MARGATE, Fla. — An exotic animal exhibitor who was shut down in New York is now attempting to bring his controversial animals to South Florida.
He plans to host sloth encounters in Margate, but he faces plenty of obstacles not limited to just permits and licensing.
That man, Larry Wallach, showed up to the May 6 Margate City Commission Meeting with a sloth in his arms.
Animal activists are outraged that anyone would attempt a sloth encounter after the atrocities that just took place in the transport of wild caught sloths from Peru to Orlando, which caused the death of 55 sloths.
“Commissioner Tommy Rizzano brought in a guy in with a sloth, just seemed incredibly tone-deaf considering what just happened in Orlando,” said James Wildman with Animal Rights Foundation of Florida
Added animal activist Ana Campos: “The last thing that we need is a Sloth World in Broward County. Nothing like that should ever open up here.”
Plans ended for the now defunct Sloth World after 55 sloths were killed due to improper housing in a warehouse without heat, water, humidity or electricity.
“It just blew my mind that we learned nothing from what happened in Orlando and that they are even considering it,” said animal activist Ronald Roberts.
Margate City Commissioner Joanne Simone spoke publicly against Wallach’s plan to bring his wildlife adventures business to her doorstep.
“I personally do not want this store to open up in Margate, it’s unfortunate that this is happening in our city,” Simone said.
Wallach’s proposal for his new storefront was denied at the meeting due to code related issues, but he was told he can resubmit.
PETA has filed local and state complaints while working to keep his business out of Florida.
“For years he’s disregarded city ordinances, court orders and even federal animal welfare laws in order to exploit sloths and other animals,” said Amanda Brody with PETA. “Larry Wallach has a decades long rap sheet of over 60 animal welfare violations from the (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and he has been cited by them for improperly caring for sloths.”
After first not wanting to talk with us, the Animal Advocate team was invited inside for a sit-down with Wallach.
“They want to say violations, they are absolutely inspection reports. If I had 60 violations, like bad, I wouldn’t have any animals,” he said. “50 some odd years, 60 violations, I could live with it, broken hose, water bowl.”
And then there is an undercover video of his sloth encounters store in Long Island that was filmed by Humane World for Animals showing what could have been a dangerous situation.
Wallach downplayed that too.
“She was bopping Chewbacca on the head, and I’m going to tell you right now that did not hurt him, the only way we got them apart was me grabbing him by the nape of the neck and moving him,” said Wallach.
His New York location was shut down by the courts, which may be the reason he wants to make a move to Margate.
“Brick and mortar is closed,” he said. “Because I wasn’t zoned for that at that location.”
Wallach says he plans to renew his USDA license for the South Florida move.
There is no denying Wallach is a character. He claims he loves his animals and he does not believe in the bad publicity he has been receiving, but at a time when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is cracking down on sloth imports from the wild, and many sloth species are endangered or threatened, he claims his are merely exotic pets.
“Not one (came from the wild),” he said. “I get them from breeders.”
No evidence was provided to that end, but he did show Local 10 scrapbooks containing 50 years of his life spent with animals. It’s not a done deal that his life will continue with them here in the Sunshine State, though.
“There’s still a chance the Margate commission could vote no,” he said. “There’s a chance for everything, but I could always go to Loxahatchee, which is designated agricultural. I can do whatever the hell I want.”
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