Colorado sanctuary draws flak after euthanizing 11 animals

Three tigers, five bears and three lions from Lion’s Gate Sanctuary were euthanized last April.  AFP FILE PHOTO

Euthanizing animals should oftentimes be used as a last resort, but the owners of the Lion’s Gate Sanctuary in Colorado, USA, might have not gotten the memo.

According to the Washington Post, staff members put down three tigers, five bears and three lions in their care after failing to receive  approval to relocate to another facility.

Lion’s Gate owners Joan Laub and her partner, Peter Winney, said the chronic flooding in their facilities put the animals’ safety at risk. However, instead of finding a place to take them in, the sanctuary said they had “no other option” but to euthanize each animal.

“I’ve been in this business 37 years and don’t know of anybody that just quietly euthanized their animals without trying to find homes first,” Pat Craig, owner of nearby Wild Animal Sanctuary, said in a CBS News report.

Craig, whose 720-acre facility is less than two hours away from Lion’s Gate, said he was willing to take in the animals.

“The option was so blatantly right there in their backyard, to have somebody like us take them. I think that’s probably what confuses most people,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the euthanized animals were reportedly buried on the same sanctuary grounds.

It remained unclear if the Lion’s Gate management would face charges for their actions.  Khristian Ibarrola /ra

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