NEWS // ZOOS
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hifting responsibility from one government ministry to the other means that what should be a simple matter of enforcing Alberta’s Zoo Standards often leaves those caught in the middle—the animals—in lonely, cold, isolated and deprived conditions. The standards came about in 2006 as a way for zoo inspectors to work from an established list of guidelines when inspecting the province’s seven zoos. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) administers the Wildlife Act and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) administers the Animal Protection Act. ESRD
checks for Section II of the Zoo Standards, which is related to things like animal identification, record keeping and public safety. ARD checks for Section III, which includes animal-care protocols such as how often the animals will be fed, housed and cleaned, and what enrichment they will be given. Permit renewals happen each March when ESRD investigates for Section II violations. ARD commissions the ASPCA to enforce the Animal Protection Act, but their investigations only deal
with an animal that is found to be in distress at the time of their investigation. They operate under compliance principles, which means that after pointing out a deficiency to a zoo, they give them time to address it. The removal of an animal would only happen if there was not time for the zoo to address the problem. “Our role is from an enforcement point of view, so it’s a reactive role,” says Roland Lines, communications manager with the ASPCA. “We don’t have access to the development plan and the permit, so we’re not inspecting against the permit. Our inspection is to see if any animals are in distress at the time that we attend. There’s certainly some value there, but it’s limited value, and the findings of that inspection has no i m pact o n
// Shawna Iwaniuk
VUEWEEKLY MAY 22 – MAY 28, 2014
permitting of the operation.” Under the Animal Protection Act, distress is defined as deprivation of adequate shelter, ventilation, space, food, water or veterinary care, or reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold, or if the animal is injured, sick, in pain or suffering, or if it is abused or subjected to undue hardship, privation or neglect. “So, obviously, the word adequate is in there, and undue hardship, so that’s where the judgment comes in,” Lines explains. The different measures of authority granted to the two ministries means that conditions noted by ARD or the ASPCA cannot be taken into account on reports by ESRD officers and vice versa. To top it all off, no one in either department or the ASPCA has the proper qualifications to examine exotic animals, although Lines says they do rely on the help of veterinarians with that expertise from time to time. One zoo in particular has been receiving unwanted government and ASPCA attention since even before the standards came into place. GuZoo, located in the town of Three Hills, received a zoo licence in 1987. Owner Lyn Gustafson had formerly operated a fur farm there and was convicted three times between 1992 and 1994 in regards to the zoo: twice for illegal trafficking and possession of exotic animals and once for failing to relieve the suffering of an animal in distress. In 1993, the president of the ASPCA called for his licence to be revoked. Each year since, official investigation reports and complaints from the public and animal-rights advocates have documented the filthy and inhumane conditions existing at GuZoo and still its permit continues to be renewed. ARD investigator Ed Turco says he has been called to GuZoo in the past to deal with the improper storage of carcasses. “He changed his operation from storing and taking in roadkill and carcasses from neighbours to buying live animals and then killing them—can’t think of a
nicer word—and then feeding them [to his carnivores]. So he doesn’t really have the storage issues he’s had in the past,” Turco says. GuZoo’s permit was temporarily revoked in 2006 after Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) made a report about conditions there, but Gustafson asked for a judicial review, saying he did not have enough time to comply with the new standards—although each zoo was given one year— and his licence was reinstated. “I don’t want to comment on the standards because I think the standards are good and I’m following them,” Gustafson says. He declined to answer questions about government inspections, complaints about GuZoo or a series of photos taken last summer by an animal rights advocate, showing GuZoo property strewn with rotting animal carcasses, maggots in food dishes, drinking water covered in algae, isolated animals, aggressive animals, small enclosures, lack of shelter and lack of appropriate fencing in some areas. Photographer Philip Shaw says he visited GuZoo 13 times between March and August of last year; two times he paid to enter and in August he was caught and charged with trespassing. The ASPCA told him the pictures he took were inadmissible because of the way in which they were gathered. “Every time ASPCA makes a file on a complaint and deals with the zoo, that should be, in my opinion, considered during re-permitting,” Shaw says. “If you look at my March pictures, that was the time they were doing the permit inspection. Corpses all over the property and they permitted that. It’s crazy. It says in the development plan that bone and hide need to be cleaned up daily and yet this is where ESRD is fucking up. But this is ARD’s job. ... That’s why GuZoo is allowed to neglect and have a corpse pile 10-feet-high, because the government doesn’t enforce Section III.” Carrier Sancartier, a public affairs officer with ESRD, says that, like all CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 >>
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has observed no signs of her being stressed except when she walks too fast and can’t catch her breath and licensed zoos, GuZoo is required to that, in lieu of having another animal renew its operating permit each year. for company, her keepers act as her “During the renewal process, ESRD herd mates. reviews zoo development plans, “They’ll make the argument that which take into account all parts of Lucy has bonded with her keepers and the Alberta Zoo Standards and looks she wouldn’t get along with other elat a zoo’s inspection history and any ephants, which is all crap,” says Stacie complaints received by our departLeppky of Voice for Animals. “They ment before a decision is made to said the same thing about Maggie in renew a licence,” Sancartier explains. Alaska. She bonded with her keepers, “GuZoo is operating under an updated she wouldn’t get along with other zoo development plan, which was elephants and when they sent her to required as a condition of its 2013-14 PAWS, she immediately bonded with zoo permit. The updated plan prothe other African elephants. Immedivides more stringent operating proceately. It was amazing. Pat Lampi was dures to address a variety of historic saying how she just knew right off concerns at GuZoo. These include the the bat how to approach them. She off-premise display, public contact hadn’t been around other elephants with wildlife/controlled animals and her whole life, but it was instinctual, animal care protocols [such as cleanshe just knew how to approach them ing cages and feeding.]” and she is thriving with them. So they Zoos do not necessarily have to have no leg to stand on when they say share the development plan with that she’s only bonded with her keepESRD every year unless changes have ers because they haven’t even tried to been made or they were deemed to see if she’ll get along well with other be non-compliant. Asian elephants.” Woodyer agrees that calling Lucy Zoocheck Canada has called GuZoo a “people elephant” is a crazy stateCanada’s worst roadside zoo, and the ment. “There’s no such thing as organization’s campaigns direca people elephant. Talk to the tor Julie Woodyer says GuZoo world’s renowned elephant is actually missing a key piece So they should get someone in there who really has a background working with experts and everybody will of paperwork required for its permit. She says there is no elephants. Rather than doing that, what they should really do is let us take Lucy down tell you the same thing: eltrace of a signed copy of Guto the PAWS Sanctuary where she could live the life that nature intended her to live. ephants are social animals and if they don’t have the Zoo’s development plan that company of their own species, was approved by the provthey will seek the company ince and that when Gustafson of another species, in this case their Woodyer says that Lucy the elephant elephants tested before they left here. at the grocery store.” wrote his plan, it was not sufficient in Lampi says none of the email pre- keepers, but that doesn’t mean it acmany ways, so the government told at the Valley Zoo is another example It’s just that it’s not readily available him it needed tweaking. But a copy of CAZA’s inadequacy in dealing with testing here. You’d have to bring in a dictions came true. In fact, the Alaska commodates their social need.” vet from the US and have them do it. Zoo is now doing better than ever of a final approved plan has never animal welfare. “We made a complaint to CAZA be- Fair enough, fine. We’d pay for that if with more people coming every year Voice for Animals and Zoocheck are surfaced. working with a legal team to find a “So if you call up the government cause they originally had a standard the zoo wants to do it, we just want to since it ended its elephant program. “I’m sure I lost a lot of hair and I’m way to get the Alberta Zoo Standards and say, ‘I’d like to see the approved that said you can’t keep elephants get Lucy diagnosed and healthy and in almost all grey now, but it was all well enforced. plan,’ they won’t be able to provide it alone because it’s not an appropriate a position where she can be moved.” “What we’re trying to do—and Mark Torjusen, acting communica- worth it because I don’t know if Magfor you,” Woodyer says. “I can tell you social group,” Woodyer says. “And that’s for sure because I’ve talked to then when we complained about Lucy, tion manager in the City of Edmon- gie would still be with us today,” Lam- we’re hoping that it will affect Lucy the bureaucrats who work internally instead of asking the zoo to accommo- ton’s corporate communications de- pi says. “She’s put on all this muscle as well—is we’re trying to get the zoo in there and they have told me that date the standard—either get more partment, says they haven’t begun from climbing up and down the rolling standards enforced properly for Guthey have not been able to acquire an elephants or move your elephant to looking for a new vet for Lucy yet, but hills and browsing in trees and swim- Zoo and we’re hoping there will be a be with other elephants—they said he knows she will be the last elephant ming in their little lake. It’s just a great domino effect because if they have to approved plan.” environment for elephants. You see enforce it for GuZoo, then they’ll have Woodyer says she believes it’s the ‘Well, it’s OK if you have them alone at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. “At this point in time, our primary that and I don’t know if there’s any- to enforce it for Lucy,” Leppky says. ASPCA’s responsibility to enforce so long as a keeper and a vet say it’s “The bottom line is we want the zoo the animal-welfare standards and get OK.’ Well, any keeper who works with concern with Lucy is her health con- body who would say that it was the standards enforced and we want Lucy ditions and we will continue to make wrong decision now.” some changes happening at GuZoo her would say, ‘Sure, it’s OK.’” Similar to Edmonton city council, to have an outside independent expert Woodyer says, in her opinion, the decisions in her best interest when it because it states in the Animal Protection Act that zoos must comply Valley Zoo’s late veterinarian Dr Mil- comes to her health and well-being,” the Alaska Zoo’s board of directors examine her, which the zoo absolutely refused to consider sending their el- refuses to do,” Tove Reece of Voice for with those standards and ASPCA is in ton Ness was not qualified to offer an he says. Barker doesn’t believe a word the ephant away. It took a long time for Animals says. opinion on Lucy as he had no prior excharge of enforcing this act. “We’re not asking them to pay for Valley Zoo says, as he implies they the board to even form a committee “Some of those things were appro- perience with elephants. to look at the subject and then 10 it,” Leppky adds, “it can be a joint discan’t stick to a story. priate social groups, clean water, fresh “That zoo, they say she’s in such bad elephant experts from around North cussion on who the outside vet is and food appropriate to the species. It Bob Barker, the former host of The wasn’t like they were asking to set up Price is Right game show, came to Ed- shape she can’t travel,” Barker says. America came to give their opinion. they can agree to who the outside vet natural habitats for every animal—it monton in 2009 to campaign for Lucy “The next day somebody says ‘We Nine of the 10 agreed she should be is. Really, you’d think they’d want to wasn’t that great. But it was at least to be sent to the PAWS Sanctuary in ought to get Lucy out of here, she’s moved, but the board voted to listen know what’s going on with her. If they could get someone in that they don’t that they would have their very basic, California. After helping the Toronto just not happy here. She shouldn’t be in to Oosterhuis and keep her. “At that time I was very disappointed have to pay for, why not? But they biological needs met by those stan- Zoo’s three African elephants make this zoo.’ And then they say, ‘Oh, she’s dards, and the ASPCA was expected the journey in October, he is still ea- completely healthy and completely and I did consider quitting, but I’m kind absolutely refuse every time. Before to enforce the standards,” Woodyer ger to see Lucy live out the rest of her happy.’ They have the two stories. One, of a stubborn person and I said, ‘No. the election I spoke to quite a bit of says. “But if you call the ASPCA, their days at PAWS—a more natural habi- she should stay there because she’s so I’m going to stick around and keep the councillors and as much as they were all for learning about Lucy and position on this is pretty clear. They tat for an elephant with acres of roll- healthy and she’s so happy and then working on this,’” Lampi says. As the board of directors slowly elephants in general, when they got feel, first off, that they can’t do proac- ing hills, ponds, mud holes, trees and two, she’s so unhealthy that she can’t changed out, Lampi says they be- on to council, they were convinced travel. So take your pick.” tive inspections in any way related to other elephants for company. Torjusen says finding someone at the came more willing to listen to the otherwise.” “I met this chap who died and he the zoo permit. Well, that’s a problem, The legal fight for animal welfare in right? How are you issuing permits ev- told me that he was a cat and dog zoo to speak with the same authority facts. “I can honestly say I think we ery year if the standards aren’t met? doctor,” Barker recalls. “And I said, about Lucy as Ness could have is not had a more informed board, we had this province will take time, but conpeople who were biologists, who tinuing to make noise and keeping up ... They’re essentially throwing their ‘Well, how many elephants have you possible right now. “Dr Ness frequently relied on outside knew about animals and were more the pressure is worth it for those adhands up saying, ‘It’s not our job, it’s taken care of?’ He said, ‘Just Lucy.’ really ESRD’s job.’ And ESRD’s saying, So they should get someone in there experts in elephant care to help him open-minded to listening to the facts vocating for the rights of those who cannot defend themselves. ‘No. We allocated the welfare stuff to who really has a background work- build Lucy’s care plan and that care and not just the propaganda.” In regards to Lucy, Oosterhuis has REBECCA MEDEL you guys because we don’t have the ing with elephants. Rather than doing plan remains in place,” Torjusen adds.
[email protected] However, that outside expert is said in his annual reports that he that, what they should really do is expertise in that area.’”