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6 Animal Rescues/Sanctuaries That Were Caught Engaging in Unethical Practices

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Vegan, writer, editor, actor, flutist, animal lover.

While it’s heartening to see the number of animal rescues and sanctuaries around the world that exist in 2023 — and this number is increasing — there have, unfortunately, been numerous cases of supposed rescues and/or sanctuaries caught engaging in unethical practices. Among the 6 places listed below, some were shut down, while others may remain in operation despite claims from various individuals regarding animal abuse/cruelty. We are adamantly opposed to all sorts of animal abuse, and it is important to note that there may not be visible evidence of unethical practices for all of the following rescues/sanctuaries.

1. Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary – Florida

Source: PETA/YouTube

In 2019, an eyewitness from PETA determined that Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Florida was, in actuality, a roadside zoo instead of a true sanctuary. Reported horrendous conditions included big cats forced to perform tricks with the threat of being whipped, a chimpanzee “jerked around” via a leash wrapped on his neck, camels with merely “putrid green water,” as well as numerous animals stuck in small cages while people “gawked at them and shoved food” to them. This supposed “sanctuary” is owned by the Rosaire family, who were already known for utilizing and abusing animals in circus acts, obtaining numerous citations for violating the Animal Welfare Act. The chimpanzee, Chance, is a particularly sad case, as he was taken from his mother at six months old, then was sold to be someone’s “pet,” and finally purchased by the Rosaires, who trained him to perform — he was even featured in the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.” When Chance didn’t perform correctly, Pam Rosaire supposedly started yelling at him and jerking him via the leash, forcing him into certain positions. According to this eyewitness, Pam also forced Chance to perform repeated flips, play basketball, and other tricks. During this same show, the eyewitness noticed how Clayton Rosaire forced a liger and a white tiger to perform tricks, and Clayton even explained how these cats are forced to learn more dangerous and scary stunts. While the eyewitness never saw Clayton whip them, he had one in his hand the whole time; most likely, the animals obeyed him so they wouldn’t get punished. This same show also featured parrots forced to perform tricks, such as roller skating. At one point, a video played that featured Kay Rosaire, who said that people should Support circus exhibitors instead of animal rights organizations because circuses were true animal advocates.

In 2017, another PETA eyewitness noticed that Barry White, a tiger, had noticeable calluses on both of his front legs — probably due to living on concrete — and had begun sucking on his tail, a type of self-mutilation. (Macaws were also seen with plucked chests, most likely stress-induced. ( In 2019, that same tiger was seen being forced into a small, enclosed, and clear box so that visitors could crowd around him to take pictures. When not performing, in addition to having food shoved in their faces in small enclosures, the animals would supposedly have to deal with guests making weird noises, banging on fences, and laughing at them. Despite all of this the Rosaire family claimed that this was a true “sanctuary” and would keep asking for donations. Even though Big Cat Habitat claimed more than $1.5 million (tax-free) in 2017, they seemingly failed to provide the animals with better care. Reviewers have claimed that this so-called “sanctuary” is nothing but a “money maker” that is a way to entertain one’s children for a brief amount of time. According to one person, Big Cat Habitat “clearly does not have the best interests of the animals in mind,” stating that it is more akin to a “prison” as opposed to a true sanctuary. And, yet, other reviewers have claimed that the staff members are friendly and that the Rosaires take “amazing care” of their animals, with one guest even saying that keeping wild animals in captivity is “necessary.”

In November 2022, Big Cat Habitat received three warnings (two non-critical and one critical) from the USDA, and the critical warning was about an incident in the spring in which a man was able to enter an enclosure where he interacted with a black jaguar. Due to the recent passing of the Big Cat Safety Act — pushed by Carole Baskin, CEO of Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue — this interaction with the jaguar should have occurred with protected contact. The PETA Foundation released a statement after this incident, via representative Debbie Metzler: “Big Cat Habitat put a visitor at risk by allowing him to enter a jaguar’s cage.” She went on to say, “now that big cat encounters are illegal, the facility should send these suffering animals to reputable sanctuaries.” Clayton Rosaire denied PETA’s claims, saying that it’s “absurd to go by anything PETA says because they’re false on all their statements.”

