A recent ‘Exotic Pet Expo’ in the North East Valley has caused community uproar as allegations of false advertising and animal abuse pour in from community members. Organiser Amelia Seales, who has run the event twice before, has firmly denied any wrong-doing.
The expo, held on the weekend of July 5th, had been advertised as an educational event fit for a fun family outing for just $8 per person. The Facebook event page read, “Our Expo is a great chance for you and your kids to come and learn about the different introduced exotic pets found around NZ.” The page promised reptiles, aquatics, amphibians, birds/poultry, mice, rats, chinchillas, rabbits, cats, and guinea pigs. One attendee told Critic that there were no chinchillas to be found, with “the most exotic animal being a munchkin cat.”
The under-delivery of promised exotic species was just the tip of the iceberg. A student who had been invited to run a stall on the day told Critic of her disappointment at the poorly organised event. Arriving on the first day of the expo, they said they had assumed that the relatively empty warehouse meant the event was behind on set up. “Lots of the tables [were] just empty second-hand tanks for sale, presumably so that the place doesn’t look as empty,” said one Facebook commenter.
“It never really improved throughout the day,” the stallholder told Critic. “The event was held in a large shed with a concrete floor and was extremely cold. I was wearing boots, wool socks, wool tights, three layers on top, a jacket, gloves and a hat and I was freezing, there was no heating.”
Much of the community concern has centred around the mistreatment of animals witnessed by attendees, claiming the animals were “clearly very stressed”. The stallholder said, “There were several black plastic bins, each with several large turtles in them, open for people to touch and grab. I witnessed people pull them out of the water, hold them under the water and a child get bitten by one.” The stallholder felt “upset and disturbed”, feeling “awful” for advertising the event to their customers. They did not return for the second day of the expo.
Speaking to Critic Te Ārohi about the flak she has received, Amelia said, “I’m honestly gutted. After the expo I went home and cried. I’m kind of numb to it now […] it’s been really tough and definitely not the way I wanted the expo to turn out.” Continuing, she said, “Most of the comments being said about me are not true […] I am very passionate about my animals, I spend hours every day caring for them. If people actually got to know me they would know I’m very passionate about animals.”
Amelia claimed that no negative feedback was given in person at the show. Instead, she pointed toward the fact that the majority of feedback was circulated online, by people who “don’t like” or have “personal vendettas against” her. Community members expressed intense frustration that Amelia seemed to be deleting feedback on the Exotic Pet Expo Facebook page, one questioning why she would “delete the reviews if [she had] nothing to hide?”
Despite Amelia’s claims that no negative feedback was given in person, Critic was referred to an audio recording of an attendee approaching Amelia and another staff member to request a refund. In the clip, the attendee complains of “people poking cats through cages” and the mistreatment of reptiles. Amelia responds by asking the complainant's name, asking if they were the “bitch making posts about me on Facebook,” and saying, “You’re not getting a fucking refund off of me, you can fuck off.” According to other sources, Amelia believes that the clip has been edited.
One community member, Rosa*, told Critic Te Ārohi that while Amelia had previous run-ins with the community, things “truly escalated within the community when she started her store, ‘Scales, Feathers, Fins and Fur’. Not only was it incredibly unhygienic and malodorous, but the animals were also left in horrifically cramped conditions.” Rosa explained that some of the animals were left to roll in their own waste, while members of the public were encouraged to come in and handle them. The store has since shut down, but not before a dog attack occurred due to mishandling, allegedly landing a 14-year-old employee in hospital.
The matter is now in the SPCA’s hands, with numerous reports having been made after the event. When asked for comment, Inspectorate Team Leader Jamie Hancock said, “SPCA has received seven complaints from individuals concerned about animal welfare relating to this event. As inquiries are underway no further comment is available.”