Bear-Rescue Anniversary Prompts PETA Appeal to Relocate Animals Still at Sportsmen’s Club

For Immediate Release:
January 26, 2021

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

On the anniversary of Dillan the bear’s release from a decrepit cage at the Union County Sportsmen’s Club (UCSC) and relocation to a spacious, accredited sanctuary home, the PETA Foundation’s wildlife veterinarian—who has over 11 years of experience working with wildlife around the world—sent UCSC President Ray Kline a letter this morning offering PETA’s help in relocating the animals who still remain there to reputable facilities, too.

Since arriving at The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, Dillan has undergone crucial dental surgery, ended the repetitive rocking behavior that consumed his days at UCSC, and lost the dangerously unhealthy weight that he carried, thanks to a nutritionally balanced diet and the opportunity to explore, dig, climb, swim, rest, and play with another rescued bear in his vast naturalistic habitat.

“That bear’s life has completely transformed since he left the Union County Sportsmen’s Club, and PETA wants to give the same chance to the birds, deer, and other animals left behind in the club’s cages,” says PETA Foundation wildlife veterinarian Dr. Monica Bando. “These animals are suffering from painful conditions that can be addressed with veterinary treatment, proper nutrition, and species-appropriate care, and PETA is ready to foot the bill.”

One of the animals still at UCSC is a peahen named Penny, who shows signs of bumblefoot—a painful, progressive inflammatory condition that, when left untreated, can lead to infection of the bone, severe lameness, and even death. Other birds at UCSC have suffered from feather loss and overgrown beaks and exhibit abnormal pacing behavior, most likely in response to being confined to small, barren cages and deprived of the opportunity to fly, roam, perch, bathe, and forage.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.