Fort Chiswell Animal Park

03/06/2025

It's down to the wire. We urge the Governor of Virginia to veto SB 1125.

THIS IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE BOTTLE-BABY BILL!

Senate Bill 1125 was communicated to the Governor on March 5, 2025. His action deadline 11:59 p.m. on March 24, 2025.

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1125

PLEASE KEEP THOSE CALLS AND EMAILS GOING!

URGE GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN TO VETO SB 1125 & PROTECT ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PRACTICES!

HE ONLY HAS TWO CHOICES. HE CAN STAND WITH AGRICULTURE OR HE CAN STAND WITH PETA. THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND!

[email protected]

804-786-2211

03/01/2025

Thank you WDBJ7! We greatly appreciate your coverage of this issue!

The Fort Chiswell Animal Park is urging Governor Glenn Youngkin to veto a bill passed by the General Assembly.

02/27/2025

We want to give a huge shout out to the Exotic Wildlife Association and thank them for their help in battling SB 1125. We are still working for a veto from Governor Youngkin and very much appreciate their continued efforts!

02/22/2025

We would greatly appreciate your calls and emails!

ACTION ALERT!!!

PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN & ASK HIM TO VETO SENATE BILL 1125!

IT SHOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL TO HAND-RAISE OUR BABY ANIMALS!

This photo is taken directly from the Governor's page. On July 7, 2023 the Governor posted, "I had a great time meeting my new friend Ash the Kangaroo at the Salem Fair!"

The Governor would NOT have been able to hold this young animal unless it was hand-raised!

Both kangaroos and wallabies benefit from bottle-feeding. Facilities often allow the mother to raise the joey to a certain size/weight and then choose to hand-raise the baby towards the end of the weaning process. These are healthy babies that do not have a medical issue, but bottle-feeding desensitizes them to humans. These macropods have a tremendous flight response and can easily injure themselves. Hand-raising helps them be less nervous and reactive. They are often used in educational programs and are wonderful ambassadors for their species. Many of these ambassador animals are later reintroduced back into the mob. There is nothing negative about this practice and it improves the welfare of the group!

Senator Boysko's bill will make many animal encounters a thing of the past. Baby bottles and milk replacer can suddenly be used as evidence of a "crime". What's even crazier, is that the ban will not apply to all citizens. It will only be the independent owners of exotics who will be charged with a crime--other citizens will be allowed to continue this common husbandry practice. It will be illegal for independent owners to bottle-raise wallabies and kangaroos like Ash. The ban will also apply to owners of alternative livestock such as bison, water buffalo, watusi, and yak.

This bill threatens the entire animal industry, because it is precedent-setting. If PETA wins this fight, there is no question they will build upon it. There is no other State that codifies bottle-feeding as cruel and a crime. This bill is built on lies and misconceptions. It is the backdoor to the beef and dairy industry and should alarm everyone who loves 4-H and the bucket/bottle calf projects. It will harm traveling petting zoos and family animal parks throughout the Commonwealth.

Please contact the Governor and urge him to veto SB 1125. It's a bad bill that will have many unintended consequences. We need the Governor of Virginia to understand the following:

1.) Bottle-feeding is NOT cruel! This ideology is pure PETA propaganda. Bottle-feeding promotes animal welfare and is a management tool for many species. It should not be outlawed in any way, shape, or form.

2.) This bill will hurt an untold number of animals if passed into law by putting roadblocks between owners and their veterinarians. A vet degree and license to practice veterinary medicine will not be good enough--the vets have to be considered "species-specific". This language is unprecedented within the game department. The DWR does NOT have a process to determine such certification--there are not separate or established guidelines. This language is highly subjective!

3.) Senate Bill 1125 will outlaw the breeding of hybrids and our legislators have been told that hybrids do NOT occur in the wild. This is completely false! There are also serious questions about how this law will be enforced. Will DNA testing of our animals be required? This is a step too far!

4.) This legislation is targeting commercial transactions and seeks to outlaw legal sales between USDA licensed facilities. A private facility selling an animal that has been health-certified by a veterinarian to another facility is a positive thing. It also proves the animal has been properly cared for and that the breeding program is successful.

5.) Senator Boysko's bill is clearly discriminatory. It will create a disparity between two groups of citizens and show preferential treatment to those who are part of certain trade associations such as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) or the Zoological Association of America (ZAA). If a zoo owner is not part of one of these clubs, he can be charged with a crime for practicing common animal husbandry!

