What You Can Do

UPDATE: In January 2006, Charles Azzopardi, owner of the Amarillo Wildlife Refuge, faces federal charges of illegal trafficking in wild and exotic animals in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Please write a polite letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials. Thank them for investigating and pressing charges against Azzopardi and urge them to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law:

Kevin Adams, Chief
Office of Law Enforcement
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr.
MS-LE-3000
Arlington, VA 22203
703-358-1949
703-358-2271 (fax)

Please also contact your members of Congress. Express your support for the USFWS’ investigations into violations of wildlife law and for the fact that charges have been filed against Charles Azzopardi. Politely ask them to ensure that Azzopardi is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law:

• To identify your members of Congress and their contact information, go to www.congress.org.

On August 18, 2003, a USDA inspector arrived at AWR to conduct an unannounced inspection, but according to an AWR volunteer, Azzopardi convinced the inspector to come back the next day. Our investigator arrived at AWR the morning of the next day and witnessed Azzopardi shirtless in his jockey shorts frantically shoveling feces and rotten food out of animal enclosures and putting out never-before-seen enrichment for the primates. Had the USDA done its job, it would have found the animal enclosures in their usual state of extreme filth.

Please write the USDA and demand that it take its responsibility to enforce the minimum standards of the Animal Welfare Act seriously. Ask that the agency open an investigation into chronic neglect and mistreatment at AWR and file charges for its failure to provide animals with the care that not only is deserved by the animals, but that also is required by the Animal Welfare Act. Ask them to investigate why an inspector would be so willingly swayed by Azzopardi:

Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, Administrator
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
1400 Independence Ave Sw, Rm. 312E
Washington, DC 20250
202-720-3054 (fax)
Ron.DeHaven@usda.gov

A local Regal Entertainment movie theater had been allowing Amarillo Wildlife Refuge to set up public photo shoots with dangerous exotic animals from the facility in its lobby. Please thank Regal Entertainment Group for putting an end to this practice after it was contacted by PETA:

Michael Campbell, President
Regal Entertainment Group
7132 Regal Ln.
Knoxville, TN 37918
865-922-1123
865-922-3188

The Amarillo PETsMART had been violating company policy by allowing Amarillo Wildlife Refuge to set up public photo shoots with dangerous exotic animals from the facility. Please thank PETsMART for putting an end to this practice after it was contacted by PETA about AWR and for its policy that prohibits exhibition of exotic animals:

Philip L. Francis, Chair and CEO
Petsmart
19601 N. 27th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85027
623-580-6100
623-580-6502 (fax)

The following businesses allow AWR to set up shop on their grounds and conduct public photo shoots with exotic animals from the facility. Ask them to implement a policy prohibiting any display, exhibit, or event that uses dangerous exotic animals on company property.

Irish Springs Pools & Spas
111 Westgate Pkwy.
Amarillo, TX 79121-1103
806-353-2308

KPUR Radio features a weekly appearance of AWR’s young gibbon named Tonga to choose winning football teams. Let the radio station know that by doing so, it is encouraging AWR’s practice of tearing baby animals from their mothers’ care in order to exploit them for silly publicity stunts, and ask the station to implement a policy prohibiting the use of exotic animals:

Matt Darby
KPUR-AM, 1440-AM
The Score
The Afternoon Sports Page
301 S. Polk, Ste. 100
Amarillo, TX 79101
806-342-5200
806-342-5206 (fax)

Click here to help animals at the AWR and other despicable places that profit from using and abusinganimals in entertainment acts.