2. Black Jaguar–White Tiger – Mexico

Source: CNN/YouTube

In July 2022, authorities — according to reports — seized approximately 200 big cats (as well as other animals) from the Mexico City-based Black Jaguar–White Tiger Foundation. For years, PETA had been working hard to notify authorities about what they referred to as a “sham” sanctuary and a “tourist trap.” By last summer, video footage was available that depicted emaciated big cats “with sores covering their skin and cats with mutilated tails,” which was thought to be a result of them chewing on their tails due to stress and anxiety. It had also been guessed that cubs — who were still in infancy — were taken from their mothers to be used for encounters and photos with tourists. And, as Dr. Ron Tilson, an expert on tigers, has said, “cubs are born blind, fragile, and completely dependent on [their] mother’s care, warmth, and milk to survive.” True sanctuaries allow mothers and cubs to remain together during the first [approximately] 90 days of their lives, which is essential to establishing that mother-cub bond. Also, cubs sleep a lot, but (apparently) at a place like Black Jaguar–White Tiger, they could be “kept in cardboard boxes” and forced to deal with a lot of noise, flashing cameras, and the like.

While the foundation’s owner, Eduardo Serio, has said that all the animals who live there are rescues, PETA has noted that, even if Serio’s further claims regarding getting cubs from breeding centers were true, that still implies that Serio purchased these infants from breeders; and, of course, true sanctuaries should typically receive rescued animals for free (except in some emergency cases). Serio has also said that some cubs came from individuals who supposedly adopted them and that others came from circuses, yet both of these statements could be refuted: people who purchase or “rescue” exotic animals don’t usually surrender them until they’re grown to be too large, and, in Mexico, it has been illegal since 2014 to use wild animals in circuses. Supposedly, Serio’s bottle-feeding skills are sub-par at best, as a video shows milk pouring out of a cub’s nose.

According to PETA, Black Jaguar–White Tiger is an example of what is known as a “pseudo” animal sanctuary — that is, one that appears to be a sanctuary and/or rescue for animals, but instead uses animals for money and for purposes that are not innate. These types of facilities may breed or even sell animals, often forcing them to be involved in “hands-on” interactions with visiting humans through photos and videos. At true sanctuaries, animals should be provided with an environment that replicates their natural as much as possible, but Serio’s facility supposedly consisted of “dirt lots surrounded by chain-link fences.” While he had been talking about expansions for years, he was seemingly reluctant to provide further information. In addition, Serio had bragged about his ability to house different species of big cats together, even though not all of them are compatible. There had also been reports of at least one jaguar being declawed, which is, unfortunately, a common occurrence at places like this where big cats interact with the public. In addition, apparently, it was very difficult (and expensive) for non-famous individuals to visit Black Jaguar–White Tiger, up to $7,000 for a “volunteer experience,” which seemingly mainly consists of playing with baby animals.

Fortunately, once the facility was finally shut down last summer, all animals were successfully relocated and sent to 11 zoos throughout Mexico. After the Association of Zoos, Breeders and Aquariums in Mexico (AZCARM) filed a lawsuit against Serio, the shutdown was also helped by numerous animal cruelty investigations from local activists, former facility employees, and others. While Serio asserted that donations to Black Jaguar–White Tiger had dropped considerably as a result of the pandemic, some former employees claimed he continued to make money and kept it for himself, instead of using it to improve the animals’ conditions.

