Background on the Case

How does a sanctuary for animals go bad? It happens, and in the case of Primarily Primates, Inc. (PPI), in San Antonio, Texas, the consequences have been deadly for the animals entrusted to its care. While numerous animals have died at PPI, it is the horrendous quality of life and the suffering that they endured before their deaths that are truly inexcusable.

Late in 2005, PPI staff members called PETA to report that animals were suffering horribly and dying and that the facility's director, Wally Swett, was drunk all the time. PPI staff members reported that Swett did the following things:

• Refused to provide veterinary care to animals who desperately needed it
• Shot animals because "bullets are cheaper" than euthanasia
• Denied primates any psychological enrichment
• Threw out donated enrichment treats
• Ignored staff members when they pleaded for animals to be given proper shelter
• Purchased birds and a baby chimpanzee for tens of thousands of dollars
• Locked chimpanzees in isolation for no reason
• Took baby chimpanzees away from their mothers in order to hand-rear them in his house, neglecting them so badly that some died
• Told staff members to use high-pressure water hoses to control chimpanzees, because the poor design of the facility does not enable anyone to safely enter the enclosures

The affidavits from PPI staff members are chilling.
John Fischer's Affidavit
Terry Minchew's Affidavit

PETA representatives, accompanied by a videographer, were taken on a tour of PPI by concerned staff members. We were taken into places that no one has been allowed to see in years. We saw chimpanzees and other primates huddled in filthy night houses that could not be cleaned because of poor facility design; we saw open cesspools of animal waste; we saw that there was no shade in most of the enclosures to protect animals from the blazing sun; and we saw dogs who were spinning wildly in their cages because of lack of exercise and socialization. We heard sad stories of individual animals who had come to PPI amid much fanfare about being saved, only to be shot and left to die slowly. In one instance, Zelda, a grizzly bear, was shot and left to suffer for 45 minutes before finally dying. We saw Oliver, an elderly chimpanzee who had been used and abused and then sent to PPI, only to be isolated in a tiny, filthy enclosure so that, according to PPI staff members, Swett could hug him for photo opportunities.

What we saw amounted to a deplorable animal-collection facility. We began taking affidavits from current and former PPI workers, but we knew that ensuring change would be tough and that we would need help in documenting the conditions at PPI. (In fact, Wally Swett was referred to as the "Teflon man" for his ability to deflect negative publicity.) We knew from experience that it would be an uphill battle, because PPI staff members and volunteers had tried to help the animals at the facility in 1992, as had PETA, by seeking the assistance of the Texas attorney general—but we were all unsuccessful at that time.

The calls that PETA received from PPI employees in August 2005 brought to mind eerily familiar instances of cruelty to animals and extreme negligence. And so it was that 13 years after our first effort, we had another chance to document the suffering and death at PPI. As we approached the beginning of the new year, though, something horrible happened. Read on to learn what occurred.

Sign Up for E-News

Join Our Activist Network

Forward to a Friend