CCAAWPS (Council of Concerned Albertans for Animal Welfare and Public Safety) is a group of concerned citizens who believe in strong enforcement of Alberta Zoo Standards. Since early 2011, considerable media and public attention has been given to the deplorable conditions at Guzoo, Canada’s largest roadside “zoo” located in Three Hills, Alberta. We need to ask MLAs to use the full authority of the government and the legislation to remove ALL animals from Guzoo.
For background, check out some of the more important documents released during the course of the campaign, in these sections:
Reports: includes the CAZA report which released a damning evaluation of Guzoo.
Backgrounder: exposé of inadequate animal protection in Alberta.
On April 20th, a member of CCAAWPS attended the GuZoo and was disgusted, to say the least, by what was found. We are led to conclude that injured or sick animals in GuZoo's care are being killed in advance of Guzoo's May 1st opening, rather than being given proper veterinary care. What follows is an account of a trip to Guzoo by a CCAAWPS member, disturbing photographs follow.
May 16, 2012, a heartbreaking story was published by various media outlets: "GuZoo Wolves (allegedly) Poisoned, Pups Orphaned". I'm paraphrasing of course, but considering the zoo's quick move to implicate animal rights activists, the term 'allegedly' appeared to be an afterthought. Nearly seven months have passed, and the silence surrounding the circumstances of the wolves' demise is deafening.
Despite an order to decommision following a government inspection in 2011, Alberta Sustainable Resources and Developement quietly reinstated Guzoo Animal Farm's license in October of 2012. A number of people concerned about the disheartening situation with Guzoo's re-opening have suggested a recap of events leading up to and after the court case, and where we go from here.
Hundreds of letters are being sent to MLAs from constituents demanding to know why the province has not followed through on its promise to close Canada's worst zoo – The Guzoo Animal Farm.
Located in Three Hills, Alberta, the Guzoo poses a serious threat to public safety, and is a notoriously poor example of Alberta's commitment to animal welfare. Albertans have demonstrated that they have not forgotten about this deplorable facility, and are interested in the candidates' positions regarding the continuing operation of Guzoo.
Last night The Calgary Herald reported that Alberta Tourism struck a "deal" with GuZoo to allow them to remain open, but only a few hours later, the story had been significantly revised and names "government" spokespersons as representing Alberta Sustainable Resources and Development. Significant mention of conditions were wiped from the article in the revision, such as a requirement for the GuZoo to maintain two-million dollars' liability insurance for animal bites. (Read the full original Herald story here.)
An "adjournment" is not the same thing as having the case "thrown out," and the article terms what has happened as allowing GuZoo to "remain open" not "re-open." Though it is a travesty that a stay of the decommissioning of the zoo would nonetheless permit GuZoo to open its doors, given the concerns cited in the SRD-Commissioned CAZA Report, this is not a significant change in the fortunes of GuZoo.
As we understood it, the government was to present its case at the GuZoo Animal Farm's judicial review next month, a review that would be expensive for GuZoo. It seems highly unlikely that they would reach a "deal" with GuZoo from a position of strength.
Regardless, we will be following up on this news story and proposing courses of action to take place early in the New Year to bring Alberta's dismal legislation regarding animal welfare to public awareness, and to pressure the Alberta government to take action.
On November 10, 2011, CCAAWPS sent the following letter to the officials of Canmore, Alberta, regarding the domestic rabbit cull to begin on Monday, November 14, 2011.
Dear Mayor Casey, Councillors Ed Russell, Gordie Miscow, Hans Helder, Jim Ridley, Joanna McCallum, and John Borrowman,
I am writing to you on befalf of our non profit organization, CCAAWPS, The Council of Concerned Albertans for Animal Welfare and Public Safety, in regards to the proposed rabbit cull that is to begin Monday, November 14, 2011.
We know it's close to that weekend you work so hard for, but before you go, please send off a form letter from CAAWPS to Alberta's new premier, Allison Redford, in support of closing GuZoo and strengthening Animal Protection and Zoo Standards while she's leading the province's government. Takes 30 seconds, please share with friends!
Dear Premier Redford...
Form letter at the link above.
Citizen zoo investigations play a critical role in maintaining the law-abidingness of zoos.
However, we are aware of efforts at Guzoo Animal Farm being undertaken to keep out zoo whistleblowers.
On Guzoo owner Lynn Gustafson's birthday month, help send a message to Guzoo, and all of the province's zoos: that zoo whistleblowers will not be kept out.
Click read more to read ground rules for this event.
We have a new easy email action for Albertans that just takes 30 seconds to do: a mail-in form that asks your MLA to support Guzoo's closure and to work for improved Zoo Standards, and increase transparency around the province's zoos.
The letter is lengthy but well-worded, and informs your MLA of a number of important resources to understand what is happening with Guzoo and why it's important to raise Alberta Zoo Standards.
Just visit the action page, find your MLA in the drop-down, fill in your name/email/city, and click email your MLA.
What this action asks them to do:
Why are these demands necessary?
You certainly know by now that Guzoo has not only applied for a judicial review that has temporarily halted its decommission, but the Guzoo has been allowed to completely re-open for business, in spite of the animal welfare and public health concerns cited in the CAZA-led report that led to Guzoo's closure.
How could this happen?
Ultimately, it's because animal protection in Canada ultimately recognizes animals only as property. Even though animals are sentient creatures and many of Guzoo's animals languish in Guzoo's substandard enclosures, legally, the Guzoo is treated no differently than if it were a used car lot or a dollar store.
But it is also clear that animal protection and Zoo Standards enforcement are seriously lacking in Alberta if Guzoo Animal Farm can skirt and subvert the rules this way.
Zoos in Alberta are also not obliged to be transparent in any way to the public, and we in CAAWPS have had to pressure the government for release of the CAZA-led investigation of Guzoo, and leaked a second half of the report ourselves.
Lack of enforcement, lack of transparency, and animal welfare law that is stuck in the 19th century — all of these create an absurd situation which do not prioritize or adequately protect animal welfare in our province's zoos.
When you're finished, please share the action on your Facebook page — it's important to keep the mail-in form rolling, so our MLAs can hear from a tidal wave of concerned, compassionate Albertans like yourself.
The following document, titled "CAZA Inspection Form - March 2011" details the Alberta Zoo Standards (left hand column), Guzoo's score in relation to the standard (middle column) and the inspectors observations in relation to that standard (right hand column). Not only does this document disprove the claim from Guzoo that "the inspection was done based on CAZA standards not Alberta Zoo Standards," it further disproves their claims that their current struggle to remain open was prompted merely by a lack of paperwork and proper record keeping.
We appear to have obtained this document through an accidental "cc:" in a Guzoo volunteer's email. Report scans to soon be uploaded.
There are many shocking and damning revelations mentioned in the investigative report. One particularly heartbreaking and stunning pieces of information is the account of a bear who died recently after attempting to dig out of it's enclosure and became trapped in the resulting hole. The bear was not removed and perished in the pit it dug itself. Another section mentions a lynx who had been shot and was awaiting taxidermy that had no veterinary records, affirming our suspicions of the fates many of Guzoo's animals (who breed freely) are subjected to.
Please see the page in our research section for a transcript of the report scoring.