Hundreds of Parakeets Left to Die, Others’ Heads Ripped Off at Local Breeder. Authorities Fail to Investigate, Why?

For Immediate Release:
August 27, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

“Does no one in Okfuskee County give a damn about animals?” That’s the question PETA is asking as the local Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office refuse to investigate multiple violations of Oklahoma cruelty-to-animals laws at Creekside Birds—a massive parakeet-breeding operation near Paden with over 10,000 birds caged on the premises—more than three months after a PETA undercover investigation resulted in the discovery of thousands of confirmed federal Animal Welfare Act violations and PETA presented evidence to them all. Today, PETA has sent a letter to District Attorney Max Cook and Assistant District Attorney Ray Penny, Jr., calling on them to request the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s (OSBI) assistance in the case.

PETA notes that its investigator handed two declarations, photographs, and video footage captured inside Creekside—including of staff ripping off birds’ heads and throwing live birds to the ground, leaving sick and injured birds to suffer with no veterinary care, and packing birds into severely crowded, feces-filled cages—to the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office on May 18. Despite federal officials corroborating PETA’s findings during their inspection of the facility, local authorities have stonewalled PETA and the press, and have taken no action to address the violations documented at the bird mill.

“Thousands of parakeets are in danger of being killed and are suffering in  severely crowded cages caked with feces inside Creekside Birds while Okfuskee County authorities twiddle their thumbs,” says PETA Vice President Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on Max Cook and Ray Penny to stop stonewalling and bring in the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to help put an end to this cruelty if they won’t or can’t.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Cook and Penny follows.

August 27, 2026

The Honorable D. Max Cook, District Attorney

Ray Penny Jr., Assistant District Attorney

Office of the District Attorney, District 24

Dear Messrs. Cook and Penny:

On behalf of PETA, I respectfully urge you to request assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) in investigating cruelty to birds at Creekside Birds LLC (Creekside), a parakeet-breeding facility in Okfuskee County. PETA has attempted for more than three months to ensure that this cruelty will be appropriately investigated, yet we have no reason to believe that any such investigation is being pursued. Therefore, the only investigatory path forward appears to be with OSBI’s aid.

On May 18, an eyewitness who worked at Creekside submitted a declaration—as well as video footage and photographs that she had captured there—to the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). The eyewitness saw and documented that Creekside’s co-owner and staff did the following:

·        Willfully crushed birds’ necks, ripped off their heads, threw them to the ground, and said that they shot them with a BB gun to kill them

·        Willfully deprived birds they had identified as sick or underweight of veterinary care to prevent those animals’ suffering (In many cases, these birds died.)

·        Willfully and fatally deprived a bird with an injured face of veterinary care to prevent her suffering

·        Willfully deprived birds of a clean environment and adequate space, instead keeping them in severely crowded cages with accumulations of feces, dust, dead birds, and other waste

On May 18, OCSO staff advised the eyewitness that no officer could take her complaint that day or on any of the four following days. Instead, the eyewitness was told to submit a voluntary statement, which she did. We then delivered to your office, Mr. Penny, the declaration, video footage, and photographs—as well as expert statements from veterinary professionals who had reviewed the eyewitness’s video and confirmed that the documented acts had caused these animals severe and unnecessary suffering.

The actions and failures at Creekside clearly violate 21 OK Stat § 1685, which states that “[a]ny person who shall willfully … destroy or kill, or cruelly … injure … any animal … or deprive any such animal of … veterinary care to prevent suffering … shall be guilty” of cruelty to animals. Accordingly, PETA asked the OCSO to seek a court order allowing investigators to enter Creekside and remove animals found neglected or cruelly treated, pursuant to 21 OK Stat § 1680.4 (B)(2). PETA also asked that the OCSO file felony charges.

After PETA made nine unsuccessful requests to communicate with OCSO Sheriff Amber Gaskins, I returned to Okemah on July 16 and spoke with OCSO Undersheriff Justin Snelson. He had told me on May 28 that the OCSO had not assigned anyone to investigate this matter, 10 days after the complaint and evidence were submitted. On July 16, Snelson said he “reviewed” PETA’s submission but admitted that no one from OCSO had even tried to visit Creekside in response. He expressed doubt that the evidence constituted probable cause to obtain a search warrant—even after I reminded him that it includes video showing Creekside staff tearing live birds’ heads off and throwing them to the ground in failed attempts to kill them. Snelson admitted that he did not discuss this question with you. He then referred me to Mr. Penny.

On July 28—following nine failed attempts to reach you, Mr. Penny—I spoke with you about PETA’s concerns regarding OCSO’s response. You declined to provide any information and told me that the May 18 submission of evidence and voluntary statement gave neither the eyewitness nor PETA grounds to expect any “flow of information” on any investigation that had—or had not—been conducted or whether you had or would consider filing charges.

PETA asked OCSO on May 18 to request OSBI’s assistance with investigating Creekside. Undersheriff Snelson gave me no indication that the OCSO had done so. On July 16, Mr. Cook, you told me that you would consider doing so. The need for such action now is abundantly clear. Given OCSO’s abject failure to probe painstakingly documented, systemic, violent, and fatal cruelty to animals, we respectfully urge you to ask that OSBI assume responsibility for this investigation. OSBI Investigative Division Director John Jones has assured me of the agency’s willingness to review a request for assistance in this matter. Absent OSBI’s help, you cannot make a properly informed prosecutorial decision on how to proceed.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden

Vice President of Legal Advocacy