GULF BREEZE — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed a complaint against Eric Mogensen, the owner and operator of the Gulf Breeze Zoo.
The complaint charges Mogensen and his daughter, Meghan, with multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the Gulf Breeze facility, as well as two other facilities that Mogensen owns in Virginia.
The Humane Society of the United States, which monitors reports of animal cruelty, contacted the Daily News regarding the complaint.
"We think it's important that people understand what goes on at these roadside zoos," said Lisa Wathne, a captive wildlife specialist with the animal welfare organization. "The charges in the complaint are pretty heinous."
Among the charges included in the report are allegations that the zoo failed to establish an adequate veterinary program, failed to handle animals as carefully as possible to prevent harm to the animals and the public, failed to separate incompatible animals, and failed to provide adequate ventilation for the animals.
Efforts to contact the Mogensens were unsuccessful. Valerie Samu, a marketing specialist at the Gulf Breeze Zoo, was not aware of the charges.
"This is the first I've heard of it," Samu said on Friday afternoon.
The complaint included several examples. In one incident, an attendant was not present when the public, including children, had contact with camels, goats, and llamas, resulting in a child being bitten by a camel. In another case, a tiger enclosure was found to have rusted, jagged and sharp edges, while a lion enclosure had exposed nails.
According to the Humane Society, Meghan Mogensen pleaded guilty to animal cruelty while working at the Reston Zoo in Virginia, and was barred from making decisions about animal care and euthanasia. She later transferred to the Gulf Breeze Zoo.
The complaint also contained several charges related to activities at the Reston Zoo and the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Those charges include euthanizing an animal by drowning, and mishandling of a spider monkey that resulted in its death due to hypothermia.
According to Wathne, the Mogensens will have an opportunity to respond to the charges.
"Ultimately, they may have to appear at a hearing," she said. "The outcomes could be many, from fines to having their licenses suspended or revoked. If that happens, they will not be able to operate the facility."
USDA: Zoo violations were extensive
The USDA has charged the owner/operator of the Gulf Breeze Zoo with the following violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act:
Failure to establish an adequate program of veterinary care. Used expired medications to treat and vaccinate animals and identified and employed gunshot as a means of euthanasia (without adequate training and documentation).
Repeated failure to handle animals as carefully as possible to prevent harm to the animals and the public. An attendant was not present when the public, including children, had contact with camels, goats and llamas, resulting in a child being bitten by a camel, and a short-tail opossum escaped from an enclosure that was not covered and was found dead the next day.
Repeated failure to safely handle and house primates. There was not sufficient distance and/or barriers to restrict the public from having contact with squirrel monkeys, tamarins, and/or marmosets.
Repeated failure to maintain animal enclosures. An enclosure housing golden-headed lion tamarins had protruding nails, an enclosure housing a Patagonian cavy had buried wire mesh with sharp ends that protruded into the enclosure, a door in an enclosure housing tigers had rusted, jagged, and sharp edges, and an enclosure housing raccoons had very rusted and corroded wire as well as wood that was splintered and warped.
Failure to separate incompatible animals. Rabbits were housed in incompatible groups, resulting in newborn rabbits “being eaten, chewed upon, or otherwise injured by the other rabbits in the enclosure,” and causing the newborns to die or be euthanized due to their injuries.
Failure to provide shelter from sunlight or inclement weather to goats and sheep.
Failure to ensure that food was clean and wholesome when food for marmosets was prepared at a sink that was dirty and had dead insects and mouse droppings around the sink’s perimeter.
Failure to provide adequate ventilation in facilities used to house tigers at night.
Failure to clean food receptacles for lions and tigers.
Failure to maintain records of acquisition and disposition for a white rhinoceros, a short-tailed possum, goats and a Virginia opossum.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Zoo owner charged with mistreating animals