G.W. Exotics
You can tell a person by the company they keep. Here are the people who do business with Joe Schreibvogel of G.W. Exotics:
GW’s associates are a collection of the usual suspects —shady animal dealers, brokers, roadside zoos, and exhibitors—many of them chronic violators of the federal Animal Welfare Act. GW also serves as a dumping ground for animals once used in the film industry and in traveling shows. Following are a few of the people and facilities that GW deals with and has acquired animals from.
Amarillo Wildlife Refuge (AWR)
AWR, a pseudo-sanctuary in Amarillo, Texas, was the subject of a PETA undercover investigation that revealed horrific conditions at the facility. Animals were caged in filthy, deprived conditions, and the minimal standards of the federal Animal Welfare Act were ignored. AWR regularly advertises tigers, tiger cubs, and primates in the Animal Finder’s Guide, and Charles Azzopardi, owner of AWR, recently pleaded guilty to federal wildlife trafficking charges. During PETA’s undercover investigation at GW, numerous animals were temporarily housed for AWR, including coyotes and fisher cats.
Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife
Martin—a breeder, trainer, and supplier of exotic animals for films and television—has a litany of USDA citations, including confining chimpanzees and orangutans to “night housing” for up to 18 hours per day. Martin disposes of “surplus” animals by advertising them in dubious trade publications and dumping them in pseudo-sanctuaries. In 2006, GW received two chimpanzees, two bears, and one lion from Martin.
Eric Drogosch
During PETA’s undercover investigation, GW hired Eric Drogosch as park manager. Drogosch had previously operated as an exhibitor, taking tigers and leopards to fairs, festivals, and businesses. In 2004, the USDA revoked his license for repeated violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. The violations included failure to provide adequate housing, failure to handle dangerous animals sufficiently to ensure the well-being of the animals and the public (resulting in injuries to a child), operating without a valid license, and failure to maintain a program of veterinary care.
Jamie Palazzo
Palazzo was formerly a “trainer” with Bridgeport Nature Center - a notorious breeder and exhibitor who has been penalized $20,000 by the USDA, had its license suspended, was fined $3,500 to settle contempt-of-court and consumer-fraud charges in North Dakota, and was prohibited from exhibiting big cats in North Dakota and Massachusetts – and has now ventured forth with her own exploitative big cat act. In April 2006, GW acquired three tigers from Palazzo and gave her a tiger cub to use in her traveling show.
Hawthorn
On March 9, 2006, GW got two white tigers, Tilac and Khan, from the infamous Hawthorn Corporation, which has a long history of USDA sanctions and abusing and neglecting animals. The tigers were probably purchased, because Hawthorn had just advertised them in the Animal Finder’s Guide, a publication that peddles exotic animals to private owners, breeders, dealers, roadside zoos, and trophy hunters.
Lightning Ranch and Wildlife Preserve
GW obtained four tigers, one mountain lion, one lion, and a grizzly bear named Ozzie from Lightning Ranch, a roadside zoo in Kansas that had its USDA license revoked, and hired Lance Williams, Lightning Ranch’s former owner, to work at the park.
Fercos Bros.
In 2006, GW took two tigers who had “outgrown the stage” from these Siegfried & Roy wannabes. The tigers were killed shortly after their arrival because they were “mean.” Reportedly, their teeth were cut out to be given as gifts, and one was decapitated and his head given to the husband of GW’s veterinarian to be mounted.
Arbuckle Wilderness
From 1999 to 2002, GW acquired five tigers, eight cougars, four black bears, two snow macaques, a lemur, two donkeys, and three bobcats from Arbuckle Wilderness, a roadside zoo in Oklahoma with a long history of deplorable animal care. In 2000, the USDA filed 60 charges of Animal Welfare Act violations against Arbuckle.
Devera Stevens
From 2001 to 2002, GW got seven tigers, three leopards, and a lion from Stevens, a USDA Class B licensed breeder in Texas who regularly advertises adult tigers and cubs, as well as other exotic animals for sale in the Animal Finder’s Guide, a publication that peddles exotic animals. In 2005, PETA helped stop Stevens’ attempt to “donate” a tiger to the Baghdad Zoo to replace one shot and killed by a U.S. soldier.
Perrydise
In 2002, GW obtained three baboons from Perrydise (one of whom died four months later). Perrydise is a roadside zoo in Leona, Texas. The USDA has repeatedly cited Perrydise for numerous serious violations of animal-care standards, including caging hedgehogs in a room with an ammonia odor so noxious that it caused eye irritation, keeping big cats in feces-contaminated cages, and failing to maintain enclosures in good repair to prevent injuries to animals.
