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Living Treasures Animal Park Official Speaks Out About Violations From USDA

DONEGAL TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A local animal park has been hit with several violations from the USDA.

For Tom Guiher, caring for animals is a family affair. Twenty-four years in business at Living Treasures Animal Park in Donegal Township, and there's a sister park in Moraine.

As far as inspections go, the park had a clean slate that is up until July when a USDA representative noted 18 separate issues that needed to be corrected from sanitation to nutrition to safety.

"Some parts of the Animal Welfare Act are very specific, such as height of our perimeter fencing, but there are other areas that are left to a lot of the discretion and interpretation of the individual inspector, and because we had a new inspector, she had many things that she would like to see different," said Guiher.

That inspector wrote in the report: "The veterinary care items have significant impact to animal welfare, and may lead to secondary disease or worsening of the original condition."

It also said: "Inspectors observed multiple times there were none or an insufficient number of staff present to supervise human-animal interactions."

One of the items in the report prompted an emotional public reaction when a concerned patron released video of a lion cub named Thor.

"I think that started a lot of concern that is really unjustified and it was improper information," Guiher said.

Guiher says Thor has a mental deficiency, and he's since been moved to another facility. But Thor's parents are still at Living Treasures and in good health.

"By now we have corrected everything she asked to be changed so that we are in compliance with her interpretation of the Animal Welfare Act," said Guiher.

KDKA does want to point out that report was actually completed back in July. But it was not made public until this week.

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