Roswell's Spring River Zoo has been slapped with several citations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the nonprofit organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) asked for the agency to inspect the facility.
One of the citations issued to the zoo was for an aging steer that had overgrown hooves, according to KRQE.
"The agency cited the roadside zoo for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act despite the zoo's promise three years ago to make necessary improvements for animal welfare, Rebecca Smudzinski, a PETA spokesperson, told KRQE.
KRQE reported that John Wright, director of the Spring River Zoo, said the zoo doesn't have the equipment needed to restrain the animal nor could they find a veterinarian that would sedate the 20-year-old steer in order to trim its hooves. Wright said they weren't able to rectify the situation during the timeline provided by the USDA, so the animal was relocated.
Other citations included animals escaping from their enclosures, according to KRQE.
Although the citations do not carry fines with them, they are a warning that if the problems highlighted in the citations need to be fixed at the zoo.