M&C Exotics
From 2002 to 2004, GW got 11 black bears and a lion from M&C Exotics, a USDA-licensed breeder in Minnesota. During an inspection on December 2, 2004, the USDA was told that the bear, lion, and tiger enclosures had not been cleaned in more than a month. M&C Exotics regularly advertises bear cubs for sale in Animal Finder’s Guide.
Safari Joe’s
In 2001, GW acquired six tigers, six lions, a leopard, two cougars, a serval, a fox, and an Arctic fox from Safari Joe’s, a roadside zoo in Adair, Oklahoma, that had many problems, including unsafe handling of dangerous animals and the death of one worker, who was killed by tigers. In June 2003, Safari Joe’s settled a case with the USDA by agreeing to a $10,000 fine.
Wayne’s World Safari
In 1999, GW obtained two tigers, a lion, and a bear from Wayne’s World Safari in Mathis, Texas. In 2005, the USDA revoked Wayne’s World Safari’s license, concluding that the facility had committed 84 violations of the regulations and standards issued under the Animal Welfare Act.
Wesa-A-Geh-Ya see below
http://www.peta.org/feat-gw_associates.asp
20 lions and tigers go from Wesa to G.W. Exotics
By Jordan Wilson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Aug. 17 2008
WARREN COUNTY — As she watched animals she had raised being loaded onto a truck headed to Oklahoma, Sandra Smith didn't know whether to cry or smile.
Smith, along with her husband, Ken, is the co-founder of Wesa-A-Geh-Ya, an exotic animal facility near Warrenton. Amidst ongoing allegations of neglect and after a tiger attack Aug. 3, the Smiths decided to close their facility and relocate their animals.
On Saturday, about 20 lions and tigers, two wolves, a mountain lion, a bear and a leopard departed for the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Okla.
Smith found it difficult to watch 20 years of her life be packed into an 18-wheeler.
"We're losing our life out here," Smith said. "I don't know how to explain how I feel."
The Smiths still have about 20 tigers and a handful of dogs to relocate, and
they hope to do that in the next month.
Joe Schreibvogel, the owner of the G.W. park said he is looking to help Wesa place the rest of its animals. Four of the big cats are headed to Carnivore Preservation Trust in North Carolina. The future of the others is up in their air, and Schreibvogel said he might have to make another trip here in case no one else can take in the tigers.
Schreibvogel said his park has more than 170 big cats and 1,400 animals on 16 acres. He said Wesa had nice cages and their animals were healthy for the most part.
The animals' new home, though, will be an upgrade. Schreibvogel said his park is licensed by the U.S. Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Oklahoma.
Wesa is no longer licensed on the federal level — the facility surrendered its USDA license in 2003.
"There is no comparison," Schreibvogel said. "And that's just being honest. I don't want to down anybody for their efforts."
Smith didn't deny her animals were going to a better home. She said Wesa wanted to create a better living environment for its animals, but the Smiths were unable to because of financial issues and pressure from animal rights groups and local citizens.
"Where they're going to now is heaven," Smith said. "It's what I bought this 17 acres for. I couldn't do it."
Wesa was open to the public until 2003 when it forfeited its USDA license. Both Ken and Sandra Smith were on probation for various violations, such as the failure to register some animals and the failure to keep cages properly locked.
On Aug. 3, a 26-year-old man helping clean out cages was attacked by a tiger. Jacob Barr is recovering at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and is in fair condition after having his right leg amputated.
Lisa Wathne, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, doesn't think the animals will be any better off at the G.W. park. She said the fact that G.W. breeds and shows its animals is reason for concern, although Schreibvogel said it won't affect how the animals are treated.
"A USDA license is doing nothing to protect the animals at that park," Wathne said. "With all the animals at Wesa have been through, the sad fact of the matter is there's no better place for them to go."
jwilson@post-dispatch.com | 636-255-7211
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/
774E3DFC42BF2B7F862574A8000CEC67?OpenDocument
GW’s Rapsheet
PETA is not the only one to find serious problems at GW. The USDA has repeatedly cited GW for violating the minimum standards of care set forth in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), and in April 2005 the agency filed a 20-page complaint against GW with numerous charges, including the following:
* Failure to provide adequate veterinary care
* Failure to handle animals so that there was minimal risk of harm to the animal and to the public
* An incident in which a tiger escaped from his enclosure and attacked and seriously wounded a camel
* Transportation of 15 tigers and lions in a manner that allowed urine, feces, or both to contaminate the animals caged below
* Lack of potable water for 18 lions, 23 tigers, 15 bears, 20 cougars, three leopards, and a pig
* Lack of employees present to provide care to 80 large, dangerous cats
* Lack of knowledge by employees about how often the animals were fed
* Filthy, wet, unsafe, and dilapidated enclosures
* Failure to handle animals in a manner that does not cause trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm, or unnecessary discomfort
* Failure to provide animals with minimum space
To avoid going to court, GW paid a $25,000 fine in January 2006 and was placed on an 18-month probation period with the USDA. Failure to comply with the AWA during the probation period will result in license revocation.
