Current:Home > FinanceMany animals seized from troubled Virginia zoo will not be returned, judge rules-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Many animals seized from troubled Virginia zoo will not be returned, judge rules
View Date:2024-12-24 07:13:16
NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (AP) — Many of the 96 animals seized from a roadside zoo in Virginia last month after an investigation by the state attorney general will not be returned, a judge ruled Friday.
In his ruling, Rockbridge General District Court Judge Gregory Mooney found that prosecutors had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the animals seized from the Natural Bridge Zoo were subject to cruelty or inadequate care, The Roanoke Times reported. Mooney ordered “disposal” of 57 of the 96 animals, meaning they will be released to a humane society or animal shelter for adoption.
Mooney said the other 39 animals will be returned to the zoo because he was unable to find that they required seizure.
After confidential informants and undercover officers observed poor conditions at the zoo throughout 2023, Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office executed a search warrant at the property in December. During later court proceedings, the office argued for the continued custody of the animals by the state.
State witnesses testified that several deceased animals and animal parts were found in a freezer on the property. They also described birds defecating on tortoises and dead goats lying bloated in their pens during visiting hours.
Attorneys for zoo owners Karl and Deborah “Debbie” Mogensen called zoo experts whose testimony contradicted the drastic conditions described by state witnesses.
A phone call to the zoo, which is closed for the winter, went unanswered Friday.
Mooney denied a request from the state that the zoo be subject to unannounced inspections for the next five years.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Mike Tyson-Jake Paul: How to watch the fight, time, odds
- From Kristin Davis to Kim Cattrall, Look Back at Stars' Most Candid Plastic Surgery Confessions
- Drilling, Mining Boom Possible But Unlikely Under Trump’s Final Plan for Southern Utah Lands
- See Kendra Wilkinson and Her Fellow Girls Next Door Stars Then and Now
- Missouri prosecutor says he won’t charge Nelly after an August drug arrest
- Ohio man sentenced to life in prison for rape of 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for abortion
- Standing Rock: Dakota Access Pipeline Leak Technology Can’t Detect All Spills
- JoJo Siwa Details How Social Media Made Her Coming Out Journey Easier
- 2 dead in explosion at Kentucky factory that also damaged surrounding neighborhood
- Tony Awards 2023: The Complete List of Winners
Ranking
- 'Heretic' spoilers! Hugh Grant spills on his horror villain's fears and fate
- Make Fitness a Priority and Save 49% On a Foldable Stationary Bike With Resistance Bands
- Fossil Fuels on Trial: Where the Major Climate Change Lawsuits Stand Today
- Gabrielle Union Shares How She Conquered Her Fear of Being a Bad Mom
- Chrysler recalls over 200k Jeep, Dodge vehicles over antilock-brake system: See affected models
- Proof Jennifer Coolidge Is Ready to Check Into a White Lotus Prequel
- Philadelphia shooting suspect charged with murder as authorities reveal he was agitated leading up to rampage
- Man was not missing for 8 years as mother claimed, Houston police say
Recommendation
-
Food prices worried most voters, but Trump’s plans likely won’t lower their grocery bills
-
Trump May Approve Strip Mining on Tennessee’s Protected Cumberland Plateau
-
Bud Light sales continue to go flat during key summer month
-
Energy Execs’ Tone on Climate Changing, But They Still See a Long Fossil Future
-
Joey Graziadei Details Why Kelsey Anderson Took a Break From Social Media
-
Brian Austin Green Slams Claim Ex Megan Fox Forces Sons to Wear Girls Clothes
-
How Energy Companies and Allies Are Turning the Law Against Protesters
-
Despite Capitol Hill Enthusiasm for Planting Crops to Store Carbon, Few Farmers are Doing It, Report Finds