08/03/2024
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NATURAL BRIDGE ZOO JURY VERDICT:
The jury deliberated for over 10 hours.
They ultimately gave a split decision.
Attorney General Jason Miyares is praising the decision as animal welfare.
THE STATE RAID OF THE ZOO WAS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF ANIMAL WELFARE.
HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
Zeus the White Tiger suffered for 48 minutes at the hands of Dr. Valerie Johnson and Dr. Ernesto Dominguez. The giraffe barn was cleared by Virginia State Police and the female giraffes were terrified and huddled in the corner. The male giraffe, Jeffery, was pacing from stress. The female gibbon was sucking her thumb by the time the raid team got to her and the male gibbon, Ted, cried as they captured him. The hornbills that had been together for 30 years were brutally separated and the baby that was later hatched did not survive. The macaw eggs were left behind when the macaws were seized and all of the babies in the eggs died. Many animals refused to eat the day of the raid when the keepers were escorted in the afternoon to feed them. Fragile animals were moved from the warmth of their enclosures out into the bitter cold by the raid team which contributed to respiratory issues in the reptiles. The skink and Ted both died weeks after the seizure.
The raid on Natural Bridge Zoo is a stain on the State of Virginia, the Office of the Attorney General, and the veterinarians involved who took an oath to PROTECT animals. Anyone who cares about animals needs to stand up and speak up. Your animals could be next.
This entire debacle was started by an undercover PETA activist by the name of Shane McClain who secured a job at the zoo.
Investigator Amy Taylor then used the PETA complaint and worked with Sgt. Boczar (who has already been stripped of her immunity for lying) to secure a search warrant in POWHATAN COUNTY.
The evidence in this case--the animals themselves--were not identified or traced. THIS MEANS THERE WAS NO WAY FOR THE JURY TO KNOW WHICH MACAW WAS WHICH WHEN THEY MADE THEIR DECISION!
The jury found that the Mogensens did NOT deprive the male gibbon, Ted. Why did they come to this decision? When the jury was shown a photo of Ted, he was sitting on the ground and looked completely terrified. (Anyone who has ever visited Natural Bridge Zoo knows Ted never sat in this manner.) Dr. Dominguez testified that he and Sgt. Erin Brogen caught Ted with nets. Zoo staff heard Ted crying. They were distraught by this, but were escorted away from the exhibit by Virginia State Police. When Dr. Dominguez was asked about Ted crying, he coolly stated the gibbon vocalized. Ted died weeks later at Metro Richmond Zoo.
This sequence of events obviously had an effect on the jury.
The members of the jury did not get to hear from Gretchen Mogensen, but we have even more facts available to us from her news interview in December. She stated at that time she saw a gibbon knocked down from a high enclosure (this would have been Ted--he was the only gibbon housed outside.) She talked about the rebar and brooms that were left stuck in the sides of primate enclosures. She also described the wire dog kennel that was used to transport the gibbon and why this is a horrible risk for a long-armed primate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY_RCE26LaQ
How did improper handling and capture by Dr. Dominguez and Erin Brogen contribute to Ted's death?
Darren Minier of the Oakland Zoo was asked to participate in this raid by the Virginia Attorney General's Office. He recommended seizure for many of the animals. If you look up his name online, you will see that he has worked with PETA before and is praised by animal extremists. He adheres to the pro-euthanasia ideology of PETA and testified during the Mogensen appeal that it is more humane TO EUTHANIZE a baby animal that has been rejected than to raise it! THIS IS COMPLETELY SICK AND HEARTLESS.
HOW IS DARREN MINIER ALLOWED TO SIT ON THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE WITH THIS MENTALITY?
HE IS A DIRECT THREAT TO ZOO ANIMALS AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVING DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO SAVING THEM!
Jason Miyares has aligned himself with heartless individuals.
How could any zoo keeper agree with killing a perfectly healthy baby tiger or giraffe?
Who would condone the raid team's treatment of Ted?
What animal lover believes a 48 minute "euthanasia" of any living creature is acceptable?
Jason Miyares is trying to justify the actions of his unit, because SOME of the enclosures were dirty.
Has Jason Miyares ever owned an animal?
Animals are not clean! We often impose cleanliness upon them. Animals mess in their pens, spill their water, and throw their food. They love mud, they are drawn to urine, they eat p**p, and roll in dead carcasses. The Animal Law Unit is attempting to humanize animals and is ACTIVELY HARMING them as a result!
Jason Miyares would do well to remember that zoo staff were prevented by the raid team from cleaning and feeding FOR HOURS.
In the instance of the nesting pair of hornbills, the cage COULD NOT BE CLEANED or the female would have come off the nest! Natural Bridge Zoo was one of the few zoos in the world to successfully raise Southern Ground Hornbills. The State of Virginia has completely shattered this conservation effort. Jason Miyares and his unit should be ashamed.
As for the hair loss on one of the female capuchins, she had a behavioral issue with picking her tail and was under vet care. She also had a baby on her back. A veterinarian FOR THE STATE acknowledged that the p*e from the baby could have contributed to the hair loss. The decision was ultimately made to leave the baby on the mother in the best interest of the capuchins. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE MOGENSENS CHOSE TO DO!
The green python (that had previously been given to the zoo) has an odd habit of biting itself. HOW IS THIS THE MOGENSEN'S FAULT?
Some birds had broken beaks or missing toes. IMPERFECTION DOES NOT EQUATE ABUSE!
Dr. Dominguez recommended seizure for the cockatoo and opined about the size of its enclosure--this was an industry standard cage. WHAT WOULD THE PET INDUSTRY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?
Lois Magill is the Founder and Executive Director of New Freedom Farm. She testified on behalf of the Natural Bridge Zoo after taking the agricultural animals and stated, “I didn't see anything wrong with them. I thought one of the llamas was a little thin, otherwise, I thought it was okay..."
https://wset.com/news/local/one-story-of-the-seizure-recap-of-the-natural-bridge-zoo-jury-trial-virginia-march-2024
Special Prosecutor Michelle Welch was obviously thrilled with winning custody of the giraffe. These four animals alone are worth ONE MILLION DOLLARS. She stated repeatedly during the trial that the experts were conservative in seizing animals. The giraffes are proof that monetary value was a deciding factor. An action plan was not enough. Michelle Welch has previously stated, "So, everyone likes forfeiture, right?"
The Natural Bridge Zoo case matters to every animal owner in America and should resonate with every animal lover on the planet. The Mogensen family is not done fighting and we need each and every one of you to stand up and fight back too.
No Virginian should be proud of the Animal Law Unit---especially not Jason Miyares.
The raid of Natural Bridge Zoo is the very definition of abuse of power.
Glenn Youngkin Winsome Earle-Sears Jason Miyares Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Virginia Farm Bureau Federation American Farm Bureau Federation 4-H Virginia Agribusiness Council Animal Agriculture Alliance Virginia Cattlemen's Association Protect The Harvest Two By Two 4U USARK - United States Association of Reptile Keepers Exotic Wildlife Association Fox News NewsNation ABC News CBS CNN NBC News WDBJ7 WSLS 10 / WSLS.com ABC 13 - WSET WFXR News