3. Caboodle Ranch, Inc. – Florida

Source: PETA/YouTube

In 2014, the Madison County court ordered that Florida-based Caboodle Ranch, Inc. dissolve itself. At this time, they were required by law to stop accepting animals at their supposed sanctuary, as well as to cease accepting any material or cash donations. They also were required to remove all of the animals living on the property, 45 of whom were there on an illegal basis. Caboodle Ranch, which described itself as a nonprofit organization, had a notable criminal history, thereby making it difficult for them to “start a new scheme to solicit donations” (which they seemingly still have yet to do). During the ranch’s heyday, they reportedly received $250,000 from donors who were deceived as to where their money was going. Caboodle Ranch was a supposed “sanctuary” that rescued cats, claiming that it gave them “everything they will ever need to live a happy healthy life.” Yet, an undercover investigation from PETA found that this ranch was run by one person, who was in charge of nearly 700 cats as a “no-kill” facility — where these felines “lived in filthy, crowded conditions and suffered from chronic neglect.”

In 2012, based on evidence gained from PETA, authorities seized animal residents of Caboodle Ranch, charging Craig Grant, the operator and founder, “with felony and misdemeanor cruelty to animals and scheme to defraud.” That same year, Grant was denied the chance to get these animals back on his ranch, at which time Caboodle was barred from having any animals whatsoever on the premises. In 2012, Grant finally pleaded guilty to “felony and misdemeanor cruelty-to-animals charges.” These cruel conditions consisted of wooden sheds that couldn’t be sanitized, overcrowded kennels, moldy trailers that were falling apart and smelled of ammonia, and essential medical care denied to cats suffering from chronic conditions (occasionally leading to death). According to PETA’s investigation, Grant did nothing while the cats suffered for months on end and their health worsened. Supposedly, too, some cats died as a result of conditions that could have been easily treated, and Grant allowed cats with contagious diseases like feline leukemia to roam the property, with no care in separating them from healthy cats. The investigator from PETA also found numerous dead cat remains on the ranch’s property, including bones, skulls, and spines. Apparently, the terrible conditions of Caboodle Ranch were not a result of limited funding, as the ranch was well-funded, because Grant charged $150 (at minimum) for each cat brought to him. This facility is an example of a case where an animal rescuer had good intentions — Grant’s 100-acre sanctuary allowed cats to roam free and experience the outdoors — but was not equipped to handle a sanctuary of this magnitude.

4. EARTH Animal Sanctuary – Illinois

Source: WCIA News/YouTube

The Illinois-based EARTH Animal Sanctuary was shut down in early 2020, after the owner, Corinne DiLorenzo was given felony charges. On Christmas Eve 2019, authorities arrested DiLorenzo, whose supposed “sanctuary” was home to more than 600 animal corpses. At the time, DiLorenzo was charged with the Class Four felony known as Aggravated Animal Cruelty. Way back in January of that year, activist Jodie Wiederkehr — who used to be friends with DiLorenzo — noticed that a barn fire had occurred at EARTH; through some serious digging, Wiederkehr learned from DiLorenzo’s former partner that all of the animals who’d lived at the sanctuary had died, either from the barn fire or from “unknown causes.” That summer, Melissa Summer Pena — who used to be on the EARTH board — took a group to the sanctuary and they were all shocked to find a “mass, crude burial site” featuring hundreds of animal remains. Pena worked with activists from the Chicago Alliance for Animals (and elsewhere in Illinois) to build a strong case against DiLorenzo, which included a detailed spreadsheet of the 600+ missing animals, as well as graphic “photographic evidence.” This dedicated group made all of this information publically available, in hopes of getting justice for all of those animals. The community’s hard work is largely to thank for DiLorenzo getting arrested later that year. And, while Wiederkehr knows that DiLorenzo’s arrest will not bring back those animals, “if we can learn from this tragic situation to not automatically trust everyone who claims to be an animal rescuer, the animals’ lives will not have been lost in vain.”

