[FEL-L] Wild Animal Orphanage Investigation

[Gary Breuckman]

Regarding the story that Brian posted about, below, here is a
video link for the news broadcast.

I know that sometimes these links change, but right now
it does work.

http://www.woai.com/mediacenter/?videoId=320880,565

-- Gary Breuckman


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Werner" <tiger1 at tigerlink.org>
To: <felines-l at catbox.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 4:09 PM
Subject: [FEL-L] Wild Animal Orphanage Investigation


> Wild Animal Orphanage Investigation
>
> LAST UPDATE: 11/8/2006 9:47:43 PM
>
> Posted By: Maritza Nunez <mailto:markpipitone at woai.com>
>
> <http://woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=DA82DBF9-54AA-4A0A-8639-9A7AECC7C0BF>.
>
> Their job is to protect wild animals, but tonight the News 4 WOAI Trouble 
> Shooters are breaking news of an animal sanctuary here under 
> investigation.
>
> Over the years, the Wild Animal Orphanage in northwest Bexar County has 
> rescued many animals from certain death.
>
> But that facility is now being investigated by at least two powerful 
> agencies, one of which is looking into possible violations of the Animal 
> Welfare Act.
>
> "Mistakes are probably being made." Mistakes that could be putting some 
> wild animals in danger, according to Kristina Brunner, a former board 
> member of the Wild Animal Orphanage.
>
> For ten years, Brunner volunteered there, until last December when she saw 
> something she couldn't believe.
>
> "I even told one of the workers, this monkey is not going to survive if he 
> doesn't get heat right away," said Brunner.
>
> Concerned about the conditions, Brunner says she snapped pictures back in 
> December when we had freezing temperatures. The pictures show small cages 
> with monkeys inside, a wet concrete floor, and plywood leaning against the 
> cages to keep the freezing winds out. Brunner claims some of the monkeys 
> subjected to these conditions later froze to death.
>
> "How many of the monkeys froze to death?" asked News 4 WOAI Trouble 
> Shooter Tanji Patton.
>
> "I have records showing over five. But five, for sure, died," answered 
> Brunner.
>
> Outraged at what she saw, Brunner left the board and filed a number of 
> complaints against the sanctuary. Both the state and USDA are now 
> investigating.
>
> Carol Asvestas, who runs the orphanage, denied our request for an 
> interview. She referred us to her lawyer, Bill Aleshire. He calls 
> Brunner's allegations "outrageous and vengeful."
>
> When Patton asked about the allegations, Aleshire answered, "I don't know 
> what the conditions of those monkeys were and I don't know that these 
> monkeys were in those cages and neither do you."
>
> Aleshire later admitted the monkeys died, but not from the cold or the 
> conditions. He says they all had blankets and claims they were suffering 
> from other health problems.
>
> Late Wednesday, the Trouble Shooters received two inspections performed by 
> veterinarians affiliated with the Wild Animal Orphanage. They show the 
> conditions of the animals to be adequate for South Texas winters.
>
> We traveled to another wildlife refuge, this one in Kendalia, to see how 
> it protects animals from the cold.
>
> Lynn Cuny operates Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia. When it 
> is cold outside the animals there stay warm inside heated buildings.
>
> "As you can feel, it's already warm in here," describes Cuny.
>
> We showed the photos to Dr. Craig Brestrup. "Obviously, there's a lot of 
> space between the plywood and the cage."
>
> The City of San Antonio appointed Brestrup to temporarily run the city 
> pound for the summer. He's currently Director of Development at Wildlife 
> Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia.
>
> "If these are, in fact, the cages the way they were the nights it froze 
> back in December, was that adequate protection for those animals?" asked 
> Patton.
>
> "Would you or I like to be in there if it was freezing? No, there's no way 
> in the world that could be adequate," answered Brestrup.
>
> While the USDA investigates the monkey deaths, the state (Texas Commission 
> on Environmental Quality) is investigating what it calls two animal burial 
> pits located in remote area of the Wild Animal Orphanage. An area that 
> houses many animals, some of which are primates infected with H.I.V. and 
> hepatitis.
>
> When asked how many animals were buried in the pits, Aleshire responded, 
> "There were scores of animals over the last several years."
>
> State investigators cited the Wild Animal Orphanage for burying animal 
> remains without the proper permits and they have asked for the dead 
> animals' health records.
>
> "There were no animals that would have been where there might be any issue 
> about any disease that were buried there," said Aleshire.
>
> "If you have that documentation, why wouldn't you make it available?" 
> asked Patton.
>
> "We'll make it available to the regulatory agencies that are entitled to 
> see that information and whose job it is to see that," replied Aleshire.
>
> The Trouble Shooters obtained a letter from the Wild Animal Orphanage to 
> the state (TCEQ), admitting the dead animals' remains "may be in a 
> floodplain" and stating the facility plans to "remediate the site by 
> removing the carcasses and depositing them in a permitted landfill."
>
> The USDA and TCEQ investigations are ongoing. We'll let you know what they 
> find.