6.) Tell the Governor many across the nation are watching what he will do with this bill. He only has two choices. He can stand with the citizens and small businesses of Virginia or he can stand with PETA. We need him to step up and protect our animal industry with a strong veto.

Contact Governor Glenn Youngkin:

804-786-2211

[email protected]

Thank you for your help!

02/21/2025

We ask the Governor of Virginia to veto this bill!

02/18/2025

WE WANT TO THANK EVERY REPRESENTATIVE WHO VOTED AGAINST SB 1125 THIS SESSION!

THEY BRAVELY TOOK A STAND FOR AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL HUSBANDRY!

Animal owners throughout Virginia and the nation need to support these brave folks who opposed the efforts of PETA. Their names and contact information are below. Please call and email their offices and thank them for their vote. Ask them to appeal to the Governor for a veto. Please also reach out to local news outlets and ask them to cover this story. These are the most important points to share:

"Yesterday (2/17), the majority of the Virginia House of Delegates passed the bottle-baby ban in a vote of 55 - 41. The bill had previously passed the Senate in a vote of 21 - 18. This legislative effort will be precedent-setting if successful by codifying that bottle-feeding is cruel for the first time in the nation. If the Governor signs this bill into law, it will lay a foundation that can later be used against those in the beef and dairy industry. Once the precedent is established, it will impact 4-H children and their bucket/bottle calf projects. It has been clear throughout this process that this is a PETA-driven bill. It is built on lies and misconceptions and is seeking to ban a common animal husbandry practice. Bottle-feeding is NOT cruel in any way and improves animal welfare. We need the Governor to veto this bill."

Senate Bill 1125 is not law yet and the VAOA will continue to work on this issue. Please share this information with your friends, family, and business associates around the country. The precedents that are being set in Virginia will directly impact the nation and this effort can still be stopped.

We appreciate each one of you who has made this issue your issue!

These are the Virginia Delegates who took a stand for agriculture and animal husbandry and voted against this bill:

Arnold
Austin
Ballard
Batten
Bloxom
Campbell
Cherry
Cordoza
Coyner
Davis
Earley
Fowler
Freitas
Garrett
Gilbert
Green
Griffin
Higgins
Hodges
Kilgore
Leftwich
Lovejoy
McNamara
O'Quinn
Oates
Obenshain
Owen
Phillips
Runion
Scott, P.A.
Tata
Wachsmann
Walker
Ware
Webert
Wiley
Williams
Wilt
Wright
Wyatt
Zehr

These are the Virginia Senators who took a stand for agriculture and animal husbandry and voted against this bill:

Cifers
Craig
DeSteph
Diggs
Durant
French
Hackworth
Head
Jordan
McDougle
Mulchi
Obenshain
Peake
Pillion
Reeves
Stuart
Sturtevant
Suetterlein

You can find each Delegate's contact information at the following link:

https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php

Here is the link with info for each Virginia Senator:

https://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/index.php

02/18/2025

We were very disappointed to watch SB 1125 pass the House of Delegates a short time ago in a vote of 55 - 41. Now is the time to appeal to the Governor of Virginia. We will post more details soon. Thank you all for your continued help and support!

02/13/2025

ATTENTION ANIMAL OWNERS:

On Wednesday, February 12th, the majority of Delegates in both the House agriculture subcommittee and the full committee chose to listen to PETA and HSUS instead of the actual owners of exotics and alternative livestock. The majority on each committee voted to pass the bill that will make it ILLEGAL for owners to bottle-feed a baby exotic mammal including a baby bison, watusi, water buffalo, or yak. The ban will also include baby antelope, deer, and elk. These alternative livestock are raised on farms throughout the United States!

BOTTLE-FEEDING WILL BECOME A CRIME. A MISDEMEANOR.

BUT IT WON'T BE A CRIME FOR EVERYONE.

THIS COMMON HUSBANDRY PRACTICE WILL ONLY BECOME A CRIME FOR CERTAIN CITIZENS WHO RAISE CERTAIN ANIMALS AND DO NOT BELONG TO A CERTAIN CLUB.

It is absolutely unbelievable that a bill that is so misguided and blatantly prejudiced has made it this far. Bottle-feeding is NOT cruel. If it were, there would not be exemptions!