According to a change.org petition posted in July 2019, DiLorenzo — or “Cori Dee,” as she was known on social media — had rescued cats, dogs, hens, pigs, raccoons, and numerous other species. Because EARTH Animal Sanctuary was formed in 2014, these animals should have lived [relatively] long, happy, healthy lives; and, yet, according to the petition, all animal rescues/sanctuaries in the Midwest had confirmed that they hadn’t taken any animals from DiLorenzo. This petition states, that while approximately 40 animals died in the fire, DiLorenzo failed to get in touch with any friends/acquaintances in the animal rescue community. In addition, people have noted the discrepancies in DiLorenzo’s accounts regarding the fire: in a text message, she claimed the fires had occurred before she returned home, while on her GoFundMe page, she said that both she and her son “were sound asleep just feet from where the fire was blazing.” Apparently, too, she had some part in a fire that occurred at Wedrose Acres Animal Sanctuary, where animals had died. At one point, she supposedly also “bragged about burning down” the barn of a rabbit breeder. According to the petition, there was also “evidence of child abuse,” in that, looking at exchanges between DiLorenzo and her son, she forced him (when he was probably too young) to care for and feed these hundreds of animals and then bury them while she was away.

DiLorenzo seems to fit the description of an “exploiter” type of animal hoarder — that is, someone who “acquires animals to fulfill ego needs.” These types of people see themselves as superior to everyone else, including (and perhaps especially) those involved in animal care, and will “reject others’ concerns regarding” their respective situations. “Exploiter” hoarders also tend to “rely on manipulation to acquire and keep animals, and actively avoid detection by those who may be in a position to intervene.” DiLorenzo’s sentencing hearing occurred on December 20, 2022, when she was sentenced to 18 months of “supervised probation” (which includes regularly reporting to a probation officer), forced to pay a $500 fine (as well as $450 in court fees and $25/month during probation), banned from possessing or owning any animals, and required to undertake 30 hours of community service. Also, in August 2022, DiLorenzo accepted the Alford Plea for “Misdemeanor of Cruel Treatment of Animals,” which is an offense that can never be expunged from her record. When EARTH was running [relatively] smoothly, people praised DiLorenzo’s commitment to go “above and beyond for the care of the animals, “and that her “love and compassion for these animals ” was “contagious.” But, it didn’t take long for everyone to see what was going on there.

5. Global Rescue Animal Welfare League – South Carolina

Source: News 19 WLTX/YouTube

In June 2022, Caroline Dawn Pennington, the CEO and director of South Carolina-based Global Rescue Animal Welfare League (GROWL), was arrested for (allegedly) cruel treatment of animals when authorities found “decomposed bodies of dogs and cats inside her home.” Police went to perform a “wellness check” on Pennington’s home after neighbors complained about the “smell of death” which, as it turned out, came from the cages of 30 dead animals (2 cats and 28 dogs). According to investigators, who determined that severe neglect (and being left alone in the house) led to the animals’ deaths, they were “found lying in their own waste.” A recognizable (and formerly dependable) name in the Columbia, SC animal rescue community, Pennington resigned from her position as an employee at the Kershaw County Humane Society (KCHS). After her arrest, Pennington was “charged with 30 counts of ill-treatment of animals,” with her bond set at $75,000, at which point she was required to have no contact whatsoever with animals and to have GPS monitoring, and was banned for raising money for GROWL. This wasn’t the first time she got in trouble with the law, as her previous offenses included “conspiracy to commit tax evasion” and “defrauding the federal and South Carolina state Medicaid programs.”

Leon Lott, the Richmond County Sheriff who was at the scene, later described the case of GROWL’s animal abuse as “one of the worst cases of animal cruelty” he’d ever seen. He called the situation “appalling” and “heartbreaking,” describing Pennington as someone who was entrusted by the community to care for these animals and find them homes, who then “betrayed that trust” and the trust of the animals in her care. Investigators noted that the animals most likely died due to dehydration and/or starvation, as they were locked in crates or cages with no water or food. In addition, authorities discovered that Pennington’s GROWL “sanctuary,” despite being [reportedly] registered to be a 501(c)3, was unlawful. Jamie Woodington, the director of the KHS, admitted to being genuinely shocked to hear the allegations against her former employee, as Woodington stated that Pennington was a “hard worker” and a “nice woman,” who carried “herself as someone who” always wanted “to do the right thing for all animals.”

