"Upon entry, it was a very horrific scene," said Gregory Musser, the Animal Control supervisor with the St. Joseph County Sheriff's department. "The smells were unbearable."
MICHIGAN -- A Mottville couple is under arrest Thursday night for keeping exotic animals in their house.
Wallabies and flying squirrels are just two of the types of wild animals they were keeping illegally.
Authorities are working to remove the animals from the home, saying the conditions there are deplorable, and deputies are concerned about one animal in particular.
Wallabies, flying squirrels, exotic raccoons, and a monkey. Those are just some of the more than 20 animals kept at the Mottville home.
"I was in there one time, probably the first year they lived here. They had a giant cat, I think it was either from Africa or India," said neighbor Jerry Willings.
Jessica Achberger and her husband are facing charges of animal cruelty, and owning the exotic animals without permits.
Authorities went through the house Thursday, making the discoveries after a concerned neighbor called animal control.
They had seen the wallabies bouncing in the backyard. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department, the couple owned a pet store in Indiana, and that's where the animals came from.
"We were told by them they had to close their store, and that they were trying to keep all the animals here, and they intended to keep them for themselves as pets," said Josh Shook, with St. Joseph County Animal Control.
Deputies say the animals were living inside the house in deplorable conditions. Authorities tell us most of the critters seem to be in good health, expect for the monkey, which could be carrying diseases.
"We're concerned about its welfare, and the fact it hasn't had any medical attention in a very long time. Monkeys that aren't maintained properly can carry diseases harmful to humans," Shook said.
Authorities are working with local zoos to find the animals a temporary home.
The accused couple could be in front of a judge as soon as Friday.
(WWMT - Jan 28, 2016)
It looks as though Anna Morrow and Jessica Achberger had moved their pet store, Downunder Reef Pet Shop, from Granger, Indiana to nearby Elkhart, Indiana a few years back and mistakenly thought that because they had USDA licenses to breed and sell exotic animals that the USDA license would protect them from Elkhart local ordinances which prohibits the sale and ownership of exotic animals. Maybe they thought they could open the pet store in Michigan? Either way, it's way too many animals for just two people to care for properly.
Elkhart pet shop may violate exotic animal ordinance (Aug 4, 2013)
Anna Morrow said they were told that their USDA license overrules local ordinances, but according to a USDA official, that is not how the license works.
Tanya Espinosa, public affairs specialist for the USDA’s animal and plant health inspection service, confirmed that Downunder Reef does have a license to breed and sell exotics. However, people who hold USDA licenses must abide by state, county and city laws, Espinosa said.
Jonathan Long, deputy city attorney for Elkhart, also said there is no permit that allows pet shop owners or residents to sell or keep exotic animals in the city of Elkhart.
“It’s against city ordinance to harbor any exotic animals,” Long emphasized.
A local publication has brought a new pet shop into question. Downunder Reef Pet Shop is new to Elkhart and concerns are being raised about if they're complying with city ordinances when it comes to the animals they house.
Owners Anna Morrow and Jessica Achberger say they are doing everything right to their knowledge. Downunder Reef is new to the area, but they aren't new to the business.
"We're doing the same thing that we've done in the last two years, it's just in another city," says Morrow.
Questions have came up about if this new pet shop is complying with city codes on their animals, but these owners say they've met all city requirements. "Our ducks are in a row, we've always taken the provisions to making sure we have the licensing," says Achberger.
FOX28 talked to the city's law office about this. They confirmed that the pet store has proper licenses for running a pet shop in Elkhart. Deputy city attorney Jonathan Long says, "Both the police department and the city are aware of the potential of exotic animals."
"We breed and sale savannah cats and Bengal cats and sugar gliders," says Achberger.
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