Charges Against Exotic Zoo Owner Dropped, Animals To Be Returned

Javon Stacks is no longer charged with animal cruelty, so hundreds of his exotic animals that were confiscated last year can be returned.

But not all of the animals survived.

All of the charges against Stacks, 37, an exotic zoo owner of Romulus, were dropped on Thursday (October 29). Charges stem from a 2019 incident in which Romulus police raided Stacks’ strip mall storefront where he kept the animals, WXYZ reported Friday (October 30).

Stacks was charged with animal cruelty, abandonment and neglect. He was apparently accused of running a “bootleg zoo,” according to MLive.

Stacks said of his 500 animals that authorities took, about 300 of them survived. Stacks had kangaroos, a peacock, an Arctic fox, hedgehogs, a 16-foot-long python and other animals, according to WXYZ and MLive.

"Now what I want to focus on is getting my animals back to my zoo safely with me, and start building my life back together, Stacks said.

Photo: Getty Images