6. Luck of the Irish Animal Rescue – Virginia

Source: WUSA9/YouTube

Earlier this year, 3 individuals from Loudon County, VA were arrested for animal cruelty in connection with the Luck of the Irish Animal Rescue (previously known as Paw & Hoof Animal Rescue). This investigation, which took several months, first began in February with a completely “unrelated call for service” for a residence in Round Hill. While responding to this call, authorities noticed “a large number of animals living in deplorable conditions” and immediately notified Loudon County Animal Services, who soon (allegedly) discovered 42 animals living at this “rescue” in dangerous and/or otherwise unhealthy conditions. Throughout this rather lengthy investigation, more than 100 cats, dogs, rabbits, and other types of domestic animals were “transferred to the county animal services,” according to authorities. Fortunately, most of the animals have since been rehomed. The investigation also discovered “unsanitary” and otherwise hazardous conditions at the rescue’s other location next door, with the official release claiming that these conditions were “consistent with hoarding.”

The three people arrested were Nicole Metz, Kimberly Hall, and Alex Hall. Metz was the executive director of Luck of the Irish and was charged with “one count of allowing an animal with a contagious disease to roam,” “one count of obstructing justice,” “two counts of failure to acquire certificate of veterinary inspection”, and “seven counts of animal cruelty.” Kimberly Hall was Luck of the Irish’s operations director and was charged with “two counts of failure to acquire a certificate of veterinary inspection” and “eight counts of animal cruelty.” Alex Hall was Luck of the Irish’s marketing director and was “charged with eight counts of animal cruelty.” April 7’s civil hearing led to the dissolution of Luck of the Irish, as well as to Metz “being prohibited from serving as staff or a volunteer for any animal-related business or nonprofit” for one year. In addition, Metz and Kimberly Hall allegedly took animals to Virginia without proper import documentation, and that further investigation showed that Metz, Hall, and others took out-of-state animals to Northern Virginia-based shelters. These animals supposedly included dogs who had killed or attacked other dogs and cats who had contagious diseases and were claimed to be local strays. Loudon County’s Chris Brosan said that their investigation showed that Luck of the Irish “knowingly kept the animals in filthy conditions and allowed their health to suffer, while continuing to acquire more animals.”

Paw & Hoof Animal Rescue is still listed as a supporting partner of Best Friends Animal Society, and the website listing claims that it was an “animal rescue, protection, and welfare organization” that was “committed to rescuing, providing sanctuary, and rehabbing cats, dogs, goats, horses, rabbits, sheep, and chickens.” According to a news release, Metz had claimed that she only had one dog from Luck of the Irish, her father’s dog, and her personal pets in her guesthouse, and that she was reluctant to let the house be inspected. When she relented, Deputy Chief Humane Law Enforcement Officer Angela Chan counted seven dogs and two cats, and Metz herself admitted that three of those dogs were rescues. Per Chan, Metz apparently lied to humane law enforcement about how she’d obtained the animals, that she’d “denied care to some who veterinarians had examined and recommended treatment for,” and that she’d continued seeking donations and posting adoptable animals on the rescue’s website. This news release also said that, in an email, Metz claimed that Paw & Hoof formed in late 2021 “as a volunteer-based 501©(3)” with eight unpaid board members. Metz also mentioned that the organization “took animals from shelters” who might have otherwise been euthanized and that they placed 300 of the animals “in the approximately one year they were active.”

Many of the stories mentioned above are quite distressing to read, especially those that have been confirmed and have led to consequences for some individuals. More often than not, people start an animal sanctuary/rescue with good intentions, yet there may be several factors that affect their ability to properly take care of the animals. If you’re considering supporting — whether by visiting, donating, and/or volunteering — it’s essential to do as much research as possible, so that you are not supporting any organizations that are engaging in unethical behavior. The best rescues/sanctuaries are often certified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. If you are interested in starting your own animal sanctuary, it’s important to do the required research, and Open Sanctuary is an excellent resource for that.