My name is Darika Saekow and I am the creator and owner of DD's Plants and Pets. I sell indoor tropical plants for a living, and my specific niche is specializing in plants for reptile enclosures, as I own a few species myself. I run this small business full time along with my partner Luis. We have both quit our 9-5s and have invested our life savings into building this brand from scratch. For many years, we have been selling out plants at pop-ups, and for the past 3 years, we have focused on selling mostly at reptile shows. My partner and I have built a reputation on being able to guide customers into finding the perfect plant, based on reptile species and environment, all due to our personal first hand experiences.
On January 2025, while vending at a reptile show in California, I personally witnessed an act of animal cruelty and abuse. I decided to document everything I witnessed throughout the whole day. It started from when I noticed that the vendor next to me, arrived late on Sunday morning. I went over to look at the animals they were unloading, and saw a dead bearded dragon on it's side, with it's mouth gaping open and eyes sunken in. From then on, I decided to keep an eye on what the vendors were doing throughout the show. I am not the only vendor to witness this. During the show, I saw the vendors continuously shake containers and tap them, and then throw the inside contents in the trash. My partner and I decided that we will go through the trash bins after the show. However, after the show, another vendor beat us to it. That vendor ripped open a trash bag left behind at the booth next to me, because they noticed an animal trying to claw it's way out. When the bag was ripped open, many dead reptiles that included monitors, snakes, dragons, geckos, frogs, tarantulas, and other species, were found. To our disgust, while another group of vendors went through checking each animal to find signs of life, animals that were still alive and breathing, were found under all the dead bodies.
Upon learning from an insider that this incident wasn't handled by the reptile show promoter, I decided to post what I witnessed on my personal instagram page. However, after an estimate of 24 hours, I was banned from 18 reptile shows, that include the Reptile Super show, Central Valley Pet & Reptile Expo, and the Sacramento Reptile Expo. I was not given any specific reason to my ban, other than "inappropriate social media posts," so I decided to air out the proof of the abuse on my business page. A few video examples can be found on my instagram or facebook page: @dds.plants.
After releasing these videos, I have faced death threats, online harassment, doxxing, bullying, threats to my family, and even a lawsuit from the vendors who tossed the animals in the trash. I am currently fighting that lawsuit on my own financial terms. I have been hesitant to ask for financial help, for the past 6 months. Doing shows have been my main source of income, and due to these bans, it has been tough for my family and I to afford our bills and rent. At one point, we also had our car repossessed. Due to the stress of this situation, I have also been in and out of the hospital and have been diagnosed with severe hyperthyroidism.
I am currently creating a gofundme because there has been a secondary lawsuit that has been submitted by the reptile super show online. The lawsuit is allegedly blaming me for the loss of ticket sales. In order to fight a second case, I need funds to help with lawyer fees, money lost due to being kicked out of shows, and cost of travel to where I am being sued. I am currently being sued in the state of Florida, and with this potential upcoming lawsuit, will be sued in the state of California.
Anything helps, even if it is helping us get the word out and sharing this!
Thank you so much for your time and reading. I will always speak up for the animals.
Love,
Darika Saekow, DD's Plants & Pets.