We need your help regarding Bob Coughlin of Binghamton, New York please!

[Zeus9699]

Hi all.  My name is Mark Rosenthal and I own and operate Animal Magic, a non-profit exotic animal rescue/educational facility located in Michigan.  Bob Coughlin of Binghampton, New York contacted me in October 2009 asking if I had an dead animals.  He said that he worked at a research facility with access to a large indutrial freeze-drier.  He said it cost over $100,000 and that he is allowed to use it for free.  I happen to save all my exotics that die, either from old age or because they couldn't be saved when we rescued them.  I had 2 freezers full.  I usually sell them to a museum in Colorado, but Bob, the nice guy that he claimed to be, said that he would freeze-dry everything for free and send them back to me to sell (with all the money to benefit our rescue), as long as he got to keep a few of them for himself.  I sent him 4 giant boxes filled with very rare animals.  I even paid for the shipping.  I contacted him a few days later and asked if he would send me back a few of the monkey-tail skinks that I sent him because I needed them for someone else.  I never received anything and he stopped answering my emails and phone calls.

The last email I received from him (BobsWildLife@aol.com) is dated 11/1/09. Here is what is said, word-for-word:

Hi Mark.
My address is Bob Coughlin
331 Brooks Road
Binghamton, NY
13905
Oh by the way Mark,
I'm also interested in the bushbaby!

Bob

I have tried to contact him numerous times, with no success. I just hired an attorney who found him on this site. It seems like he can be prosecuted for grand larceny, becasue of the large amount involved. We are building a case against him right now and would like anyone else that he has screwed over to please contact me. You can reach me at (313) 819-5719.

Thanks you all in advance for your help. The money received from the animals that were supossed to be returned from him would have gone directly into our non-profit organization. We are really hurting right now and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

[coonhollow]

I'm a hour from there keep me posted on how you make out I went to school with a now state trooper down that way maybe I can find him to see if he still works that area.

[Doug Bridges]

Mark,
I hate to say it, but it sounds like you got what you paid for. Terrible story to hear. I hope it all comes out in the end. Maybe you would be better selling directly those specimens that you have and can sell.
There is a great person for freeze dry in Michigan. Cathy Huntley near grand rapids is a very reputable person. The catch is, it won't be free for you. There are also many good taxidermists in Michigan that may be interested in specimens. Not to mention around the country. It just may be a bit more easy to sell the specimens in MI.
Doug

[Light Rail Coyote]

That's horrible! I hope it all works out for you.

[Zeus9699]

Thanks to everyone who either called or emailed us regarding this scumbag.  He WILL get whats coming to him.  I just received an email from a state trooper who lives right by him, and he said he will help us out.

Thanks again and have a great weekend..all!

Mark
Animal Magic

[Bob Coughlin]

 Mark,

       Just thought I'd drop by and straighten some things out for you. First of all. I haven't heard a word from you, nothing, not a phone call, email, letter, nothing.  
   The next thing is I don't work for any "reasearch facility" that has a $100,000 freeze dryer. I work for a taxidermist who has one and he charges me for anything I put in it.    
    Now the last thing. The last thing I have is the prehensile tail porcupine, which is in the freeze dryer as we speak. It'll be coming out within the next couple of weeks.

         Now I've got some things to say to you. If you have tried to call and you don't get an answer, its because I work for a living. I leave the house at 4am and get home after 5 pm. I don't have a business here. I work for 4 other taxidermists. Have you tried calling after 5 or maybe on the weekends? If so you would have gotten a hold of me. Also you seem to have my email address, why haven't you tried contacting me that way. If you have, I'd love the opportunity to see copies of them....... but as you know, they don't exist.  I saw no reason to contact you until I had all the work done.  The gentleman I work for allows me to use his machine. I put pieces in with his work. There is now way I could just take over his machine. I put the pieces in a few at a time. If you know anything about freeze drying you know that it does take time. As I said earlier, the last thing to be done is the porky. It'll be out of the machine this month.  I will contact you as soon as its out. The rest of the stuff is boxed and ready to ship.

     Also, you shipped two boxes not four.  I still have the boxes. And your right, you did pay the shipping. I was doing the work for YOU, why would I pay the shipping? And you'll pay for the shipping back.  You will also be getting some stuff back that couldn't be done. Actually, it was done........by you. Some of the stuff was already "freeze dryed" after sitting in your freezer for 10 or so years just as you told me.

       Bill, thanks for the heads up on this.

          

          


      

[Zeus9699]

Bob, first off, why have YOU not contacted me if these animals were ready and the last contact between us was in 2009?

I have left too many messages to count on your answering machine, that is, if the number you gave me is correct.  I don't want to give it out here, but the last four digits you gave me are 6242, and a woman's voice is on the answering machine.

Also, I gave MY personal phone number out here, which you obviously saw, and decided to post a reply to try and clear your name, instead of calling me immediately to say there must have been some kind of miscommunication.

You didn't do this for free, as you stated.  You told me you were keeping some of the animals for your time and I said that was fine.

The last thing you told me was that you were shipping a bunch of the monkey tail skinks back to me and I never received them, nor anything else, for that matter.

Again, if this truly was a miscommunication, then I apologize.  Please call me at (313) 8198-5719 to clear this up.

[Bill Yox]

He posted it here because I asked him to. Theres too many of these types of posts lately, and I feel that if one party is going to put it up, the other party gets to respond in kind. Hopefully you two can continue your exchange privately...and successfully. Good luck.

[Zeus9699]

Hi Bill.  Thanks for letting me know that you talked to him and had him post here.  He has my phone number and hasn't called me.  I didn't think he would.  Seems like you were able to get a hold of him.  He chooses who he wants to talk to.  I very clearly listed my phone number, and he obviously read my post when you alerted him.  Wouldn't you think, if he was honest about his post, that he would have either emailed or called me???

Just wondering.

Mark

[Zeus9699]

Hi again everyone.  I'm still asking for your help regarding Bob Coughlin of Binghamton, NY.  I last posted about what he did (or didn't) do for me last January and I still haven't received anything.  He sent me two emails after I posted negative things about what he did to me.  Here is the first one that he sent on January 22, 2011.  Here is what he wrote (word for word):

Mark,
 
    Got the porcupine out of the freeze dryer yesterday. All I have to do is get a base ready for it. I'll be getting the things shipped out this week. At the latest, early next week.
   Bob

and here is what I wrote back the next day:


Hi Bob.  Thanks for getting back to me, I really appreciate it.

Mark

I never received anything from him (I was dumb and trusted him again).  He then sent me another email two months later on March 5.  Here is that one:

Sorry Mark.
We've had all kinds of crap going on here. Roof leaking, Wifes cars head gasket blew among other stuff. I haven't had a chance to finish up the base on the porky. I'll send some photos today to show you some off the stuff.
  Bob
 

and here's what I emailed him the same day:

Thanks Bob.  I look forward to seeing everything.

Mark

That's the last correspondence I've had with him.  I'm tired of trusting people and getting screwed.  There are more than enough good people in the animal industry but there's also some bad apples too.  I don't know what to accomplish by posting this, but I have nothing more to lose.  He has thousands of dollars worth of my animals and I have nothing in return.

Thanks for any help any of you can give me.

Mark Rosenthal
Animal Magic
www.iwantanimalmagic.com

[Zeus9699]

I've had two people on this site send me private messages saying Bob now has a reputation for doing this to people.  I don't want to say their names, since they contacted me privately, but if people could post here publicly then maybe a stop would be put to this guys poor business decisions.  I am out thousands.

Of course Bob hasn't contacted me or responded here.  He has had way too many chances.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark Rosenthal
Animal Magic

[taxos]

well, very nice reading guys. Welcome to the world of taxidermy!

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

well, very nice reading guys. Welcome to the world of taxidermy!

It is just not taxidermy, home improvement hacks out number us.

[Bill Yox]

I dont believe Bob is active on this site. You being local to him, offers you youre best bet to persue this legally. I wish you well.

[Zeus9699]

Thanks Bob, but I'm not local to him.  He lives in Binghampton, New York and I live in Detroit, MI.  It would be very hard (and costly) to pursue legal action against him.  I have a feeling I got screwed and I just have to deal with it.  Hopefully, by posting here, I'll alert at least one person who might be thinking about dealing with Bob Coughlin.

Mark Rosenthal
Animal Magic