A female black bear named Ricky is being held in inhumane and dangerous
conditions outside Jim Mack’s, an ice cream store and miniature golf course in
Pennsylvania -- and she’s suffered in this nightmare for 18 years, held captive
in a small chain-link and concrete cage, without any form of enrichment, and
shockingly poor overall care. Ricky’s confinement also poses a threat to public
safety, endangering both Ricky and the people who visit her. In response, ALDF
filed
a lawsuit on behalf of concerned Pennsylvania residents against Jim Mack’s
Ice Cream for displaying Ricky in inhumane and dangerous conditions.
Local residents, along with ALDF, are concerned
about Ricky. Please pledge to boycott Jim Mack’s and join us in urging owner
James McDaniel, Jr. to send
Ricky to an accredited and reputable sanctuary, where she can live out her
life in a wooded habitat hundreds of times larger than her current cage. Ricky
needs our help today!
Veterinarians have confirmed that Ricky suffers from stress, anxiety, and inadequate diet and housing. Dr. Ursula Bechert, DVM, observed Ricky in person and noted that a “hard [concrete] substrate is what the bear lives on 100% of the time, and in the winter, it gets very cold.” Bears require large, complex spaces in which to engage in normal movements that are typical of their species, such as bathing, exploring, climbing, and denning. Ricky has none of that.
Ricky’s owner is violating state regulations that require the humane care and treatment of wild animals such as Ricky. That’s why ALDF has filed a lawsuit on behalf of concerned Pennsylvania residents against Jim Mack’s Ice Cream for holding Ricky in these conditions. Ricky’s inhumane treatment violates Pennsylvania laws intended to protect wild animals from harm.
Sign ALDF’s pledge to boycott Jim Mack’s until Ricky is released to a reputable, accredited sanctuary
Veterinarians have confirmed that Ricky suffers from stress, anxiety, and inadequate diet and housing. Dr. Ursula Bechert, DVM, observed Ricky in person and noted that a “hard [concrete] substrate is what the bear lives on 100% of the time, and in the winter, it gets very cold.” Bears require large, complex spaces in which to engage in normal movements that are typical of their species, such as bathing, exploring, climbing, and denning. Ricky has none of that.
Ricky’s owner is violating state regulations that require the humane care and treatment of wild animals such as Ricky. That’s why ALDF has filed a lawsuit on behalf of concerned Pennsylvania residents against Jim Mack’s Ice Cream for holding Ricky in these conditions. Ricky’s inhumane treatment violates Pennsylvania laws intended to protect wild animals from harm.
Sign ALDF’s pledge to boycott Jim Mack’s until Ricky is released to a reputable, accredited sanctuary
Free Ricky the Bear from Brutal Imprisonment Petition - A black bear named Ricky has been confined to a small concrete cage for the last 18 years. Ricky's captors have used her as an attraction to drive business to an ice cream shop. Ricky must be freed from this brutal captivity and transferred to an animal sanctuary.
Target: Honorable Stephen P. Linebaugh, President Judge York County Court of Common Pleas
Goal: Demand the release of mistreated bear
At a small ice cream shop in Pennsylvania, a bear has been kept in a cage as a public attraction for over 18 years. The bear, named Ricky, was captured as a cub and placed in a cage to gain publicity and notoriety by James McDaniel, the owner of the ice cream shop. This is absolutely unacceptable. Animals are not play things, they are not spectacles, and they are not meant to live in cages. They are living beings and everything possible must be done to obtain this poor creature’s freedom.
Ricky has lived her entire life inside of a cage that only allows her to take two or three steps in either direction. She spends most of her time pacing back and forth. Many people mistake this for a sign of boredom, but in many caged animals, pacing shows anxiety and fear. This poor bear has suffered unknowable cruelty for nearly 20 years just so that one business could pull in a few extra customers.
Multiple complaints have been made to the Humane Society about McDaniels’ treatment of Ricky over the years, but action is finally being taken. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has just filed a lawsuit that is attempting to free Ricky and transfer her to a certified animal welfare refuge. Please sign below to show your support of this action to the judges of the York Country Court of Common Pleas. It is long past time to show people that animals cannot be used for monetary benefit.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Honorable Stephen P. Linebaugh,
I am writing to you today on behalf of one without the faculties to do so: a bear named Ricky. Ricky has been held in the same cage for over 18 years and is not allowed to roam freely. She spends most of her day pacing back and forth in a concrete cage that only allows her to take two or three steps in either direction. For what purpose you ask? Money. Ricky is being tortured so that one ice cream shop can make a few extra dollars. This is absolutely unacceptable, and I urge you to rule in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund in an upcoming hearing for Ricky’s release.
Animals are living creatures. They are not toys, they are not attractions, and they are not meant to live their lives in cages. This bear’s rights as a sentient creature must be respected. The ALDF will grant Ricky that respect by sending her to a wildlife refuge where she can be properly taken care of. For all of these reasons, I beg you to free this bear from any more torment.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
http://animalpetitions.org/43349/demand-release-of-caged-and-tormented-bear/?utm_source=Animal+Petitions&utm_campaign=7d59b212f7-APNL1531_6_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5c8ef52732-7d59b212f7-77807085
