A sloth visits Brooklyn and gets into trouble with the city’s health department.
A Long Island man who recently abandoned his “sloth encounter” business in the Town of Islip following a lawsuit from local authorities is now facing fines after he allegedly brought the exotic South American animals into Kings County.
Tattoo shop Haven Studios was fined $500 for a visit on Dec. 8, while wildlife exhibitor Larry Wallach was issued a citation for bringing in animals without a permit and has a hearing scheduled for July 2, according to the city health department.
Haven Studios denied the incident, claiming that information about the sloth visiting their location was “totally inaccurate”, despite a photo posted on Instagram of the owner holding the sloth and expressing gratitude.
Other social media posts showed there was also a baby kangaroo.
The Instagram post was removed after The Washington Post inquired about it.
“We have no affiliation with Larry Wallach,” the studio told The Post.
Wallach claimed he had no knowledge of the incident.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.
He plans to resume Sloth Encounters.
“We will be opening a new store in a new location. I can’t tell you the location. Construction is underway. Permits have been obtained and advertising will begin within the next four to six weeks,” he said.
But Wallach hasn’t given up on the fight in Islip.
“What was done was really horrible, and it was done based on prejudice and anti-Semitism,” he claimed. “All I know is that I was in business for two years and a whole lot of people were happy. The only people who weren’t happy were the animal rights people.”
“All my animals are happy and healthy and it will be fantastic when we reopen,” he added.
“Keeping exotic animals in tattoo shops or other unregulated locations is dangerous to the animals and possibly to people,” a Department of Health spokesman said.
