Guzoo Farm

teamgreen

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IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THIS YET, TAKE A LOOK. THERE IS A PETITION LINK AT THE BOOTOM OF ARTICLE

Shut down Guzoo in Three Hills, Alberta - End Roadside Prisons | Facebook

The Alberta SPCA is investigating a Three Hills zoo after photos were posted online over the weekend claiming to show animals at the GuZoo Animal Farm living in unhealthy conditions.

However, the owners of the zoo say it’s an effort by animal rights activists to discredit GuZoo ahead of the April 1 renewal of its Alberta operating licence.

Edmonton-based photographer Nic Burgess said it was a “crucial time” to act.

Burgess visited the zoo on Saturday.

“I was appalled by how the conditions were,” he said. “To me, it’s an animal hoarder who has a zoo permit. He’s just in over his head. He needs help to deal with these animals and these animals need help themselves.”

Burgess posted the photos on Facebook and has received hundreds of messages from concerned people.

Since then, an online petition with over 10,000 signatures is circulating, a letter-writing campaign is underway and the SPCA has been flooded with calls and messages.

“It’s under investigation so there’s not a lot we can say,” said Tim Battle, spokesman for the Alberta SPCA.

“What we can investigate are animals in distress under the Animal Protection Act.”

Burgess, a self-described “photographer and photo-manipulation artist,” said he saw, among other things, dirty enclosures, a kid bleeding, a goat chewing on gum packaging, a monkey cage falling apart and dogs running around agitating the caged animals.

Despite his title, Burgess said the photos are unedited. “I posted them as I took them from my camera.”

Bill Gustafson, who cares for the animals at his family’s farm, said the photos don’t tell the whole story.

He said the goat was bleeding because its horn was torn off during a medical procedure and the animal is fine.

“They always come this time of year because there’s water running and it’s starting to look mucky. You can’t control nature. That’s another reason they come now, the permit renewal, and it looks bad,” he said.

Gustafson said the complainers are only 0.1 per cent of the zoo’s visitors.

In 2007, Zoocheck said in a report that GuZoo tallied 100 violations of provincial standards.

That year the Alberta SPCA laid a charge under the Animal Protection Act, but the SPCA said it was dropped in 2008 for lack of evidence.

Gustafson said the family is not concerned about losing its permit because a few years ago the province asked the family in a zoo development plan: what it would do with the animals if it was forced to close its doors.

“Most of the animals we have here, it would be pretty near impossible to find homes for them,” said Gustafson.

“So Dad put that they would all be euthanized and used for taxidermy. I don’t think Fish and Wildlife really wants that.”

“It’s sad that this has come to this,” said Gustafson. “The biggest fear we have is for our own safety. I have the feeling that one of these days some person that thinks he’s going to make a name for himself by either burning our house down or beating one of us is going to come to think he’s going to be a hero with one of these groups.”

Burgess said he wishes the family no harm and urged polite dialogue on how the animals should best be cared for.

Alberta Sustainable Resources, the ministry responsible for regulating the zoo, did not return calls for comment.

Guzoo Licensing Petition
 

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Longhorn

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Sheesh...

Been fighting with people on FB about this all week....I will ask you the same question I asked them.

HAVE YOU BEEN THERE???

I lived a few miles from there for years, been many times, and they are a provincially licesnsed private zoo...Approved by the Province of Alberta...
 

teamgreen

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So the pictures are fake? If it was ever like for even a day, they deserve to be shut down
 

Longhorn

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So the pictures are fake? If it was ever like for even a day, they deserve to be shut down

Till you go and witness it personally 'You' need to be shut down...seriously...

Its a farm, im sure being from MB you have been on a farm...Are all farms spick and span clean? No they arent...This one is no different. They take in animals that are hurt, injured and abandoned that likely would have died or would have to be put down...They love and care for them personally, you would witness this if you would bother to visit...

Or just keep regurgitating crap that some animal advocate posts...
 

heavy d

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You walk into any feed lot with the warm conditions we've been having in the south, a good many would never eat beef again because they are all covered in mud and chit from head to toe.
Spring conditions do not make for the best farm advertising.
I have been to that zoo on several occaisions, and will continue to go as long as possible, the animals there are treated as good as any other zoo I've been to across the country.

Shut this one down, then shut the Calgary zoo down too, they have animals in cages there as well !!!
 

teamgreen

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I have been to many farms, never seen any like that, I would expect piles of manure and some other things, but when animals are dead in the pens and animals are given food that is still in the bags than someone needs to speak up.

I will never be "shut down", Its a public forum and Im kinda like Joey, I have an opinion and voice it.
 

Longhorn

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I have been to many farms, never seen any like that, I would expect piles of manure and some other things, but when animals are dead in the pens and animals are given food that is still in the bags than someone needs to speak up.

I will never be "shut down", Its a public forum and Im kinda like Joey, I have an opinion and voice it.

And honestly I encourage you to voice your opinion...as long as you back it up with some facts...And please dont be like Joey...

The dead animals that you refer to...IF you had ever taken the time to visit you would understand that the Guzoo has a contract to remove dead animals from the hiway, and also receive dead animals from Volker Stevin and hiway contractors as well as fish and game...they feed deads to the wild animals cause, guess what? Thats what they eat in the wild...Most bears dont head over to the local DQ for a cheeseburger...

Those dead animals arent just there because they died LOL...

Calgary zoo, Vancouver aquarium feed dead fish to the other fish, no one feels weird about that so why is it any different to feed a dead deer to a bear??

Make an arguement, that is your right...However it is MY right to ask you to make an INFORMED arguement...
 

pistonbroke800

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I have been a few times and really its nothing like these people are making it out to be. Personally i thought it sucked but not once did i think any of the animals were not getting cared for or abused.
 

buck50

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the owner said on the news that every year at this time the animal groups turn up the heat, as it's time for his license renewal! and i agree, photos don't really tell the story of what's happening and NOT happening there
 

imdoo'n

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Funny how the only people that are opposed and want to shut it down, havent been there...

and spewing some other air heads BS. just can't seem to make up there own opinion. spewing bs about something they know nothing about, must be a boner.:rolleyes:
 

mudd kitty

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They shouldn't have the food still in bags.........ever!. And some of those shelters are pretty fawked up. Yes at least they have a crappy ass trailer park style shelter but its pretty shabby and run down. I would say they maybe need some help in ol' fix er up dept.


And no I have never been to this farm like wanna be zoo and probably never will.

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