By Randy Shore, Vancouver SunDecember 14, 2009 METRO VANCOUVER -- A Fort Langley conservation facility accused of animal cruelty by an anonymous group of current and former employees has an exemplary record, according to the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre is defending itself from allegations of botched euthanasia and animal neglect, but not a single complaint was received by CAZA during the latest five-year accreditation period, said CAZA national director Bill Peters.

CAZA is the national body responsible for inspection and accreditation of zoos in Canada.

“An inspection team visited Mountain View in 2007 and they received their accreditation in 2008,” said Peters. “I would characterize their work as superb.”

Mountain View president Gordon Blankstein said he can’t believe his staff could kill an animal with a hammer, one of the allegations his organization faces.

“It’s really unfair to show a picture of a rhino that has broken off his horn before it has been treated,” Blankstein said. “It looks a lot different the next day after it has been treated.”

The B.C. SPCA is investigating the allegations levelled by the employee group and issued orders to Mountain View after inspecting the centre, said SPCA general manager of cruelty investigation Marcie Moriarty.

She would not reveal the nature of the orders, saying only that “the owner is complying.” The SPCA had never received a complaint about Mountain View prior to this, she said.

Two giraffes at the centre have died since the complaint was first received by the SPCA and their carcasses have been sent for necropsy to determine cause of death.

Trouble for the centre began in September after four employees were laid off, Blankstein said. The centre usually has 12 paid employees and several dozen volunteers.

“Then all of a sudden the SPCA is out here investigating a complaint and the fire marshal comes, we had [Worksafe BC] out,” he said. “But they came and looked around and went away happy.”

The centre’s remaining employees voted to unionize in October, but have not yet negotiated a contract.

Blankstein donated 55 acres to the non-profit Mountain View Conservation Society in 2002 after running conservation programs there privately for about 15 years. The provincial government donated the balance of the 300-acre conservancy to the society to pursue breed-and-release programs. Mountain View opened to the public as a private zoo in 2002 with full accreditation.

“I have put millions of dollars of my own money into this place, so it’s really disheartening to hear accusations like this,” Blankstein said, adding that centre employees freely interact with CAZA inspectors when they are on site.

The facility breeds endangered animals for release into the wild. Several of its 50 rehabilitation programs are supported by the provincial government, including those aimed at rehabilitating Vancouver Island marmots, the northern spotted owl and the Oregon spotted frog, for which it built a marshland.

“We laid off some people that we didn’t think were competent and there are some union issues wrapped around this,” said Blankstein.

Allegations of mistreatment and details of 50 animal deaths dating back to 2004 were levelled late in November by the group of four current and four former employees.

The group will not speak directly to the media, claiming they are afraid of “backlash,” according to their appointed spokesman Todd Streu. Streu has never been employed by the centre.

The Sun will not print the details of anonymous allegations.

Blankstein said 50 animal deaths over five years is normal for a facility that has bred, raised and released thousands of animals.