Just a couple of G.W. Exotic's big cats:
Julie, the Three-Legged Lion
On his first day on the job, PETA’s investigator met Julie, a three-legged lioness, who had a bloody, raw, and gaping hole where her right front leg used to be. Julie had been attacked by two tigers who literally chewed and tore her leg off and then ate it. The remaining stump of her leg had to be amputated and when she pulled out the stitches, Julie’s open wound went untreated. Though she moaned and whimpered for days, she was given nothing for pain. Julie languished in a small and barren indoor cage on a concrete floor with nothing more than a small towel for comfort. Although she was bred and born at the zoo, [J1] tells people that he “rescued” Julie and that she was injured before coming to the zoo.
‘The Vegas Tigers’
GW’s Holiday 2005 newsletter reported that the Fercos Bros., a Siegfried & Roy wannabe magic act in Las Vegas, gave the park two male tigers who had “outgrown” the stage. Two days after PETA’s investigator started working at the park, the “Vegas tigers,” as they were called, were killed by lethal injection because staff decided they were “mean.” Reportedly, the tigers’ teeth were cut out, and one was decapitated and his head given to the veterinarian’s husband to be mounted. When the Fercos came to visit the tigers in June, they were told that the cats were killed when lightning struck their cage during a storm. Zuzana Kukol claimed in an online blog for snake owners that she trains tigers for the Fercos Bros. circus.
GW’s Exotic Animal Trade
Legitimate sanctuaries do not breed, buy, sell, or trade animals. True sanctuaries provide animals with lifetime care and operate under conditions that far exceed the minimal standards of the federal Animal Welfare Act. On the other hand, a pseudo-sanctuary, such as G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park,breeds animals to keep itself supplied with cute babies to draw visitors to the park, profits by using them for public photo opportunities, and buys, sells, and trades animals.
GW is fully aware that breeding only makes a bad situation worse and publicly denies fueling the exotic animal trade, explaining away births as “accidents”:
* “… I do not in any way breed, sell, ship out, lease, or loan out any of my animals …”
—[J1], letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, December 6, 2002
* “[A]ll of our cats are fixed or split up so they can’t breed, … we do not buy, sell, or trade any animal….”
—[J1], e-mail message to PETA, August 30, 2003
* “I never sell or donate to anyone.”
—[J1], letter to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Renewal of Commercial Wildlife Breeders License, November 21, 2001
What our investigator saw as well as documents we obtained reveal an orchestrated breeding program that produced dozens and dozens of newborns and animals shipped to facilities around the world. Following are a few examples since 2001.
GW sold one male and two female lion cubs for $1,500 each to the Amarillo Zoo in Texas. All three were born at GW in September 2005 and were declawed before they were 1 month old. Parents of the cubs were all GW residents who were allowed to breed.
TV news reported an astounding 18 new tiger cubs and one very pregnant tiger at GW. The pregnant tiger, Sasha, was GW’s first rescued, and never spayed, tiger.
A female cougar, born at GW on March 14, 2000, was shipped to the Seoul Grand Park Zoo in the Republic of Korea.
A cougar, born at GW, was shipped to the Sofia Municipal Zoo in Bulgaria.
Two cougars born at GW were shipped to the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand.
GW reportedly tried to sell an infant baboon named Savannah, born April 24, 2003, to an undercover activist who visited the facility.
GW sent a lion cub to Capital of Texas Zoo (Cedar Creek, Texas). The cub was then loaned to Bobbie Colorado, who appears weekly on an Austin TV station. While in the custody of Bobbie Colorado, the lion cub was killed by a dog.
GW transferred a tiger named Blondy to the Hillcrest Zoo, a roadside zoo in Clovis, New Mexico, that has been repeatedly cited for a multitude of violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including failing to provide sufficient food to three zebras who all died within a two-day period.
In 2003, GW obtained four snakes, four flying squirrels, two sugar gliders, and 10 alligators from Strictly Reptiles, a Florida wholesale distributor of reptiles.
