Federal US Arrest Warrant for Kiwi Animal Dealer

PETA Investigation Prompts Federal US Arrest Warrant for Kiwi Animal Dealer

Now Fugitive, Owner of US Global Exotics Presumed to Have Fled to New Zealand

Auckland — Just months after a PETA US undercover cruelty investigation led to the seizure of more than 26,000 animals from the now-defunct US Global Exotics, Inc. (USGE), former USGE owner and New Zealand citizen Jasen Shaw, who is wanted by the US federal government, is now on the run. Shaw is under investigation for smuggling, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting—all of which are violations of the US Lacey Act, a wildlife protection law that is enforced by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Shaw is believed to have fled back to New Zealand in an attempt to escape prosecution in the US. PETA US has just released investigative video footage that has never before been seen by the public. As part of their business, USGE also imported wallabies from New Zealand.

"Federal wildlife laws protect species from overexploitation and ensure humane transport of live animals in trade," said Special Agent-in-Charge Nicholas Chavez, who oversees US Fish and Wildlife Service law-enforcement operations in the Southwest. "We appreciate PETA's help with this case. We were able to take the information PETA used to secure the seizure of the animals, launch a separate investigation of US Global Exotics' import practices, and document multiple violations. While most importers comply with wildlife protection laws, this company did not."

"For years, US Global Exotics was hell on Earth for animals, but now its owner is on the run," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "We commend the US Fish and Wildlife Service for taking swift and decisive action, and we hope that this case puts the notoriously cruel international animal trade on notice."

USGE was a multimillion-dollar business that bought and sold hundreds of thousands of animals a year and counted among its customers wholesale dealers that supply animals to pet stores and pet store chains. Evidence gathered during PETA US' seven-month investigation was shared with local and federal US law-enforcement officials and resulted in the largest cruelty-to-animals seizure in history. USGE stopped doing business immediately following the seizure. The company's license from the US Department of Agriculture has been canceled, and its Arlington, Texas, facility is up for sale. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Shaw or his wife, Vanessa, is encouraged to call the US Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement.

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