Summer Wind Farms to Lose License, Must Give Up Most Animals

Federal Settlement Comes on the Heels of PETA Sting Exposing Filthy Conditions, Suffering Animals at Michigan Roadside Zoo

For Immediate Release:
July 27, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will revoke the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) exhibitor license of Summer Wind Farms Sanctuary, where a PETA eyewitness exposé revealed chronic neglect. The USDA has ordered the Brown City roadside zoo to sell or donate most of the animals there to other facilities, and if Summer Wind Farms does not do so by September 30, it will face a fine of $25,000.

“After years of appalling neglect and apparent indifference to animals’ suffering, Summer Wind Farms must face the music,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet. “This is a tremendous victory for the animals who have been denied basic necessities for so long, and PETA stands ready to help find reputable sanctuary homes for them.”

Two tigers have already been moved to a true sanctuary after appearing in PETA’s exposé: 2-year-old Daisy, who suffered from a condition that affected her balance and reportedly caused seizures and vision loss, and Mohan, who suffered from painful degenerative joint disease, are now both receiving adequate veterinary care at an accredited sanctuary.

The license revocation comes after Summer Wind Farms racked up more than 200 AWA violations in just three years. Past USDA inspection reports stated that the roadside zoo had a “culture of indifference” that amounted to “animal cruelty” and put “all animals at the facility in danger.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—will continue to push for the release to reputable facilities of the animals who may remain at Summer Wind Farms: a coyote, two bears, and two social primates who have been confined alone.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.