Group Suspects That Adequate Number of Trained Employees and Supervisors—Both Required by Law—Were Nowhere to Be Found
For Immediate Release:
November 9, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Bordentown, N.J. — PETA this morning sent a formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking an investigation into the deaths of a mother giraffe and her 3-week-old calf and as many as 15 parrots, four cats, and three dogs in a fire at Bridget's Animal Kingdom, an unaccredited roadside zoo in Bordentown. PETA is asking the USDA to determine if the menagerie's owner, Burton Sipp, had an emergency plan in place and to what extent, if any, it was carried out in accordance with the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Reportedly, on the evening of October 30, a wall collapsed on the giraffes as firefighters worked to free them from a locked barn. The mother was crushed to death, and her calf died later from her injuries. Some of the animals died inside a pet store on the property operated by Sipp. Sipp's wife, Bridget, died in a fire at the same site in April, and on both occasions, Sipp was out of town.
"The law is clear: Owners of animal menageries must take steps to protect the animals from fires, floods, and other disasters," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "We're asking the USDA to hold Burton Sipp and Bridget's Animal Kingdom fully accountable under the law if it is found that this tragedy could have been prevented."
The AWA states: "A sufficient number of adequately trained employees shall be utilized to maintain the professionally acceptable level of husbandry practices …. Such practices shall be under a supervisor who has a background in animal care." PETA is concerned that there were not enough employees present to be adequately prepared to handle such an emergency situation, as required by the AWA. PETA also wants to know if Sipp maintained the structural integrity of the building in which the giraffes were locked—also an AWA requirement.
Just weeks before the recent fire, the USDA cited Sipp for 19 violations of the AWA, including failure to maintain the structural strength of the giraffe enclosure and numerous other animal enclosures.
PETA's letter to the USDA and the USDA's inspection report are available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA's blog.