Time and time again, the Gustafon's have accused the people that want to see their animals in a better home, as being unknowledgeable and naive. They seem to be unable to grasp the fact that professional animal keepers, as well as experienced pet owners, are disgusted with their operation. This page is meant to show them otherwise; it is only the unknowledgeable and naive that SUPPORT Guzoo.

This page will be a compilation of letters and pictures from individuals that have experience with a species, or multiple species, that can be found at Guzoo. If you would like to write a letter to be added to this page, I would be more then happy to include it. Please send it to stoproadsidezoos@gmail.com 

AZA Zoo Keeper Speaks out for Guzoo's Big Cats

   Most of this e-mail is addressed to the owners of Guzoo Animal Farm. I'm sure that they are reading just about everything posted here. Good luck to those of you trying to close down this disgusting animal farm. I send you my warmest wishes in attaining your goal. There are not enough people out there that would fight as you have done. This roadside zoo must be closed.

    Big cats do in fact PLAY and with toys! I am a zoo keeper who works with exotic cats in an AZA zoo. We offer enrichment to our cats daily. There are large boomer balls sold that take cats forever to destroy. Rub a little of just about any spice, perfume, other animal urine on it and the cat will play for hours on end. All cats even your house cat enjoy sents. They will rub their entire body on it. One of our leopard if not given a ball will play with large rocks just as a kitten will.

   They also enjoy searching for their food. We hide it in crevices, behind logs where ever there is a space that will hold a small peice of food. The cats have a blast searching for it. Yes cats do sleep a great deal, but will sleep even more when there is nothing to do. I believe the actual average in 24 hours is 18 hours slept. Those exhibits are disgusting to say the least. All animals need exercise.

   The exhibits there are below substandard to say the least. Also in one of the cat photos you can see their feet below the fence line. All dangerous animal cages should wrap under. Meaning that the fencing should go at least three feet below the surface of the ground and wrap under the exhibit another 6 feet to ensure the animal is unable to dig out.

   I realize that keeping plants in an enclosure can be difficult. But there are a number of plants that grow quickly and spread and are also non-toxic. Knot weed is a good one, very invasive and hardy. Won't hurt any animal if eaten. We use knot weed in a number of exhibits including the cats. Tall bamboo is another. Safe and fun to play with or chew.

   I could go on for hours on the deplorable contitions at Guzoo Animal farm. It sickens me that any one who considers themselves an animal lover would one house animals in such a disgusting environment and two that you would breed animals for private sale. Not even looking at the plight of cats and other endangered animals in the wild. So breed another cat to live in someones back yard where it doesn't know how to be an animal until it kills someone and is either euthanized or put in a zoo. I hope for the welfare of the animals in your charge that you realize your errors and clean up your act or doonate the animals to local accredited zoos that will ensure the quality of life these animals deserve.

Shame on you Guzoo.

Nancy Allaire,

Senior Zoo Keeper Massachusetts USA

Courtney, of Edmonton Alberta, Speaks out for Guzoo's Hedgehog

"I'll admit it; I'm a hedgehog fanatic. I currently own two hedgehogs, and numerous others have gone through my care, as fosters, or pets that have passed on. I spoil my animals and to be honest, I'm addicted to quills. And it upsets me when I see a hedgehog kept in the conditions that Guzoo Animal Farm keeps their hedgehog (and really, all animals) in. 

My hedgehogs (one male, and one female) live separately, each in a cage with 6 square feet of floor space. They are given a 15-inch plastic Comfort Wheel to run on, which is cleaned daily, or at very least, every second day. Because they are litter trained, I spot clean daily and do a complete cage cleaning once a week. This complete cage cleaning includes stripping the cage, throwing all fabrics into the wash, and soaking the wheels in hot water. I wash down the plastic cage floors with a vinegar and hot water mix to neutralize any odors that may be present.

I mentioned that I throw all fabrics from the hedgehog cages into the wash on a weekly basis. Yes, you read that correctly. My hedgehogs live on polar fleece liners, which are safer than wood shavings. A hedgehog living on wood shavings can run the risk of mites, dust allergies or having a wood sliver caught in sensitive areas. Too often, I have heard of a male hedgehog getting a sliver in his penile sheath, and having to have surgery to get it removed. Females can easily get them in their vaginal folds. Quite frankly, it's not a risk I wish to take.

Along with fabric liners, my hedgehogs are also given a fleece bag to sleep in. It allows them to feel safe and secure, while preserving body heat. Every hedgehog that has been offered one loves it, and prefers it over the cold plastic PVC pipe that they are also offered (just like the one that is offered as the only hiding place to the Guzoo hedgehog).

I feed a mix of several high-quality light cat foods. In my mix, I have Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, Wellness, Solid Gold, Orijen, and Wysong. The kibble is also supplemented with various healthy treats, like cooked lean hamburger, chicken, turkey, vet-recommended cat treats, cottage cheese, and scrambled eggs. My hedgehogs always have fresh, clean, room temperature water available to them.

As for vet care, let's just say my hedgehogs are well known at the vet office. I recently spent just under $500.00 trying to save my hedgehog, Hemi, and even though she ultimately died, I would do it again without hesitation. These animals are my babies, and I would lay down my life for them. Each hedgehog is taken to the vet at least once a year for a wellness check-up, and whenever they display so much as a slight sniffle. Hedgehogs are incredibly small and fragile, and a simple upper respiratory infection can quickly escalate to pneumonia, which is deadly.

