This aquarium was so irresponsible. I’m so mad about this.
Can you elaborate? There isn't much info in the article and I don't remember hearing about Charlotte before.
Basically many experts feel she didn’t get proper care and that the staff at the zoo were not prepared to care for her and ignored calls from other vets to seek outside care. A lot of people feel the zoo capitalized on the fame Charlotte’s “pregnancy” brought them, but that she was never pregnant at all and never received the right treatment for the disease she had. I’m sure her care team is grieving, but this is not an AZA accredited zoo or aquarium and they haven’t responded to questions of the qualifications of her care team.
Can you elaborate? There isn't much info in the article and I don't remember hearing about Charlotte before.
Basically many experts feel she didn’t get proper care and that the staff at the zoo were not prepared to care for her and ignored calls from other vets to seek outside care. A lot of people feel the zoo capitalized on the fame Charlotte’s “pregnancy” brought them, but that she was never pregnant at all and never received the right treatment for the disease she had. I’m sure her care team is grieving, but this is not an AZA accredited zoo or aquarium and they haven’t responded to questions of the qualifications of her care team.
Are there any penalties the woman who started the zoo would face for not being an AZA accredited zoo or aquarium? Just curious about the process behind this whole situation.
Basically many experts feel she didn’t get proper care and that the staff at the zoo were not prepared to care for her and ignored calls from other vets to seek outside care. A lot of people feel the zoo capitalized on the fame Charlotte’s “pregnancy” brought them, but that she was never pregnant at all and never received the right treatment for the disease she had. I’m sure her care team is grieving, but this is not an AZA accredited zoo or aquarium and they haven’t responded to questions of the qualifications of her care team.
Are there any penalties the woman who started the zoo would face for not being an AZA accredited zoo or aquarium? Just curious about the process behind this whole situation.
There are no penalties for a facility to choose not to pursue AZA or ZAA accreditation. All facilities that hold and display animals in the US have to be inspected and licensed annually by USDA, as they are the agency charged with enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. Substandard vet care or poor animal welfare are USDA violations, but the facility would need to be officially reported and investigated for this particular issue.
I will say that I’m not sure what species this facility has, so they may or may not be subject to USDA licensing - the Animal Welfare Act and therefore USDA purview currently covers mammals and birds (and the birds were a very recent addition within the last year). The zoo where I work doesn’t house fish, so I’m not as familiar with what government regs may apply there.
They’ve only had police called on them twice in 15 years of journalism - the first was investigating neo-nazis in Germany, the second was over this stingray 😂
Are there any penalties the woman who started the zoo would face for not being an AZA accredited zoo or aquarium? Just curious about the process behind this whole situation.
There are no penalties for a facility to choose not to pursue AZA or ZAA accreditation. All facilities that hold and display animals in the US have to be inspected and licensed annually by USDA, as they are the agency charged with enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. Substandard vet care or poor animal welfare are USDA violations, but the facility would need to be officially reported and investigated for this particular issue.
I will say that I’m not sure what species this facility has, so they may or may not be subject to USDA licensing - the Animal Welfare Act and therefore USDA purview currently covers mammals and birds (and the birds were a very recent addition within the last year). The zoo where I work doesn’t house fish, so I’m not as familiar with what government regs may apply there.
Plus, let’s not forget that the USDA allows puppy mills to thrive, so…