Midvale • Salt Lake County animal-control officers on Wednesday seized dozens of exotic species from a Midvale warehouse where a well-known animal rescuer is believed to be storing them.
Authorities started taking inventory of the animals on Tuesday. They include venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, alligators, lizards and dozens of turtles.
Animal control staff took 60 animals from the warehouse Wednesday, said spokeswoman Callista Pearson. The haul included turtles, tortoises, chameleons, snakes and lizards.
Another 26 animals — including rattlesnakes, other poisonous snakes and alligators “that don’t belong” in Utah — were seized by the state Division of Wildlife Resources, Pearson said.
(Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) This rattlesnake is one of 60 animals taken by Salt Lake County animal-control officers after they learned they had been left in a warehouse in Midvale. The more exotic animal were seized by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The believed owner, Jim Dix, is said to be in the hospital.
The animals are believed to have belonged to Jim Dix, a plumber and self-taught zookeeper whose Reptile Rescue Service cares for homeless creatures.
The state previously has seized more than 100 animals belonging to Dix, including wolves, foxes, coyotes and raccoons.
(Steve Griffin | Tribune File Photo) Jim Dix holds a monitor lizard that he nursed back to health and now lives in his reptile rescue shelter he operates out of his West Valley City home Friday, April 29, 2011. The rescue facility houses approximately 500 animals ranging from snakes to alligators to lizards and snapping turtles. Dix acts as a valley-wide varmint catcher and home zookeeper, while also touring local animal shelters to collect reptiles on the verge of being euthanized. By his own estimate, he helps save about up to 700 animals a year. His is among several west-side homes that will be bulldozed by state road officials to clear a path for the Mountainview Highway corridor, with work on the Salt Lake County portion set to complete by fall 2012.
Pearson said that two weeks ago, the agency took 150 of Dix’s animals from a location in Magna and has since been working to find adoptive homes for them.
Business owner Zach Workman told KUTV he agreed to let Dix store the animals at the warehouse for a few days, but that was weeks ago. The station reports Dix is currently believed to be in the hospital.
This isn’t the first time Dix has had issues related to housing his zoo. In 2011, he was forced from a place in West Valley City and relocated to a building at 543 W. 400 North in Salt Lake City. Dix landed the location after months of searching.
Dix has not been charged with any crimes, but Pearson says they’ve been investigating him for months.
— Tribune reporter Mariah Noble contributed to this story.