INFO ON WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE-WAO

Message from the REXANO webmaster: this page is now longer than we ever imagined it would ever be. It is best to start by scrolling all the way down to the pictures to learn about the WAO's history.

NEW UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS

WAO: Court Approved Tiger Relocations September 2011 NEW

W.A.R. is declared on the WAO animals January 2011

THE END: WAO IS CLOSING

Supplemental Information from State TX Office of the Attorney General May 2010-present

Cougar Escape and Recapture November 2010 NEW

WAO Bankruptcy 11/10/2010

Lawsuit: Page's Printing Vs. WAO 10/15/2010

WAO Closing It's Doors Wild Animal Orphanage News Release 9/17/2010
 

WAO: Bears bounce 9/15/2010

OPEN LETTER FROM WAO BOD TO REXANO By Suzanne L. Straw, 9/15/2010

Wild Animal Orphanage – Animal Inventory 8/23/2010

Lawsuit: Porter Poultry Vs. WAO 7/26/2010

Alleged Missing or Dead ASUS/WAO Animals as of 7/2/2009

UW Abandoned Threatened Monkeys Nearly Two-Thirds Dead 9/8/2010

‘Orphanage’ on ropes By Current news team, 9/8/2010 (scroll down on PDF)

MESSAGE FROM WAO BOARD OF DIRECTORS 9/6/2010

SA's Wild Animal Orphanage closing By Enrique Lopetegui, 9/5/2010

Offer of Compromise and Settlement Asvesats vs. WAO Lawsuit 8/30/2010
 

Wild Bunch: troubled SA sanctuary looking to unload hundreds of animals by Enrique Lopetegui,  8/29/2010

Need help with finding homes for 200 plus animals by USDA veterinarian, 8/23/2010

USDA Inspection reports up to July 14, 2010

Asvestas vs. WAO Lawsuit 2009

 

WAO UNDERWENT ANOTHER CHANGE, REVERTED BACK TO ITS OLD WAYS Editorial, May 8, 2010 Bye Bye Bubba San Antonio Current, By Callie Enlow, 5/31/2010 WAO: Still a Family Affair SA Current, By Callie Enlow, 5/8/2010 According to the above article, BOD member Michelle "Cryer plans to put the savings from the firings toward animal food, at least a $15,000 per month expense". However, WAO 2008 Tax return 990 (Part IX, 24a) claims a total of only $88,071 spent for Animal Care/Vets/Food, that is $7,339.25 per month for food AND veterinarian combined. In addition, WAO is currently enrolled in a program in which, for a $100 dollar a month membership fee, they get thousands of free meat from the local supermarkets. WAO has around 400-500 animals, some of them are small, not 700 animals as this article claims. Michelle Cryer is married to the WAO's acting director Jamie Cryer, who is also WAO's driver.

NEWS: In-fighting, unpaid bills leave wildlife sanctuary endangered 5/7/2010 VIDEO

New Leadership's Press: Emergency Situation at Wild Animal Orphanage Jamie Cryer, 05/05/2010

Jamie Cryer Salary as WAO Driver December 2008-June 2009 (see yellow column)

WAO Transportation Log Mississippi, 2006-2008

US DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) and WAO settlement regarding various federal carrier and hazardous material violations 2009

Jamie Cryer, Acting Director Background Check

Jamie Cryer, Acting Director Criminal Records Search

Michelle Deanna Anthony Cryer, WAO BOD, Criminal Records Search

NEWS: Volunteers at Wild Animal Orphanage locked out of own building 05/01/2010

WAO BOD MEETING MINUTES 4/30/2010

WAO BOD Emails, Sumner Matthes & Nicole Garcia 04/8/2010

Sherwood Resignation Email 3/18/2010

WAO BOD Emails, Sumner Matthes & Nicole Garcia 10/30/2009

Letter Sent to Texas Attorney General Regarding WAO By Kristina Brunner, 10/09/2009

Letter Sent to Texas Attorney General Regarding WAO By Kristina Brunner, 07/30/2009

