Animal Advocates Watchdog

Former Price Is Right host weighs in on private zoo

Former Price Is Right host weighs in on private zoo

By Emily Kreiberg, Postmedia NewsJune 9, 2011

CALGARY — Bob Barker, longtime animal rights activist and legendary star of The Price Is Right, is urging Albertans to contact their elected officials to ensure all of the animals at a family run zoo are taken away from its embattled owner.

"I have been following the situation at Guzoo closely and was initially encouraged to hear the Alberta government had decided to close the roadside zoo," Barker said.

"However, I have now learned that this decision provides no protection for many of the animals since they are not covered under the zoo permit and I fear that they will be left behind to suffer."

Guzoo, the privately owned and family-operated zoo in Three Hills, Alta., about 130 kilometres northeast of Calgary, has become the centre of a media storm in recent months, as animal rights groups and the Alberta government have fought for the facility's closure in the wake of a list of animal abuse accusations.

The latest criticism by Barker didn't faze the family.

"Maybe it's senility speaking," said Guzoo owner Lynn Gustafson of Barker's comments.

"Bob Barker knows as much about animals as we do about being game show hosts," said Gustafson's son, Bill.

On June 1, the province ordered Guzoo to close its doors to the public and begin decommissioning the business.

Barker expressed his concern that the decommissioning of the zoo only requires that the controlled species be removed, leaving behind animals missed by the Wildlife Act, such as camels, reptiles, birds and domesticated animals.

"Since the zoo permit is limited to primarily exotic species," Barker said, "many of the animals at Guzoo will fall through the legislative cracks and as such may be left at this facility that has proven its inability to provide even the most basic needs of animals, such as the provisions of fresh water, nutritional food, and adequate care and accommodations."

Barker urged Albertans to lobby their elected officials in hopes of getting all animals removed from the property.

"I am appealing to all Albertans who have concern for the animals to contact their MLAs to ask them to take immediate action on behalf of all of the animals at Guzoo as soon as possible," Barker said.

"The government can do another investigation after the other animals are gone, and if they find the domestic animals still aren't being cared for properly, then they can take the domestic animals away too."

Gustafson was granted a 60-day permit from the province Thursday that will allow him to keep the zoo's exotic animals on his property while he works with government officials to find homes for them.

"The permit issued today focuses on the 120-odd permitted animals, the wildlife and the exotic animals," Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesman Dave Ealey said.

"The other animals are under the Animal Protection Act, and they aren't as much of a focus at this time."

The newly issued permit restricts the animals protected under the Wildlife Protection Act from being kept on the property or being displayed to the public, but does not place restrictions on the zoo's domestic animals such as goats and cattle.

ekreiberg@calgaryherald.com

http://www.theprovince.com/travel/Former+Price+Right+host+weighs+private/4922603/story.html

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Former Price Is Right host weighs in on private zoo

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