Update (May 26, 2022): PETA is raising awareness of the suffering at the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation via ads plastered at local gas stations, urging travelers to steer clear of the roadside zoo. The can’t-be-missed pleas feature an image of Lucie, a long-suffering lion at the facility, where distressed and overweight animals languish in cramped cages.
Update (October 8, 2021): After PETA requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigate an incident at the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation in which a leopard named Royal attacked and severely injured a volunteer who had entered his enclosure, the government agency slapped the roadside zoo with a critical citation for failing to meet federal animal welfare regulations.
Reputable sanctuaries give rescued animals a new chance at life in a safe, appropriate, and natural setting. Sham sanctuaries are cruel roadside zoos, dealers, or breeders that market themselves as a “sanctuary” in order to attract customers. The Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation is the latter.
Animals at this facility are kept in cramped cages, and many of them are overweight and in poor body condition. Numerous animals have been seen pacing frequently, a sign of psychological distress. The facility’s operator, Roberta Kirshner, has been seen hitting animals used for encounters, including a lion cub named Samson, whom she hit with a broom while he had broken bones.
Please e-mail the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation at [email protected] to tell it to transfer all the animals there to reputable sanctuaries.
E-mail the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation
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