Cindy Carroccio, ex BOD, resignation 2007

 

The New WAO Beginnings Under the NEW Leadership   We are keeping the archive files below titled "Expose of WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE-WAO" as a reminder that things can turn right for the animal welfare if humans keep faith and keep doing what is right. Hopefully under the new leadership, the animals of WAO will flourish and enjoy their healthy food and enrichment activities.   Wild Animal Orphanage Seeks Fresh Start October 2009 VIDEO NEW TV AD click HERE (7 MB) PHOTO SLIDE SHOW on Flickr   San Antonio Current News Animal Wrongs 11/4/2009 The WAO Files 4: Carol speaks. Sort of. 11/4/2009 The WAO Files 5: WRR’s Lynn Cuny 11/4/2009 The WAO Files 6: Sumner Matthes. 11/4/2009

Expose of WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE-WAO

 (Lately known as "Animal Sanctuary of the United States")

WAO website

Back to Hypocritical Exotic and Wild Animal Sanctuaries

Before donating money or placing your pets in a sanctuary or a rescue, always ask for references and check for credibility (better safe than sorry). Donors should check the organization's tax return (IRS 990) to see where the sanctuary receives its funds and how much actually goes towards the animals (ie. food, vet care, and new enclosurers). Good resources are ActivistCash, Charity Navigator, iGive, GuideStar, etc...  Donors may also want to check to see if the sanctuary is a member of the BBB Charity Wise Giving.

What is a True Exotic Animal Sanctuary? By Zuzana Kukol, September 2008 Unedited Version HERE

USDA Inspection Reports

July 1, 2009 Leslie road facility

December 18, 2008 Leslie road facility

 December 9, 2008 Leslie road facility

 January 2, 2008 Talley road facility

 January 1, 2008 Leslie road facility

 September 18, 2007 Leslie road facility

 September 18, 2007 Talley road facility

 June 26, 2007 Talley road facility

 April 24, 2006 Leslie road facility

WAO-USDA Settlement Agreement 2007

WAO-USDA Settlement Agreement 2005

WAO Income Tax Statement - form 990 year 2007

WAO Income Tax Statement - form 990 year 2006

WAO Income Tax Statement - form 990, 2nd version, year 2005

WAO Income Tax Statement - form 990, 1st version, year 2005  

Carol Asvestas Rental Issues December 2007

Animal Planet’s “Growing Up Lion” – Was There a Happy End? 12/21/2008

USDA Report on Death of REX 

Alleged Missing or Dead ASUS/WAO Animals as of 7/2/2009

OPERATION SAVE "BUBBA" - WAO White Tiger

  Listed below are three Civil Investigative Demands (CID) issued by the Texas Office of Attorney General to the ASUS/WAO:

CID: August 9, 2006
CID: November 16, 2007

CID: April 16, 2008

 Listed above are three Civil Investigative Demands (CID) issued by the Texas Office of Attorney General to the ASUS/WAO.
What is a CID, you may ask? Well, essentially a CID (in this case) is a request for documents by the charitable trust division of the attorney generalʼs office when investigating a suspected violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
You may also ask, does the ASUS/WAO need to respond to the CIDs?

Answer: Yes--the law states that a person shall comply with the terms of the CID unless otherwise provided by a court order. Also any person who, with intent to avoid compliance with a CID, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine, confinement in jail, or possibly both.
Finally, you may wonder what happens after the CIDs are investigated--what is the next step. If the charitable trust division believes a violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act has occurred, the division typically will try to resolve the matter through an assurance of voluntary compliance (AVC). In an AVC, the ASUS/WAO, for example, will agree to refrain from engaging in certain conduct(s) or make restitution to financial donors. An AVC may also require the payment of a fine or penalty (which in some cases have been substantial!).
If the investigation cannot be resolved through an AVC, then the charitable trust division likely will file suit against the organization. In that situation, the matter will proceed as any other case brought before a court.
We, at REXANO.org, hope this brief explanation into how CIDs work will help you understand the three documents listed above. If you are interested in obtaining records pertaining to this case, you may submit, in writing, an open records request to the Texas Office of the Attorney General (see their website for submission details HERE.

TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - Open Records regarding WAO:

TCEQ: Investigation Report, WAO

TCEQ: WAO Response

TCEQ/Stericycle/WAO pickup

Carol (Cassidy) Asvestas and Ron Asvestas report on their sanctuary cars' accident 2/19/2009 NEW

NEWS: Wild Animal Orphanage Seeks Fresh Start 10/14/2009

San Antonio Current

The Wao Files, Part III: Asvestas vs. Asvestas 10/15/2009 Lawsuit Legal Paperwork PDF

Phone call of the wild 10/7/2009

The WAO Files August 2009

San Antonio Lightning Newspaper

Changes At Critter Town 9/30/2009

Top Cat At Wild Animal Orphanage Yowls 'Libel' 8/25/2009

Lawsuit filed by WAO against san Antonio Lightning July 2009

Where Is Vivi's Body? Cause Of Death Kept Secret 7/17/2009

Vivi, The SA Tiger Is Dead 7/16/2009

 WELCOME TO ANIMAL AUSCHWITZ The Lyin' Queen,A Sequel, Embarrassed PETA Bails;More Animals Vanishing,Monkeys Equal Money,SAL POLITICAL SNITCH SERIES PART ONE - 1-6-2009

Lions, Tigers, Pigs Et Al; Animals Missing From Unfenced SA Sanctuary A Witness Steps Forward 1-9-2008

AUDIO: Carol and Ron Asvestas Explaining Missing Pigs 2007  

Sumner D. Matthes, Vice President, ASUS/WAO Pig Email 2007  

Pigs Update December 2007

Where are the 100+ WAO potbellied pigs? December 2007

Animal Sanctuary Alleged Deaths 2004-2006

Tour Guide Says Hepatitis Claimed Movie Star Lion November 2007

The 90 Pig Mystery: Secrets Of An Animal Welfare 'Angel' Or Maybe Just Playing Another 'Angle?'- Investigations Swirl Around Wild Animal Orphanage November 2007

Were Bexar County Pit Bulls Buried Alive? 10/2/2007

Note from Kristina M. Brunner (Former WAO Vice President/Treasurer) regarding Pahrump and Henderson, NV exotic animal removal in PDF and MSDOC - submitted to USDA and TX Attorney General on July 27, 2007

 -Photos and videos referenced in the above document are in the gallery below

 -Document showing WAO 'In-house- veterinarian' was really 'Animal care technician'

 -Animal addition and losses at WAO's Talley road facility: 12/19/2003 - 9/18/2006 in PDF and MSDOC

 -USDA and TX Attorney General CONTACT

Government Agencies Investigating Local Animal Sanctuary - November 9, 2006 

See VIDEO HERE  

Note from Kristina M. Brunner (Former WAO Vice President/Treasurer) in PDF and MSDOC- January 17, 2006

See PHOTOS HERE and Animal deaths file HERE

WAO Staff Meeting - December 27, 2005

USDA/WAO Settlement agreement - January 2, 2005

WAO Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement

Certification of Joe Fury - November 5, 2002  

WAO: Crooked Agenda of an Animal Sanctuary - various news and documents

Certification of Lilac Alfke - August 30, 2002

Photos and Documents from Lilac's Testimony in the Table Below

(click on images to view full size)

Baby bear Hallie was supposedly born at the WAO and was pulled from the mother bear so Mary and Michelle Reininger could hand raise the bear themselves - it is presumed dead.	Lion cub Luther is presumed dead.

ANIMAL WELFARE CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST THE WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE IN TEXAS - May 24, 1999

(See also March 5, 1999 USDA document)

Documentary of  WAO's Pahrump and Henderson, Nevada 'rescues' in 2005

DISCLAIMER: photos, images, videos and graphics are copyrighted, write us for permission to use.

