Neglective Treatment of Animals within a Roadside Zoo

This case was handled and brought to light by the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is an incredible organization that helps to protect animals through the enforcement of legal action. The Pymatuning Deer Park, a roadside zoo, failed to offer proper care and habitats for their animals. This neglect resulted in the Animal Legal Defense Fund filing a lawsuit against the zoo. Bears, lions, tigers, military macaws, lemur and bearcats all failed to receive the correct treatment at this zoo. Here are examples of the type of treatment these animals faced. Baby animals (bear cubs and kangaroo joeys) would be taken away from their mothers when they were too young and put on display. Multiple animals (lemurs and bearcats) died due to a fire at the zoo. Fragile animals like parakeets were put in an unsupervised habitat where visitors were allowed to feed them and potentially harm them. The zoo also euthanized a tiger by using a gun because they refused to assess his condition. Using a gun to euthanize an animal is unlawful (unless it's an emergency but in this case it was not an emergency and could have been avoided) and mentally affects the other animals at the zoo. The zoo was understaffed, unsanitized, and the habitats for the animals were too small and didn’t allow the animals an engaging and stimulating environment. The Animal Legal Defense Fund raised awareness about the mistreatment at the zoo and they saved multiple endangered species but there are still 200 animals left at the zoo.