Posted on 05/20/2006 4:31:03 AM PDT by decimon
LAS VEGAS - An animal-rights group has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the U.S. Department of Agriculture of improperly withholding information gathered during its investigation into the near-fatal tiger attack on illusionist Roy Horn.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is challenging the USDA's decision to withhold affidavits of the agency's employees and witnesses collected while it investigated alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act and other laws.
The USDA said disclosing the affidavits would violate the witnesses' privacy, according to the complaint, which was filed Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
PETA contends the public interest in the use and treatment of exotic animals for entertainment purposes outweighs privacy concerns.
The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the USDA to make the requested records immediately available to Norfolk, Va.-based PETA.
Horn was performing in the "Siegfried & Roy" show at The Mirage hotel-casino in October 2003 when he was mauled by a white Bengal tiger named Montecore. The attack left Horn, now 61, partially paralyzed and ended the long-running Las Vegas Strip production.
The USDA's final report - dated Sept. 28, 2004, and consisting of the Mirage hotel-casino's internal investigation, a Las Vegas police probe and witness statements - was obtained by The Associated Press in June 2005 through a Freedom of Information Act request. It showed the case was closed with no official determination of what set off the animal.
PETA also filed a FOIA request for the report and several supporting affidavits.
Its lawsuit alleges the USDA withheld affidavits from the deputy administrator of the agency's Animal Care Division, the Animal Care Division's veterinarian and a member of the audience who witnessed the attack.
"The USDA's lack of compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act is helping companies to get away with animal abuse," PETA Senior Vice President Mary Beth Sweetland said in a statement on the group's Web site.
A USDA spokesman in Washington said Friday he could not comment on a pending lawsuit.
PETA should henceforth be known as STUPETA.
It just sounds better.
weren't there cameras?
Have they checked with the NSA?
Next they'll be demanding the tigers to be set free to roam the streets of Vegas.
The violation of the Animal Welfare Act must have been that Horn didn't make for a full meal.
PETA eats puppies and kittens.
I can just see these freaks standing around their barbecue, roasting bell peppers, thinking of ways to waste our tax dollars.
Somebody has to pay for the time and effort spent on these frivolous lawsuits.
Who pays, we the taxpayer.
These groups like STUPETA truly are not concerned about the animals. Oh sure they have their willing stooges. But their ultimate goal is to continue the rot from within in bringing this nation down.
Spending our money, spending the time of public employees and using our judicial system in the process.
The next time some lib says we don't have enough money for a social program, just point out all the wasted money we spend on frivolous lawsuits brought on by the STUPETA's and ACLU's in this nation.
I don't know how much money we waste with these groups but it has to be astronomical.
Are you nuts? Do you know how dangerous that would be? Those tigers would last ten minutes.
Don't these people have something better to do, like clean the bathroom toilet?
Who funds SUPETA?
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_financials.cfm/oid/21
Thanks
I need to take more time and research these " big-hearted" organizations.
Dupes, stooges and the willing.
I was wondering what it could be. From everything I read they love the tigers. I'm sure they're not mistreated.
To PETA, mistreatment might be that they are not in the wild where they can die within five years.
Roy Horn should start his own PETA: People Eaten by Tiger Acts.
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