Feds probe county fair over illegal turtle prizes
August 8, 2004
By SUSAN EVANS, TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT NORTHERN CAMBRIA BUREAU
Turtles and Tortoises Under Four Inches Banned in US for Years
CRESSON - A Cresson mom and her toddler were excited when they won
eight goldfish at a carnival game, because they could trade them all
for one tiny turtle.
Trouble is, that little creature is illegal in Pennsylvania and the
girl is heartbroken she can't keep her new pet.
Now, state and federal officials have stepped in, The
Tribune-Democrat has learned. The Cambria County Fair's midway
operator is under investigation for illegally transporting turtles
across state lines - and distributing too-small turtles as game
prizes.
Cathy Nadolsky thought it was just a harmless day at the fair when
it was in town the first week of September.
She and daughter Kiana, 3, brought home their prize turtle and
started shopping for its food and a cage.
But an Altoona pet store owner delivered the scary truth:
A turtle that small is illegal to sell or distribute as a pet, and
it could carry salmonella bacteria that could make Kiana and her
mother, who is eight months pregnant, very sick.
Nadolsky took the turtle to a veterinarian in Ebensburg, where it
remains, awaiting its fate.
Now, she's furious she and her daughter were put in this situation.
"Of course, it's scary to think of the salmonella threat, but the
worst part is that my daughter was so upset. That's what makes me
the maddest," Nadolsky said in a telephone interview.
"She cried and cried when we took the turtle away. We told her that
the turtle had to be with its mommy, and she said, 'But I'm the
turtle's mommy now.' "
State officials say Nadolsky did the right thing by reporting the
incident, and by turning the amphibian over to a vet.
"Turtles under 4 inches in shell size cannot be sold or transported
across state lines, and the reason is salmonella," said Richard
McGarvey, state Department of Health spokesman.
"It was noted that finding a particular type of salmonella in young
children meant you could almost always go to a pet turtle for the
source," said McGarvey in a telephone interview from his Harrisburg
office.
"Little kids pick up the little turtles, handle them and play with
them, and then put their hands in their mouths," he said.
"With larger turtles, like the 4-inch or bigger ones, small children
cannot pick them up. We have seen a substantial decrease in
salmonella in that age group since the ban on small turtles," he
said.
Salmonella causes a gastrointestinal illness, which includes nausea,
fever and diarrhea. It can be debilitating to the very young, or
seniors, and occasionally is fatal.
McGarvey said his agency is pursuing the issue with the game
operators.
"We did get a complaint about the Cambria County Fair and turtles
being given as prizes, and we're trying to get to the game owners,"
he said.
While the American Legion Recreation Association owns the
fairgrounds in Ebensburg and runs the annual fair each year, the
midway rides and games are contracted to North Carolina-based Powers
Great American Midways.
The company left Ebensburg on Sept. 7, and was headed to another
state, personnel at the fair office said.
A message left with Powers' telephone answering service was not
returned.
The red-eared slider was the original five-and-dime store turtle
until the sale of juveniles and hatchlings was banned by the federal
government in the 1970s. An adult pair will require a sizable
aquarium, 75 to 100 gallons.
McGarvey said he was surprised the carneys were not aware of the ban
on transporting turtles across state lines, and the state's ban on
sales of small turtles.
"We've contacted the FDA (federal Food and Drug Administration) and
told them that the company has left the state," he said.
So what happens now?
McGarvey said state officials will not confiscate anyone's pet.
"We're not going to come to the home and take the pet," he said.
But he issued this caution to those who won the illegal turtles:
"We encourage anyone who got a turtle at the fair to make sure they
practice good hygiene, especially by washing their hands after
handling them."
If the turtles have been turned over to a vet, they cannot be sold.
But there's no obligation to destroy them, either, he said.
At Ebensburg Animal Hospital, where Kiana's little turtle is in
temporary custody, the staff said they saw the game at the fair and
questioned the operator about the turtles.
"She just said, 'Oh, I don't know anything about it,' " a staff
member said.
"We have the turtle here, and we're not going to put it to sleep,"
she said.
At Gearhart's Pet Store in downtown Ebensburg, workers said they
were surprised that anyone would sell or give away small turtles
these days.
"Turtles can be sold in Pennsylvania, but they have to be 4 inches
in shell size. If they're hatchlings, it's illegal to sell them
unless for scientific purposes," said a worker.
Employees at Gearhart's and other pet stores in the area, like
Gittler's Aquarium & Aviary in Johnstown, stressed the importance of
hygiene.
"You can get salmonella from almost any animal. Remember to do what
your parents told you to do: Wash your hands," said the Gearhart's
worker.
McGarvey said that, if the veterinarian or his staff want to keep
the turtle, they can.
"We're going after the game owners, but not private citizens who
have the turtles," he said.
For answers to questions, adoption forms, information sheets and other
information, call American Tortoise Rescue at 800-938-3553. American Tortoise
Rescue can be found online at
www.tortoise.com.
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