Wolf Hybrids’ Escape Prompts PETA Call for Investigation
Reports From Wolf Run Indicate Dangerous Animals Housed in Inadequate Enclosures, Denied Necessary Veterinary Care
For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2014
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Following reports that three wolf or wolf hybrids escaped earlier this week from an unsecure enclosure at Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge in Nicholasville, with one of the animals apparently still at large, PETA is taking action. The escapes and the belief that these animals may not be the only ones at Wolf Run kept in substandard conditions have prompted PETA to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today urging it to investigate the facility promptly for any violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
In its letter, PETA relays that, according to a concerned citizen’s report, a ram named Cupcake recently sustained multiple fractures after he broke into a hybrid wolf–dog pen at Wolf Run. Although a veterinarian recommended euthanizing the injured ram, Wolf Run founder Mary Kindred—who is not a veterinarian—set the animal’s legs herself and transferred him to what appears to be an unlicensed animal exhibitor in Tennessee. The AWA requires having adequate veterinary care and safe and secure enclosures for animals and prohibits transporting animals to unlicensed facilities.
“The enclosures at Wolf Run aren’t sturdy enough to prevent dangerous animals from escaping,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “Given this history of endangering the community and animals, PETA is asking the USDA to find out what’s going on at Wolf Run—and to hold all responsible parties accountable for any violations of the law.”
Months before Cupcake reportedly injured himself by charging into a fence, Kindred posted a message on Facebook acknowledging his strength and dangerous behavior, including his propensity to charge, and asking for donations to pay for him to be neutered—but she apparently didn’t neuter or safely contain him, causing him to break three legs.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