(click on images to view full size)

Carol Asvestas of WAO getting ready to tranquilize black leopard ONYX. All pictures and videos (except the last 3 rows) in this gallery were taken on March 1, 2005 in the afternoon.	Click on image to see the mpeg video of Carol Asvestas of WAO unsuccessfully attempting to sedate a very scared black leopard Onyx.	The animals in this NV facility were NOT used to crowds, so no wonder they were terrified when they had to deal with WAO's huge entourage of police, camera, AR activists, etc... so it was very difficult to tranquilize them safely without causing them any emotional stress.
After veterinary technician finally tranquilized the terrified black leopard, Carol Asvestas was seen leaning on his transport cage. The cage had a wire bottom and no tray. (see next pictures for detail)	Even though it was a bright  Nevada day, the WAO and IFAW crew left the poor sedated animal unattended without any protection from the weather elements (see shadows in the photo.	As is usually the case, WAO and IFAW reported the animals from this "rescue mission" to be mangy and skinny. But judge for yourself: the only thing you see is the shiny black coat of a well fed leopard covered with few pine shavings that were used as a cage substrate.
WAO calls their trailer 'HUMANE TRAIN'	Another animal, a tiger, waking up from sedation, NOT covered in feces as reported in the news by WAO and IFAW.	Even though the property owner requested for media not to be present and WAO promised the owner not to have media there, it turned out to be a BIG media circus with Sheriff's cars, news trucks and satellite dishes.
Cages with sedated animals were wheeled into the WAO trailer on March 1, 2005. It was a tight fit, with no visible service access to water and feed the animals.	After tiger Sundance was sedated by the vet tech, he was poked with a metal bar. Sedation can be very dangerous, even fatal, to animals as well as humans undergoing surgery.	Right after that Carol Asvestas and her veterinary technician walked in the tiger cage. Many rescue crews prefer to take more 'animal safe' approach and  encourage the animals to move into the transporter by way of food or favorite toy.
Tiger Sundance was born with club foot and eye deformity, and few concerned people advised not to tranquilize and transport this stranger/human-shy tiger as he might not make it. In this video, you will see the policeman posing with his rifle next to sedated 'Sundance' , while Carol Asvestas of WAO stands above. Click on image to view mpeg video.	Moving tiger Sundance out of his cage for the long trip from Nevada to Texas included huge crowds of people and media in his cage  that he feared so much. Click on image to view mpeg video.	After the tigers and leopards were tranquilized, they were left without a cover in the sun (see shadows). Even though this happened in the desert, everything is green, as NV had very heavy rains at the time. Animals might have been little muddy at the time, but NOT covered in feces as reported by WAO and IFAW during the media circus that followed.
Many members of WAO's and IFAW's entourage spent their time just 'hanging out', standing around with their arms on their hips or books in their hand with apparently nothing useful to do.	Property owner did NOT want the media there and was promised they wouldn't be called and allowed on the private property. WAO obviously didn't keep their promise (see WAO's  press release from the day before). (see it in MSDOC)	Which part of the big gate sign in plain English "KEEP OUT" didn't they understand??? It was in plain view next to WAO's white truck.
Five days later on March 6, 2007, after a long drive from NV to TX, the cats were unloaded with more media circus at WAO facility.	Unloading of a lion from Henderson, NV.	Unloading of a very scared tiger from Nevada after a long trip to Texas.
Nevada lion and tigers waiting in their transport cages at the WAO compound.	Lion ZEUS from Henderson with mole like growth he had for many years was supposedly euthanized, even though WAO promised to give him veterinary care.	Wolf Roxi, with a benign tumor that WAO agreed to treat was also supposedly killed once he arrived to WAO, the Texas 'sanctuary".
Nevada tigers after being unloaded at WAO facility.	Upon unloading in Texas, most of the bedding was gone, and there wasn't any water in the dirty looking rusty metal animal dish.	Seems like animals are not the only thing caged and under the Sheriff's supervision in Texas.

Images Copyright © Zuzana Kukol &  REXANO

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