Authorities in Bandera County, Texas, went to a property calling itself a wildlife sanctuary after photos showed horses so thin their ribs and hips stood out. What responders found inside was far worse. More than 20 animals were dead, including about 15 horses and two primates. A sanctuary is supposed to be the one place an animal is safe, and these animals were failed by the very place that promised it.
Sign the petition urging the Bandera County Attorney's Office to pursue a lifetime ban on animal ownership and mandatory mental health counseling for anyone found responsible, so no animal is ever placed in their care again.
More than 100 animals were rescued from the property, including horses, goats, pigs, turtles, tortoises, pythons, and birds. Rescue responders say the animals were deprived of food, clean water, and basic care, and several horses were dangerously emaciated and forced to survive in hazardous conditions. They are now receiving veterinary treatment at a secure shelter, where doctors are working to understand how badly they were hurt.
People trust a place called a sanctuary to protect animals, which means animals can suffer out of sight for a long time when that trust is misplaced. A lifetime ban on owning or caring for animals would make sure no other horse, monkey, or reptile ends up in the same position. Mandatory mental health counseling would address what allowed this to happen, so the cycle does not simply restart somewhere new. Anyone who lets this many animals suffer needs support as well as accountability.
Sign the petition and demand the Bandera County Attorney's Office pursue a lifetime ban and mandatory counseling in this case.
