Lion's Gate Sanctuary in Colorado is in hot water after euthanizing all of its exotic animals -- three tigers, three lions and five bears.
In a statement obtained by CBD Denver, co-owner Dr. Joan Laub said the decision came after they were denied permission to move to another site, a 45-acre empty land they owned.
Laub claimed that their present site has experienced regular flooding, prompting them to ask for relocation permission from the Elbert County Board of Commissioners. He asserted that they did not receive a fair hearing from the County and that due process was not achieved.
Laub explained that they did not get the nod of the County because the proposed new site is a populated and developed area, adding that they had no choice but to humanely put an end to the lives of the animals, instead of risking their safety.
Elbert County Board of Commissioners, in response, also issued a statement, citing that they had nothing to do with the death of the animals and that they had no idea that the Lion's Gate Sanctuary would resort to killing the animals, as they were assured by the owners that operation will continue even if they were denied of relocation
"The decision by the operators of Lion's Gate to euthanize all their animals comes as a total surprise to the County for two reasons. Only two weeks earlier, the operators of the facility assured the County in a public forum that if the application was denied, they would continue to operate at their current location as they had for the previous 10 years," the statement read.
The County said that Keenesburg Wildlife Sanctuary offered the Lion's Gate Sanctuary to care for their animals if they cannot fulfill the task.
Other wildlife sanctuaries criticized the Colorado sanctuary for their decision, citing that it was unacceptable and that the owners were not telling the truth about the reckless decision.
New York Daily News mentioned Minnesota's Wildcat Sanctuary in a Facebook post called the decision a "selfish move."