Fish Haven owners Clive and Kerry Faggotter to stand trial over animal cruelty at their store

The owners of a northern suburbs pet shop are set to face trial over serious allegations of cruelty to animals at their store as an animal advocate protests against the same place.

An online video protesting against a northern suburbs pet shop self-dubbed “Australia’s largest aquarium and reptile centre” has gone viral as the owners of the store await a Magistrates Court trial on five animal cruelty charges.

In the TikTok video, reptile enthusiast Crystal says she will be protesting against Fish Haven at Para Hills on October 1 on the Parliament House steps.

The video was posted on Wednesday and has been shared more than 600 times, been liked 7000 times and received almost 1000 comments.

It was also shared to popular online forum Reddit, where a further 100 comments were made, many of them about experiences at the pet shop.

Crystal, who chose not to use her surname, told The Messenger she had been granted approval by the state government to carry out the protest.

Kerry and Clive Faggotter, the owners of Fish Haven at Para Hills. Picture: Facebook

“I just felt the need to protest so more people can know about the allegations against the owners of the shop,” she said.

“That way when people drive past they are aware of (the allegations).

Crystal said she was a reptile welfare advocate and focused on increasing awareness about the care of the less commonly domesticated animals.

The owners of Fish Haven, Clive and Kerry Faggotter, were in 2020 charged by the RSPCA with several animal cruelty charges.

The Middle Beach couple failed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on the charge in December 2020, and the matter has continued to process through the court since then.

Court documents viewed by The Messenger showed the charges Mr and Mrs Faggotter related to three snakes, a bearded dragon and a rat – animals kept at the Para Hills store.

TikTokker Crystal has been approved to protest a northern suburbs pet shop. Picture: TikTok

Two lizards clamber on a Fish Haven employee. Picture: Facebook

The RSPCA alleged the couple ill-treated a Moriela jungle jag python by failing to care for a neurological condition stopping the animal moving and feeding normally.

The same python also suffered a respiratory disease and was allegedly found with snake mites and faeces near its eyes, according to the court documents.

The documents showed Mr and Mrs Faggotter were alleged to have also ill-treated two other snakes, a second Moriela jungle python and an albino carpet python.

Their ill-treatment also allegedly extended to a rat and inland bearded dragon, both of which had to be euthanised, the documents showed.

Mrs Faggotter ran as a Liberal candidate for the state government Playford in 2010, but was heavily defeated by longtime Labor MP Jack Snelling.

At the Faggotter’s last court date in May they did not appear in person, but were represented by defence lawyer Michael Lloyd.

Later, they entered pleas of not guilty.

Their trial is set to start next month.