Fur-Ever Wild Agrees to Not Kill Gray Wolves as Lawsuit Settles – Animal Legal Defense Fund

We use cookies and similar technologies that may collect information about you and your activities on our websites and share it with third parties as described in our Privacy Policy and Ad & Cookie Policy. By continuing to use our websites, you agree to our use of cookies and similar technologies, Privacy Policy and Ad & Cookie Policy.
Focus Areas
Issues
How We Work
Advanced search
Press Release

December 17, 2019
Contact: media@aldf.org
MINNEAPOLIS — As part of a court settlement, Fur-Ever Wild — a Minnesota-based business that displayed wolf pups in a petting zoo then later sold the wolves’ pelts — has agreed not to kill wolves or to sell wolves’ parts.
This settlement resolves a federal lawsuit filed in 2017 by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals, and the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, an animal sanctuary in California. The lawsuit alleged that Fur-Ever Wild killed federally-protected gray wolves and sold their parts in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Fur-Ever Wild was ordered by the Dakota County District Court in a separate lawsuit with Eureka Township to relinquish all but one of its wolves in 2018. Some of the wolves, including Twiggy and Big Boy, were transferred to Lockwood Animal Rescue Center. The last wolf in Fur-Ever Wild’s possession will now also be safe under the terms of this settlement.
“The wolves from Fur-Ever Wild were seen as a commodity, to be exploited for profit. Today that comes to an end,” says Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells. “We will continue to monitor the situation and use all legal tools at our disposal to protect the wolves.”
“We rescued dozens of wolves that came from this facility, and are happy that wolves will be protected going forward thanks to this settlement agreement,” says Matthew Simmons, co-founder of Lockwood Animal Rescue Center.
In June 2019, the court ruled that the ESA applies to at least some wolves with dog genes. Ruling in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Lockwood Animal Rescue Center on a motion for summary judgment, the court found that the wolves at issue in this case are generally wolf with small amounts of detectable dog genes. The ruling left open the possibility that ESA protection could extend to wolves with even more recent dog ancestry.

Case
News
Join the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s email list to stay up to date on lawsuits, legislation, and regulations affecting animals.
Join Us. Sign up for our newsletter
Focus Areas
Issues
How We Work
Follow Us.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our EIN number is 94-2681680. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is rated four-stars by Charity Navigator, is a Platinum Level GuideStar Exchange participant, a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity, and an Independent Charity Seal of Excellence awardee, ensuring that we meet the highest standards of accountability, efficiency, and impact. For intellectual property information and terms of use, visit our Intellectual Property Terms of Use page. For privacy policy and ad & cookie policy information, visit our Privacy Policy pages.
Animal Legal Defense Fund
P.O. Box 96041
Washington, D.C. 20077
(707) 795-2533 | info@aldf.org
We use cookies and similar technologies that may collect information about you and your activities on our websites and share it with third parties as described in our Privacy Policy and Ad & Cookie Policy. By continuing to use our websites, you agree to our use of cookies and similar technologies, Privacy Policy and Ad & Cookie Policy.

source