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1125

Some serious questions need to be asked. Why are so many of our legislators--who were voted in to protect us--allowing PETA and HSUS to draft laws that harm citizens, businesses, and animals? What hold do these extreme groups have on our lawmakers? Is it a matter of campaign contributions? Is it something as horrific as blackmail? Is it the promise of fame and publicity? Is it a mix of all of the above? Something huge is definitely going on behind the scenes or we would NOT see a common husbandry practice suddenly deemed illegal for some citizens, but not for others! We would not witness the blatant disregard for the ACTUAL professionals who are taking care of these animals on a daily basis! Common sense would rule the day and our legislators would recognize that being part of a particular club has NOTHING to do with actual animal welfare. Can you imagine if parents had to belong to a club in order to be deemed competent?

There is a very short amount of time left to defeat this horrendous bill and we need your help. If you're reading this post, please help us call and email the Delegates of Virginia. Share this information with your friends and family. Ask them to call and email. The hold that PETA and HSUS has on many of our legislators must be broken, but it's going to take a lot of us to make that happen.

If you care about preserving ownership and agriculture, please stand with us. If you do not want to see PETA and HSUS drafting their harmful and misguided ideology into law, please stand with us. If you want to protect the small business owner and alternative livestock farmer, please stand with us.

Here is the link for the contact information for each Delegate. Tell them you oppose Senate Bill 1125 and want them to vote against it. Let them know this bill is built on lies and misconceptions. If you've ever hand-raised a baby animal, briefly share your experience and let them know that bottle-feeding is NOT cruel! Remind them they work for the people of Virginia--not the representatives of PETA and HSUS--and must listen to the actual owners of these animals instead of the extreme anti-ownership groups!

https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php

Thank you for your help!

02/05/2025

Your calls and emails would be much appreciated.

01/31/2025

THIS SHOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL!!!

The bottle baby/hybrid bill passed through the Senate agriculture committee this week and now has to pass through the full Senate. There is still time to kill this legislation.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS POST, PLEASE CALL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO SENATE BILL 1125!

Here is the link for each Senator's contact information--we need calls to the General Assembly Building numbers:

https://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/index.php

Here is the link to the bill:

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1125

This is one of the worst animal bills to ever be brought forward in the Virginia General Assembly and we need your help to defeat it!!!

01/30/2025

We appreciate USARK - United States Association of Reptile Keepers for bringing national attention to this harmful legislation!

Sample letter and more details at https://usark.org/25va/.

Senate Bill 1125 (SB1125) in Virginia would ban breeding “wildlife” unless permitted by the VA Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). Testimony by the bill sponsor, Senator Boysko, is very alarming, and the legislative intent is very different from the bill’s actual language. Boysko stated that her intent with the bill was to stop certain breeding of exotic (non-native and non-domesticated) animals.

While the bill states that this only pertains to “wildlife,” which under state definition means only Virginia native species found in the wild, the sponsor’s stated intent and fact that this went through the Companion Animal Subcommittee raise serious concerns of overreach. With an 8-5-1 vote in the Senate Committee, it is clear that Senators who are taking a hard look at the bill understand that it is flawed.

With the harsh overreach occurring in Virginia regarding animals, the best action is to stop this bill. Even the bill sponsor and her “expert” could not answer questions from other Senators, leaving a vague understanding of the bill before the Senate. Virginia animal owners should let their opposition be known; otherwise, this bill could open the door to the end of breeding parrots, tortoises, geckos, and all other non-domesticated animals. If DWR does not issue a permit, then you cannot breed. Any hybridization/crossing would also be illegal.

Sample letter and more details at https://usark.org/25va/.

01/30/2025

We want to say a huge thank you to WSLS 10 / WSLS.com for coming out to the park today to talk about Pataki, bottle feeding, and Senate Bill 1125. We hope this legislation will be defeated!

The Fort Chiswell Animal Park has been a staple in the Wythe community for over 20 years. Currently, a bill in the Virginia Senate poses a potential threat to their operations, as well as to zoos across the commonwealth.

01/28/2025

We would greatly appreciate your help! This harmful legislation will have a direct impact on the park if passed.

PHONE CALLS ARE NEEDED!!!

WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY AGAINST THE BOTTLE BABY/HYBRID BILL!

THE SUBCOMMITTEE DID NOT ALLOW VIRTUAL TESTIMONY LAST WEEK AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WEBSITE STATES "Virtual participation is only possible on bills that will be heard in the full committee..." WE SPOKE VIRTUALLY TO THE FULL COMMITTEE LAST YEAR AGAINST THE ELEPHANT BILL, BUT Dave Marsden for Senate HAS DECIDED TO NOT ALLOW US TO TESTIFY THIS YEAR!

https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/virginiaLegislature.php?secid=20&activesec=2 #!hb=1&mainContentTabs=1&content=1,includes/contentTemplate.php%3Ftid%3D49%26ctype%3Db%26cid%3D82

WHAT IS HE AFRAID OF???

