Zoocheck applauds Alberta decision to close Guzoo
Big Cat Rescue offered to take the lynx who may by displaced by this horrid roadside zoo’s closing so that officials would know that they had options for the animals if they finally took action.
Yesterday’s announcement by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) that Guzoo Animal Farm in Three Hills, Alberta has lost its license and will have to close its doors is applauded by Zoocheck Canada who has waged a long campaign to bring attention to substandard conditions at the facility.
According to Julie Woodyer, Campaigns Director of Zoocheck, “We’re very pleased with the announcement. It’s long overdue, but better late than never. We first started bringing this to government attention in the mid-1990s. Since then Zoocheck has released seven investigative reports about Guzoo, including a 2007 report that found more than 100 violations of provincial zoo standards and a report in 2011 that found a similar state of affairs.”
An SRD news release cites, “onging deficiencies, a history of issues and an independent review showing a long list of major deficiencies” as the basis for the decision to close Guzoo.
“After many years working on the Guzoo issue and hitting brick wall after brick wall, we’re so glad this sad situation may finally be brought to an end. We’ll certainly do whatever we can to assist the Alberta government in their effort to decommission the facility and place the animals elsewhere,” added Woodyer.