Like I said above, my hedgehogs are my babies. They are spoiled rotten, and they know it. I know it. Everyone who knows me also knows how much I love my hedgehogs. I routinely rotate their toys in their cage to give them variety. Right now, each hedgehog has a beanie baby to cuddle with, a few kitten balls, a PVC pipe, and some giant Lego. Weather permitting, my hedgehogs go outside to explore, dig and just have a change of scenery. They are pets 99% of the time, but when given the chance to play outside, and dig in dirt, they can be wild animals again. They have the opportunity to stimulate their minds, smell the fresh air, and run around. And when they're tired of being wild animals, they come to me, and beg to be picked up and cuddled. I spent at least 5 hours per evening with my hedgehogs on the weekday, and even more time on the weekends. I bring them into bed with me on the weekends, and they sleep with me for hours. I hand feed them treats, and take them to interact with others. My hedgehogs are loved and they know it. In return, they've offered their love to me. They know my voice and will wait at their cage doors for a snuggle. My 6-month old boy, Cuda, will stand up and poke his nose out of his cage when I come home, just so I rub his face. They don't hesitate to take treats right from my hand, or sprawl out and sleep on my lap. My 8-week old girl, Kismet, doesn't even hiss or curl into a ball. She is completely tame, which constant attention and devotion played a part in. Every hedgehog deserves a chance to be loved like my animals are, or at very least, offered a safe environment to exist in.

Which is more than I can say for the hedgehog at Guzoo. All he has is an empty water dish, one filthy wheel, and one completely unsafe wheel. He has dirty shavings and nothing to stimulate his mind. He's probably never seen a kind, caring face in his life, nor felt the warmth of someone loving him. He has a life in a plywood box, which is hardly a life at all.

PLEASE VISIT COURTNEYS WEBSITE FOR MORE PICTURES!

Jessie, of Calgary Alberta, Speaks out for Guzoo's Birds, Bearded Dragon, Big Cats and Monkeys

(In reply to Guzoos' Response to April 22/07 pictures)

Ringneck doves do not form nests out of their own feces. I have several books on aviculture, and not a single one mentions that. Ringneck doves do nest in shallow, open nests on high, flat perches. Simple boxes or bowls can be used as nest boxes, and some individual birds will add a bit of hay or other nesting material to it. Most will even try to keep the nest clean by tossing egg shells out of the nest, and many females even avoid defecating in their nests.

I do suppose that if the only place to build a nest was a platform covered in feces, then the birds could very well nest there. The instinct to reproduce is strong in these birds. However, that doesn't mean it's natural behavior for them. I suspect that their claim about doves nesting in their feces is a desparate attempt to justify the filthy conditions they are keeping the animals in. Doves do not nest "only" in their feces, as evidenced by the fact that many dove breeders successfully breed them in clean aviaries by giving them little nest bowls.

Let's also not forget the fact that extremely filthy and overcrowded pigeon lofts are a health hazard. The dust produced by the birds and small, airborne particles of feces can give people a condition called "pigeon lung." This condition can cause flu-like symptoms in individuals. Ringneck doves of course are not pigeons, but they are in the same scientific family (Columbidae), so what I write about pigeons applies to them too. The loft needs to be cleaned, by someone wearing a dust mask. There is no reason it should be kept that filthy.

The Amazon cage was a disgrace as well. Parrots are messy, and I wouldn't expect a parrot enclosure to be 100% spotless, but that cage was just ridiculous. Keeping a parrot in such dirty conditions will make it more likely to contract Aspergillosis, a fungal infection of the lungs that can be fatal in extreme cases.

The parrot's inadequate diet could also weaken its immune system, making it more predisposed to infection. No veterinarian I have ever spoken to recommends a diet composed of seeds and nuts to a parrot; such a diet is too high in fat for a captive bird, and it lacks several nutrients essential for good health, including vitamin A. A pelleted diet is superior, and such a diet can be supplemented with nuts, fruits and vegetables.

Converting a parrot who is used to eating only seeds to a better diet can be a difficult and slow process, but in the long term, it would be in the best interests of the parrot.

I am also a bit alarmed that Guzoo is breeding and selling dangerous animals including lions and tigers. Most accredited zoos, such as the Calgary Zoo, do not deal with substandard roadside zoos, so it's likely that the animals peddled by Guzoo are going to other substandard facilities. For example, they have sold a tiger cub to a facility in British Columbia, called "Siberian Magic" that has been investigated by the SPCA and has proven itself unable to care for these animals in a safe manner.

Furthermore, there's no need to breed lions in captivity because there are more captive lions than there are suitable places for them to live. The same is sadly true of tigers. When the SPCA attempted to find a suitable place for the animals at "Siberian Magic" they were unable to do so. The unfortunate ending for the cats was that they had to stay there and that situation recently ended in tragedy.

The bearded dragon should have a source of UVB light. Without this, many lizard species (such as the bearded dragon) cannot properly synthesize vitamin D3 and they cannot metabolize calcium properly. The result over the short term will be a lethargic animal and over the long term, the animal could end up with metabolic bone disease and a much shortened lifespan.

The Japanese Macaque is also not acting normally. At the Calgary Zoo, the macaques have trees to play in, far more room to move around in, and lots of toys and enrichment items. Japanese Macaques are very intelligent and, along with chimpanzees, and orangutans, are cultural animals, meaning that each group has a unique set of non-genetically based behavioral patterns that they pass on to each other. Such an animal will need a large, complex enclosure to be kept happy. The hair-pulling described is a definite sign of stress.

I'm not sure why they can't give the tigers something to claw at, such as a large log. All other zoos I've been to give their large cats items to scratch at, and the cats do indeed use them. The tigers at the Calgary Zoo have lots of things to scratch at, and a pool to swim in, as do the tigers at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.

This zoo is most certainly substandard and needs a colossal amount of work to become even minimally acceptable.