inside about 5 months of operating there, I had witnessed him acquire no less than 20 budgies, however no cages or some other provides rather then meals.”

“When he complained to control, all of us stood our floor and instructed the puppy care supervisor on the time that if she sought after to promote him budgies so badly that she may. She boxed them up and bought them to him all whilst he triumphantly smiled,” says Pausch.

Castanet reached out to PetSmart for remark however have no longer gained a reaction.