Category: North America

Trouble at Boise, Portland, and Austin aquariums

Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  October 2013: (Actually published on November 20,  2013.)

BOISE,  Idaho––A new Boise Aquarium management team headed by former Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce president Nancy Vannorsdel has pledged to ensure that alleged mistreatment of animals at the aquarium will not be repeated.  Vannorsdel told KTVB reporter Matt Standal that she wants to add “a couple of very,  very strong marine biologists to sit on the board,”   to ensure proper animal care. Read more

Blackfish bites, but SeaWorld isn’t tanking

Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  October 2013: (Actually published on November 20,  2013.)

ORLANDO––SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc on November 13,  2013 reported partial recovery from a year-long attendance slide,  plus record third quarter revenue of $538.4 million. The financial data cooled speculation that the July 2013 theater release of the award-winning documentary Blackfish might have marked the beginning of the end of profitable marine mammal exhibition.  Blackfish had won increasing critical acclaim since debuting at the Sundance film festival in January 2013. Read more

Virginia humane society fined for recording released feral cats as “adopted”

Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  September 2013: (Actually published on October 8,  2013)

PORTSMOUTH––The Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has fined the Portsmouth Humane Society $1,250 for releasing sterilized feral cats,  who were recorded in the PHS shelter tracking records as having been adopted by executive director Jenn Austin and four other staff members. “I felt that these cats were not legitimately adopted and remained in the custody of the facility,”   VDACS veterinarian Dan Kovich told Tim Eberly of the Virginian-Pilot. “State investigators,  tipped off by a former employee,  issued three violations last month to the Portsmouth shelter,  which has the contract to serve as the city’s animal pound,”  Eberly wrote.  “Austin acknowledged that she and her staff have been personally adopting feral cats and releasing them for about a year and a half.” Read more

Cherokee elders move to close infamous reservation bear pits

Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  September 2013: (Actually published on October 8,  2013)

CHARLOTTE,  North Carolina––Eastern Band of Cherokee tribal elders Amy Walker and Peggy Hill on September 23,  2013 served notice of intent to sue the operators of the Cherokee Bear Park for violating the federal Endangered Species Act if the resident bears are not transferred to a suitable sanctuary within 60 days. “The Cherokee Bear Zoo is an open concrete grave for these intelligent animals.  They must be moved from this despicable facility to a place where they’ll be cared for,  not abused and neglected,”  Walker told Mitch Weiss of Associated Press. Read more

1 2 3 4 5 6 … 321