Big Reveal Part II: Do You Believe Them? I Don't!

Everytime the temperatures dip below 40 degrees, I worry about the WAO animals.  After learning how many primates and big cats died in past years during the winter seasons, I guess my concerns are justified.  I thought I would try one more time to see if someone even cares about the animals as they are forced to endure another cold winter at Talley Road: 

Kristina Brunner
01/24/2011 02:57 PM
To Robert Gibbens
cc "Elizabeth C. Pannill"
Subject WAO Talley Road Facility

Dear Dr. Gibbens:

As you may know, Texas has already experienced several days of freezing temperatures just this month. As I have written in the past, many of the sanctuary's water lines have a tendency of freezing when the temperature drops below 32 degrees because the water lines are kept above ground.

I am contacting you today because I recently saw pictures of a few Talley Road facility primate enclosures and noticed that the water lines have not been buried yet.

In December 2009, Nicole Garcia implemented a change to the water line placements as too many of the lines were freezing and bursting resulting in many of the primates/big cats not receiving clean portable water until the lines were fixed. Starting in December 2009, many of the Leslie Road water lines were
buried, and I am aware the former construction staff started to bury some of the water lines at the Talley Road facility, however it appears, based on the photos I saw, many of the water lines are still above ground and susceptible to freezing or malfunctioning.

If you have seen the same past WAO in-house animal records as I have, then you are aware that many primates died during the cold winter months due to lixits failures, thereby resulting in the deaths of many primates.

Even though the WAO's Talley Road facility is no longer an exhibiting animals, I pray that someone will go to the WAO this week (preferably tomorrow) and check on the primates and big cats living at Talley Road to ensure each and every animal is receiving clean portable water. This week is going to be rather cold, at times dipping to freezing or below freezing temperatures, so I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the animals receiving life-giving water.

As usual, I thank you for your kind consideration of this request -

Regards,

Kristina Brunner

From: "Ray.M.Flynn@aphis.usda.gov"

To: Kristina Brunner 
Sent: Mon, January 24, 2011 7:28:31 PM
Subject: WAO Talley Road Facility


Dear Ms. Brunner:


Thank you for your message of concern. Dr. Gibbens is out of the office at this time, so I am responding on his behalf.


Although no exhibition activity is taking place as you noted, please rest assured that conditions at WAO are closely monitored by Animal Care on an ongoing basis. This monitoring includes frequent site visits by one or more of our staff, not to perform formal inspections each time, but to assess care and comfort for the animals. The most recent trip to the Talley Road site was on the 22nd; as you note, water lines are not buried, but we did discuss this finding with caretakers and were informed that that to date they have had no broken pipes. Other winter-related capabilities were examined on the same visit. We will continue with this level of oversight, and check in with the facility regularly--particularly if weather conditions deteriorate.


We appreciate your continued interest in the welfare of these animals.


Ray Flynn, DVM
Assistant Regional Director
Western Region, Animal Care

From: "Elizabeth.C.Pannill@aphis.usda.gov" Elizabeth.C.Pannill@aphis.usda.gov
To: Kristina Brunner
Sent: Mon, January 24, 2011 5:00:49 PM
Subject: Re: WAO Talley Road Facility


I was at Talley Rd last week and all primates have functioning heaters and winter shelter boxes.


There were no broken water lines seen and caretakers said they had not had a problem so far.

Forgive me if I don't believe anything Mary or Michelle Reininger said regarding the condition of the animals' water lines. Why you ask? Well, both ladies lied to the USDA investigators regarding past animal care and deaths and refused to testify on behalf of the animals when the other animal caretakers stepped forward and reported the abysmal care provided to the WAO animals, at a time when the WAO board of directors asked for a report in September 2009. And do you know why the Reiningers refused to testify on behalf of the animals? They didn't want to lose their jobs. 

So, let's take a look at a animal death list, one produced by Michelle and Mary in 2006; one produced with the help of Michelle and Mary in November 2006; and then one I produced based on past documentation from the WAO, and let's just see how many animals died under their "careful watch."

Listing produced by Mary & Michelle Reininger for Carol Asvestas on September 18, 2006:

WAO Exotic Animal Death

Okay, now let's look at another document produced with input from Mary & Michelle Reininger for Carol Asvestas as of November 17, 2006 (approximately two months later). This document was undoubtedly produced on the behest of the former WAO attorney in the event the WAO had to provide the "death" report to either TCEQ, USDA, or the Texas OAG:

WAO Mgmt Animal Death List as of 11.17.06

What this report fails to acknowledge was that there were three (3) bears shot to death when they attempted to flee their enclosure.  The bears were, at that time, let out of their tiny quarantine cages into the main area.  The bears were released to test the electric "hot" lines that were supposed to contain the animals in the larger enclosure.  They did not.   According to a witness that was on site when the bears were shot trying to climb out of the enclosure, Ron Asvestas shot the three bears without reservation as they attempted to climb out of the enclosure.  When I asked if anyone besides herself was shocked over how the bears were killed, she said the Asvestas' were more worried about how to explain the deaths of three bears, than the actual bear deaths.

Looks like the Asvestas solved that problem by NOT acknowledging the deaths of the two other bears. 

As I looked over the listing that Mary & Michelle produced, I couldn't help notice how many inaccurate "cause of deaths" were listed on this report.  So many lies reported.  So many lies, period.

And then there's the report I started compiling starting in 2006:

Alleged Missing or Dead Animal Listing

And finally, the WAO Animal Inventory Listing as of August 25, 2010 listing the animals that were still alive and needed to be rehomed immediately.

Animal_WAO_2010_08_23_Inventory

What a staggering loss of life over a ten year period.  Sadly, I believe there were a lot more animal deaths not recorded as the WAO did not keep accurate animal records. 

The lies told about the animal records that were supposedly destroyed in the Summer of 2002 flood was created to explain away the missing records.  If the office was flooded in 2002, then why did the "Growing Up Lion" video show everyone working the office during the flood without any problems?  No mention was made on the show that the office flooded and the office files destroyed.  The show did show animals relocated from the flood area to a building directly across from the office, as both areas were located on higher ground.  Also, unless the files, which were supposedly kept in file cabinets, were left laying all over the floor, then they should have survived the 3-4 inches of water that hit one corner of the office's floor due to a leaky roof!  The flood excuse also does not excuse the missing animal records after the Summer of 2002!  See the 2002 OSHA report for yourself!

OSHA Report - 2002

In my opinion, the WAO board of directors and the "senior" animal caretakers should have been prosecuted for lying to goverment investigators, charged with AWA violations and misappropriation of funds. 

And you wonder why I don't trust Mary & Michelle Reininger to tell the truth to the USDA today?  Well wonder no more--now you know why.