Following a complaint from PETA, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission cited Monica Welde, owner of Bearadise Ranch and the notorious traveling show Welde’s Big Bear Show, for violating state wildlife laws by allowing a news crew to enter an enclosure with a 300-pound bear. The crew was allowed to interact with and feed the bear without any barriers present. Welde pleaded no contest to the charges, accepting the prosecution’s offer of withheld adjudication, a $100 fine, and nearly $300 in court costs.
Bearadise Ranch Cited by Florida Fish and Wildlife Authorities Following PETA Complaint
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“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE
— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind