At Roy’s Aquarium, complaints led to fixes, until this summer

Complaints of unsanitary and inadequate conditions at a Beaufort pet shop now under investigation for cruelty to animals have been coming in for years but had each time been addressed by the business, according to complaint records and county officials.

That cycle changed this year when complaints this spring and summer resulted in a days-long search of Roy’s Aquarium on Ribaut Road starting July 18, triggered by allegations the previous day of a sick reptile. The search resulted in the seizure of hundreds of animals from the store over the next four days. The animals have been taken to a temporary facility for care and medical treatment, according to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

Earlier reports this year included one from April 29 alleging a “really bad” smell of ammonia and poor living conditions for birds in the back of the store. Another from March 6 complained of “horrific conditions”:

“Dead turtle decomposing in aquarium. Dirty fish tanks also. Snakes and lizards in bad shape. Gerbils and rats in awful conditions. Insects everywhere. Urine smell overwhelming.”

Prior to 2017, complaints acted on by the Beaufort County Animal Shelter and Control resulted in improvements in the business, according to files the county provided in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet.

The office provided records of three complaints in 2016, one in 2015 and two in 2014. All were addressed with the business and the problems were corrected, according to the reports, confirmed by Animal Control Director Tallulah Trice.

Among patrons’ complaints:

▪ September 2016: “Smell is unbearable, rodents eating rodents, can’t see in the aquariums, birds looked stressed and unclean.”

▪ April 2016: “Smells musty, roaches in cages, a lot of feces, dirty bowls, birds are kept in the dark.”

Other reports described living spaces too small for various animals and a dead reptile inside a tank on display.

When a complaint is received by Animal Control, the individual or business responsible for the animals is given time — the amount varies depending on the issue —to correct problems, Trice said. Animal Control then inspects for compliance. The primary goal is to help people comply, she said.

“Our job is to educate first before seizing animals or pursuing charges,” she said.

No charges have been filed yet against Roy’s Aquarium as a result of last week’s search, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Bob Bromage said Tuesday.

This story was originally published July 25, 2017 at 3:37 PM with the headline "At Roy’s Aquarium, complaints led to fixes, until this summer."