CITIZENS SHOULD HAVE A LOUD AND CLEAR VOICE IN THESE COMMITTEE HEARINGS. WE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE SILENCED AND IGNORED SIMPLY BECAUSE WE CAN'T STAY IN RICHMOND LIKE A LOBBYIST!

WE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS!!!

THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT OUR ANIMALS & OUR BUSINESSES!!!

PLEASE MAKE THESE PHONE CALLS BEFORE NOON ON TUESDAY (1/28)! TELL THE SENATORS YOU OPPOSE SENATE BILL 1125 AND WANT THEM TO VOTE AGAINST IT!

ALSO LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH SENATOR MARSDEN'S CENSORSHIP OF VIRGINIA CITIZENS!!!

Senator David Marsden (Chair)
(804) 698-7535

Senator Mark Obenshain
(804) 698-7502

Senator Richard Stuart
(804) 698-7525

Senator William Stanley
(804) 698-7507

Senator David Suetterlein
(804) 698-7504

Senator Ghazala Hashmi
(804) 698-7515

Senator Travis Hackworth
(804) 698-7505

Senator Angelia Williams Graves
(804) 698-7521

Senator Russet Perry
(804) 698-7531

Senator Stella Pekarsky
(804) 698-7536

Senator Timmy French
(804) 698-7501

Senator Saddam Azlan Salim
(804) 698-7537

Senator Tammy Brankley Mulchi
(804) 698-7509

Senator Kannan Srinivasan
804-698-7532

WDBJ7 WSLS 10 / WSLS.com ABC 13 - WSET WFXR News

01/23/2025

Thank you so much to all of you who called and emailed! Our primates are safe for now!

WE HAVE BEEN HEARD!!!

On Wednesday, January 22, 2025 the House Agriculture Subcommittee voted unanimously to TABLE House Bill 1768 in regards to primates.

THIS IS A WIN.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CALLS AND EMAILS THAT HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

However, after the vote the chair stated that he would ask for a letter to be sent to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to get the bill into the proper posture for next year regarding stakeholders, policy, etc.

THIS IS THE TIME TO EDUCATE OUR LAWMAKERS.

PETA AND HSUS WILL CONTINUE TO LOBBY TO OUTLAW THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF ANIMALS.

Please continue to spread the word and share the VAOA posts. Animal owners must stand united if we want to preserve our animals and way of life!

You can watch the subcommittee video at the following link:

https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/chamber/chamberstream.php

Select Agriculture Subcommittee for Wednesday, January 22, 2025

The discussion about the bill begins at 4:07:07

You will see speakers from HSUS, PETA, and VAOA!

01/12/2025

PLEASE HELP US SAVE OUR PRIMATES!

Many of you have personally seen our two girls--Cindy and Gracie--who are seasonally on exhibit within the park. They have both been with us for years and have bonded over time. Both were pets before they came to us.

Delegate Martinez has been convinced that House Bill 1768 is a good idea, but it will hurt our primates and countless others. The language of the bill states that research facilities are exempt. Primate sanctuaries, shelters, veterinarians, and law enforcement are all exempted.

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB1768/text/HB1768

But when you see the zoo "exemption" there are a host of scenarios of why an exhibitor WILL NOT be allowed to keep their primates:

"A zoological park or circus that holds a Class C exhibitor license in good standing prior to July 1, 2026, provided that such park or circus (i) has not been, and has not employed any person who has been, convicted of or fined for an offense involving the abuse or neglect of any animal pursuant to any federal, state, or local laws; (ii) has not had its license or permit revoked or suspended regarding the care, possession, exhibition, propagation, or sale of any animal by any federal, state, or local agency, and has not received any official warning letter, or entered into any stipulations, consent decrees, or settlements with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) within the past three years and shall disclose any known pending investigations that are being conducted by the USDA; (iii) has not been cited by the USDA under the federal Animal Welfare Act, 7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq., for any noncompliant item within the past three years for any violation for a failure to allow a facility inspection or interference with a facility inspection; (iv) maintains liability insurance that is equal to or greater than $250,000, with a deductible of not more than $250 for each occurrence of property damage, bodily injury, or death caused by any primate possessed by the circus or zoological park; and (v) has a written plan, filed with the local animal control authority, for the quick and safe recapture of any primate that escapes, including written protocols for training staff on methods of safe recapture of such primate".