GW has purchased animals including a bear cub, a tiger cub, miniature horses, and birds from exotic animal auctions, such as Lolli Bros., which states on its Web site: “From Apes to Zebra—We sell it all!! In addition to ‘live’ animal sales, we also offer a phenomenal selection of excellent of Taxidermy [sic] at each sale.”
http://www.peta.org/feat-gw_animaltrade.asp
Undercover investigation of G.W. Exotics
PETA undercover report on G.W. Exotics: http://www.peta.org/feat-gw_roadshow.asp
April 10, 2007
Contact:
Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382
Roswell, N.M. — This morning, after learning that G.W. Exotic Animal
Memorial Park’s (GW) exotic-animal display is scheduled to begin appearing
at the Roswell Mall tomorrow, PETA fired off a letter to Roswell Mayor Sam
D. LaGrone and the City Council calling on the city to immediately cancel GW’s
appearances and enact legislation to prohibit the display of exotic animals
in the future. In its letter, PETA points out that GW has a record of animal
abuse and chronic failure to comply with the federal Animal Welfare Act and
warns Mayor LaGrone and the City Council about the potential dangers of allowing
the public to come into contact with exotic animals.
During PETA’s investigation of GW last year, an undercover investigator
witnessed that a lion was not provided with pain relief following the amputation
of the stump of her leg after it was torn off by tigers, that a wounded horse
suffered for days with an untreated broken leg before dying and being fed to
big cats, that tigers were hit with a rifle butt, and that a goat had an untreated
head wound. PETA points out that GW has been cited repeatedly by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the minimum standards of care set forth
in the federal Animal Welfare Act. In January 2006, GW was put on probation
for 18 months and paid a $25,000 fine to settle USDA charges that included
dangerous animal-handling practices, filthy transport conditions, failure to
provide drinking water, insufficient staffing, and many filthy, wet, unsafe,
and dilapidated enclosures.
Close encounters with wild animals also put people at serious risk. Just last
month, at GW’s animal park in Wynnewood, Okla., two chimpanzees escaped
from their enclosure and reportedly ran loose for nearly an hour before being
recaptured. In January 2007, a mall patron was bitten by a young African lion
who was exhibited by GW at the Sunset Mall in San Angelo, Texas.
"Animals who are relegated to prison-like cages in backyard breeding facilities
are ticking time bombs," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "For the safety of
animals and the public, it’s time to ban all exotic-animal displays and
send the likes of GW packing."
PETA’s letter to Mayor LaGrone and the City Council—as well as
broadcast-quality video footage of PETA’s investigation—are available
on request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=9706
| G.W. Exotic Animals Memorial Park Route 2, Box 67 Wynnewood, OK 73098 Phone/Fax: 405-665-5197 Joe Schreibvogel - Park Director |
'Pseudo-Sanctuary' Has History of Animal Abuse, Public Endangerment,
Violations of Federal Law
February 14, 2007
Contact:
Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382
Lake Jackson, Texas — For voting to deny a proposed exhibit by
Wynnewood, Okla.-based G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park (GW) at
Brazos Mall, the Lake Jackson City Council will receive a certificate
of appreciation from PETA. GW masquerades as a sanctuary but has a
long history of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act. PETA points
out that the council made the right decision in rejecting GW because—
in addition to treating animals cruelly—GW has repeatedly put the
public at risk. Last month, one of GW's young lion cubs injured a
woman in San Angelo.
A PETA investigation conducted last year at GW documented dead,
dying, and injured animals; a serious lack of basic necessities such
as food, water, and veterinary care; cramped cages; and untrained,
insufficient staff who were intentionally cruel to animals. PETA's
investigator witnessed a suffering lion whose leg had been torn off
by tigers, a wounded horse who languished for days with an untreated
broken leg before dying and being fed to big cats, tigers who were
hit with a rifle butt, and a goat who had an untreated head wound.
Two healthy adult tigers were killed, and their teeth were reportedly
cut out to be given away as gifts. Several baby bears and tigers
traveling in GW's road show died when they were only a few weeks old,
presumably from stress.
In January 2006, GW was placed on an 18-month probation and paid a
$25,000 fine to settle U.S. Department of Agriculture charges that
included dangerous animal-handling practices, filthy transport
conditions, and failure to provide drinking water.
"We commend the Lake Jackson City Council for sending a clear message
that abusive, dangerous animal displays are not welcome," says PETA
Director Debbie Leahy. "Traveling animal menageries are notoriously
cruel. The best way for a community to defend these animals and
protect its own citizens at the same time is to bar these displays
altogether."
PETA's letter to the Lake Jackson City Council is available upon
request. For more information, please visit PETA's Web site
WildlifePimps.com.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=9522