Lion’s death upsetting
As if having his beloved animals confiscated on Jan. 28 wasn’t bad enough, Tiger Ridge Exotics owner Ken Hetrick must now grieve the loss of Leo the lion, euthanized recently by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), the same entity that took him over two months ago.
Operating behind a veil of secrecy and a communication blackout, the ODA said only that the lion had stopped eating and was beginning to shut down. Refusing to take any responsibility for the lion’s declining health, the ODA conveniently left out that they changed the lion’s diet and refused to maintain the hip dysplasia supplement Hetrick had been giving the lion per his veterinarian’s order.
Indeed, not only has the ODA refused to hold itself accountable for a variety of problems with the seized animals, they destroyed the lion’s corpse by placing it in a vat of sulfuric acid. ODA will no doubt claim that this was for reasons of hygiene and public health, but it also destroys any evidence of their wrongdoing in the process.
This farce must end! Hetrick has held a federal license, and been in full federal compliance for years. ODA in their zeal have chosen to ignore that fact. If the federal government is satisfied with Hetrick’s setup, why isn’t ODA? Why does the ODA continue to act with secrecy, refusing to have any contact with Hetrick, his lawyer or his veterinarian? What, exactly, is the ODA hiding? Only an outcry from the public will change this situation. Please consider adding your voice by calling the ODA at (614) 728-6201.
—Kelly Meister-Yetter, Walbridge
ODA response: First, “vat of acid” is a gross misrepresentation of the process the lab uses: an alkaline hydrolysis digester that uses a combination of some chemicals but mostly high heat and high pressure to break down matter because of the highly contagious tissue samples it deals with.
Leo was humanely euthanized April 13 after experiencing complications from his chronic hip issues. Last week, department animal health staff began to observe signs of prolonged lateral recumbency, loss of appetite, increased rate of breathing, and decreased ability to move. State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey and Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Melissa Simmerman consulted with Dr. Richard Carstensen, Leo’s long-time veterinarian, and Dr. Randall Junge, vice president of animal health for the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds. All four veterinarians recommended to humanely euthanize the lion.
The lion, Leo, was documented to be weak in the rear end and not walking correctly on Aug. 28 by an inspector from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When the animal was transported in January, the lion had open lesions on his rear limbs due to his reduced mobility. For these reasons, Leo’s veterinarian actually had scheduled him to be euthanized on Jan. 26, though weather prevented the procedure from occurring.
—Erica Hawkins
Communication Director
Ohio Department of Agriculture
