Dear John,

Earlier today we sent an email letting you know we’d sent letters to the USDA and other agencies urging them to immediately conduct a welfare check on Minnie in light of the Commerford Zoo’s acknowledgment that they can’t afford to care for her. Thank you so much to everyone who’s gotten in touch or posted on social media to express your support for Minnie. We wanted to quickly address three important questions we’ve received, which we know come from a place of deep concern for Minnie:

1. Should I donate to the Commerford Zoo’s GoFundMe fundraiser? Could you raise money to buy Minnie?

No. Donating to the Commerford Zoo’s GoFundMe fundraiser supports Minnie’s continued imprisonment. Purchasing Minnie supports a market for buying and selling elephants. If the Commerford Zoo truly can’t afford to meet her basic needs, including food and water, it is the job of the USDA and the other agencies we contacted to promptly intervene and remove her. 

2. Why have you contacted these agencies? Isn’t there something more that can be done? 

If the Commerford Zoo can’t afford to meet Minnie’s basic needs, the only way for Minnie to be removed from the Commerford Zoo on this basis is for an agency with oversight authority to investigate and order her removal. We sent letters to the USDA, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Torrington Police Department’s Animal Control Division because they have this authority. Alternatively, the Commerford Zoo can choose to send her to a sanctuary, which we hope they will do, and we stand ready to assist them.  

3. What else can I do to help?

Please keep sharing what’s going on. The more people raising the alarm, the better. Rest assured, we’ll continue to fight for as long as it takes for Minnie’s release to a sanctuary where her right to liberty will be respected.

Thank you!

Courtney Fern
Director of Government Relations, the NhRP