For Immediate Release:
July 28, 2021
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
East Stroudsburg, Pa. – After PETA alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the fact that a 21-year-old black bear at Pocono Snake & Animal Farm suffered from a broken tooth with painfully exposed pulp, the agency moved in and cited the roadside zoo for failing to meet the minimum requirements of the federal Animal Welfare Act. According to the recently released report, an inspector observed the bear biting at the bars of her enclosure—likely an indication of dental pain—and apparently, she had not received an oral exam in 10 years.
“If this bear has gone without dental care for a decade, it’s possible that she’s been in agony for years,” says PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Michelle Sinnott. “PETA is now calling on the public to help end such wanton neglect by staying away from this ramshackle roadside zoo.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that the USDA previously cited Pocono Snake & Animal Farm for failing to provide adequate veterinary care for two geriatric capuchins, a squirrel monkey, and a pot-bellied pig who all suffered from hair loss.
PETA opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
