Daniel Kopulos with a black-capped Lory. Photo via Fauna.
Police in Weston, Connecticut charged Daniel Kopulos, who owned the now-closed Fauna pet store on the UWS, with cruelty to animals on Tuesday, according to the Weston Forum. Hundreds of dead or malnourished animals were found at Kopulos’ property in Connecticut last month. His first court date is Oct. 24 in Norwalk Superior Court.
Statute 53-247(a) “Cruelty to Animals,” applies to “any person who… overworks, tortures, deprives of necessary sustenance, fails to supply any such animal with wholesome air, food and water, mutilates or cruelly beats or kills or unjustifiably injures any animal…”
A first offense is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment of not more then one year — or both.
Weston Animal Control Officer Mark Harper said he is glad the case is proceeding and “we’ll see Mr. Kopulos in court.”
$1,000 maximum fine is less than what he would have sold one exotic bird for. This is not acceptable “punishment” nor is a minimum 1yr cushy prison sentence. Leave him in a bird cage with no food, water or toilet paper for a month.
Not much of of a punishment for such serious charges.
He should be fined and p <t in prison.
He must be suffering from some form of mental illness.(Hoarders do) He was always helpful when I spoke to him in the store about my birds. Thank goodness the animals were found and saved.
He is/was a very nice guy who spent his life caring for and studying animals. Something’s gone wrong for him. I have one of his birds, and a long-standing habit of patronizing his stores. As horrible as it is, what happened to those poor animals in his home is not how he is; this is a good person undergoing a tragedy and involving innocent creatures while doing so. Hope he gets help.
Still sad about this. I read the article that said there was a Kookaburra found in his house among many other birds. I remember that kookaburra so well from Fauna! I hope he gets the help he needs but what he did to those animals won’t be reflected in even the maximum sentence.
“but what he did to those animals won’t be reflected in even the maximum sentence.”
…pushing for a stricter sentence that he might get, before he goes to trial is a new one
Honestly, how many dead or starving animals must you find in someone’s home before you find them guilty? Of course this deserves a more serious punishment.
Who said anything about a trial…it’s HIS home..of course he’s guilty. He needs help, sadly it’s too late for those animals.
His defense: that parrot is not dead.