In October 2021 and February 2022, we were cited by our USDA inspector, because "A responsible adult was not available to accompany APHIS Officials during the inspection process..."

How did this occur?

We have ALWAYS operated seasonally. We live on the property. After Labor Day, we go to a reduced schedule of three days a week. Group visits of 20 or more are available by appointment Monday - Thursday. When our inspector visited in October 2021, it was during the week and we were in town running errands. These inspections are unannounced, surprise visits. We had no idea she was coming to the zoo.

In February 2022, we were cited again for the same reason. After Thanksgiving weekend, we close the park down until April. We do this every winter and are still taking care of our animals. When the inspector visited this time--unplanned and unannounced--STAFF WERE ON THE PROPERTY. However, our property is approximately 70 acres with animals and barns spread throughout. The inspector did not wait on the property long enough for us to see her. We were cited again and appealed the citation to USDA.

THIS WAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE--NOT AN ANIMAL CARE ISSUE.

Delegate Martinez now wants to strip us and other small businesses of our primates for this very reason! He would rather throw Cindy and Gracie into turmoil or have them "humanely destroyed" (killed) than live with us, because of a citation. No true animal lover would be so cruel.

If you would please take a moment to call Delegate Martinez to tell him you oppose House Bill 1768 we would greatly appreciate it:

(804) 698-1029

You can also send him an email:

[email protected]

Your call or email could make the difference in saving the lives of Cindy and Gracie.

Thank you for your help!

01/11/2025

WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP!

So many of you know and love Pataki--our adorable Zedonk. He is the best boy and loves to greet the safari bus tours. He is a hybrid. Senator Jennifer Boysko has introduced a bill into the General Assembly which will effectively outlaw hybrids over time in the State of Virginia. If her legislation becomes law, it will be "unlawful to intentionally (i) propagate wildlife of different species or subspecies, also known as hybridization, or (ii) keep or house wildlife of different species or subspecies in conditions in which they could propagate."

This is complete lunacy! Pataki is healthy and happy and a wonderful addition to the world. Zedonks and zorses are beautiful and in no way "less than" their parents. To outlaw the breeding of these animals in the future is mind-boggling. Why would anyone want to do this? It is discriminatory and parallels the concept of "pure blood" philosophy of Germany in the 1940's.

If this passes, we will only be one step away from the government controlling the breeding of domestic animals including mules, hinnies, etc.

There are also serious questions about enforcement for owners who already own hybrids. What kind of harassment will they face as the State determines whether or not a particular law was broken?

It is also worth noting that certain hybrids naturally occur in the wild.

Senate Bill 1125 will also make it ILLEGAL to bottle-feed a baby zoo animal without a host of conditions including the involvement of the vet, a hands-on examination of the mother, and zoo staff making "all reasonable efforts to safely reintroduce such separated wildlife to the mother".

This bill also states that "qualified experts with formal education, expertise, and training in the species as appropriate, shall determine the natural time of weaning that is appropriate for a species." THIS LANGUAGE REVEALS PREJUDICE TOWARDS ZOO OWNERS. THEY KNOW THEIR ANIMALS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE AND DO NOT NEED SOMEONE FROM AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION TELLING THEM HOW TO CARE FOR THEIR ANIMALS.

At Fort Chiswell Animal Park we usually choose to leave babies with their mothers and they wean their babies on their own schedule. However, sometimes it is NOT in the best interest of the baby to leave it with its mother. Sometimes it's the weather, sometimes a mother rejects the baby, and sometimes a baby is allergic to its mother's milk. Other times, Jeff wants to raise a specific animal for the safari. He has purchased bottle babies and reared them at the park. This was the case with Cody the Bison, Humphrey the Camel, and Scotty the Water Buffalo. These animals have lived wonderful lives, brought joy to thousands of people, and been amazing ambassadors for their species. THIS BILL STRIKES AT THE HEART OF THE HUMAN ANIMAL BOND.

PLEASE HELP US CALL THE OFFICE OF SENATOR BOYSKO AND TELL HER YOU OPPOSE SENATE BILL 1125:

(804) 698-7538

You can also send her an email:

[email protected]

Here is a link to the proposed legislation:

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1125

Thank you so much for your help! We appreciate you!