Challenging the Treatment of Captive Animals at Olympic Game Farm

In December 2018, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against Olympic Game Farm, a roadside zoo in Sequim, Washington, for keeping animals — including lions, gray wolves, and tigers — in substandard, cramped conditions in violation of the Endangered Species Act and state cruelty laws.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund had previously offered to coordinate the transfer of all its animals to reputable sanctuaries at no cost to the zoo. The zoo declined the offer and the lawsuit is ongoing.

As of February 2021, the discovery period ended. The deadline for the parties to file summary judgment motions and motions to exclude expert testimony is March 25^th, 2021.

Who is being sued, why, and under what law? The lawsuit alleges violations of the federal Endangered Species Act, the Washington Endangered Species Act, state prohibitions on keeping and breeding captive cervids, and state animal cruelty laws.

Why this case is important: Roadside zoos across the country are able to operate while harming animals, including those protected by the Endangered Species Act, due to a patchwork of state and federal laws, that are administered by several agencies that lack the resources or political will to adequately enforce those laws. At the Animal Legal Defense Fund, we use all the legal tools at our disposal to ensure legal protections are applied to animals at roadside zoos.