Don’t Always Believe What You Read: Jim Mack’s Roadside Zoo Animals Are NOT Starving!

Large Enclosure/Jim Mack’s Roadside Zoo
photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

In York, Pennsylvania,  a roadside zoo at Jim Mack’s Ice Cream, 5417 Lincoln Highway, which houses a menagerie of animals has come under fire after a woman posted a petition to Change.org with complaints of malnourished animals who are only fed dog food and corn that the public can buy via a gumball machine.     Because of the petition, the York Count SPCA told the owner, Jim McDaniel, to change the water dishes three times a day of which he has complied.   That was the only complaint by the SPCA.

Bretina Greiman, the petitioner, wants the animals removed and placed into a sanctuary because the “animals had dirt and mud caking on them,”  when she visited them earlier this month.   She claims as she walked to feed them, “they were rushing to it.”  “It’s almost like they have to fight over the food.”

Jim Mack’s establishment was under his father’s ownership beginning in 1958.   McDaniel bought the business in 1983 and has been a staple in Hellam Township, York PA.

For the record, I’m not a fan of roadside zoos.   I needed to see firsthand if what was has been written is true.      Since I’ve never been to this roadside zoo, I took an extra pair of eyes along with me.   I wanted another unbiased point of view- my husband’s.     Keeping animals penned up in small quarters is not my idea of  animals living happy, fulfilled lives.

I anticipated the worst.    I was expecting to see filthy, emaciated, muddy, starving animals crammed into small cages.    Patrons are allowed to roam the grounds free-of-charge to see the animals up close.    I came upon the largest enclosure which has goats, alpacas,  sheep, a llama, peacock, and a goose.   It states there is a deer but we didn’t see any.

Large enclosure
photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

A healthy llama
photo/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

Jim Mack’s Roadside Zoo, male peacock, goose photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

Shaved-down alpaca, llama, goat
photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

In this fenced-in area, I didn’t see one undernourished, emaciated, starving animal.    There were no protruding ribs to see.    All looked extremely healthy and happy.    No distressed animals either to see.    The animals trotted right up to the fence as seen in this video I took.    They weren’t rushing for the food as you can clearly see in the video clip.

goats
photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

There is a gumball machine where you can insert a quarter to get a handful of dog food.    Greiman, the petitioner, stated the animals were fighting over the food because they were starving.    I not only found the opposite of what she said to be true but disagree with the animals fighting over the food.    They were happy and content with the attention they received from the public.  They enjoyed being touched.    The gorgeous brown goat did ram another but it was meant in play.   It was a gentle move.  There was no infighting among any of the animals.   They waited patiently as you fed them.     The animals appeared to be quite laid back on the day I visited.

McDaniel said the dog food and corn is not their main diet but food meant for the public to hand feed   the animals.    It’s quite apparent the animals are well fed and nourished.

photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

‘This is a healthy goat,” says Jeremy Robinson, Animal Welfare Police Officer for Organization for Responsible Care for Animals who inspected Mack’s recently.

Goat/Jim Mack’s Roadside Zoo
Photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

Alongside the largest enclosure was an area for two emus.    Their appearance showed a normal weight for both.     They had a pool full of dirty water.    This is where they bathe and cool off.   I don’t know how you keep the water clean with wild animals.    I do believe they will drink from it as well but there are other buckets from which to drink.   They seemed quite content and happy.

Emus
photo credit/Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein

Next was the cage where Little Ricki the bear used to live for 16 years.    Keeping a bear in a small enclosure is wrong and having her relocated to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado in 2015 was the smart and right move for her.   She now lives on 15 acres of land.    Pat Craig, Executive Director of the sanctuary said she is doing well.    A lawsuit caused Little Ricki to move from Mack’s to the sanctuary.

After listening to an interview of McDaniel talking about Little Ricki,  it appears to me he meant no harm to Little Ricki but he was sorely misguided.     He was asked by the Pennsylvania Game Commission if he wanted to give a home to one of three bear cubs in 1996 the Gettysburg Park originally had   He chose the smallest one.

A female peacock and her three ducklings now reside in the pen where Ricki once lived.   In front of the pen are two rabbits in a hutch.    The rabbits look healthy and clean but I hate to see them confined.   I’ve never understood that concept of having rabbits if they’re going to be cooped up.

In front of this enclosure is a replica of the former one in which my husband and I could only see one large rabbit inhabiting it.   Not sure if there were more.

That’s the entire roadside zoo.    The place was well-kept and clean.    It was manicured very nicely.   I don’t understand how Greiman thinks the animals are underfed and malnourished.    This roadside zoo has been inspected by two separate animal organizations.    Besides changing the water dishes more often,  there doesn’t appear to be any more issues.

Jeremy Robinson, an Animal Welfare Policy Officer with the Organization for Responsible Care for Animals paid a visit and found the animals to be healthy and well fed.  “They are not screaming…not in distress.”    He went on to say the “animals’ eyes were clear and healthy, their hooves as well as the enclosure, clean and that they were reproducing.   Robinson said an animal has to be considerably healthy to reproduce.   He felt some of the alpacas were bordering on being overweight.”

Robinson “blasted” the charges that the animals’ coats showed signs of illness or that they were malnourished.    He said of the brown goat, pictured above, “this is a healthy goat.”  Just as I felt.

Robinson also has a problem with the social media campaign and online petition against Jim Mack’s.

“They should leave the opinion up to the animal professionals.”  “People need to stop being so quick to run to social media.”

Mr. Robinson makes an excellent point; however, with anyone having a social media platform, it’s much more difficult to find out the facts before people put out information, correct or not.     You’re presumed guilty before anyone knows all of the facts, in my opinion.     Over 17,000 people have signed the petition.  How many do you think have actually seen the roadside zoo in person?    People will follow the crowd when it comes to petitions.   There are an inordinate amount of petitions regarding animals.

This is what makes me so angry and crazy about social media.   Anyone can say anything and people will believe without having all the real facts.   That is why I visited this place to see for myself.   It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize these animals aren’t starving, being mistreated, ramming each other for food and their coats were well groomed.    My husband and I don’t always agree on issues but his reaction was that these animals were happy and treated well.

If you’re going after this roadside zoo with the intent of wanting to shut it down because you hate roadside zoos, then stick with that.   I’m all for animals being treated properly and living in conditions that are appropriate and good.      I’m not for people creating rather bold lies.    Even if there was a slight hint these animals were malnourished, I wouldn’t hesitate to state it.   But, it simply isn’t true.

Who are you going to believe?  Two animal organizations apparently have no issue with the conditions of Jim Mack’s roadside zoo.    Are they wrong?   Have you see Jim Mack’s roadside zoo?    If so, what is your opinion?

Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer and is an unabashed  animal advocate.   Her love for animals is what drives her to promote awareness of the many issues facing animals.   She hosts the show,  ” A Close-Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.”    She adores her tripawd, Brody.   If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com.   Like https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com for all the tv shows, articles,  and podcasts you may have missed!