Collins Zoo Raided, 11 Animals Taken

By: Beth Alexander | WHLT
Published: January 26, 2012

"The state department decided after a lot of investigation that they do not meet the permit requirements and it was a safety hazard for the public."

     Lydia Sattler is the Mississippi State Director for The Humane Society of the United States.
     According to Sattler, the animals conditions are not ideal - but the big problem is that the cages don't meet state requirements.

"It's flimsy, it's small."

     Justice Court Judge Bobby Mooney signed the order that allowed the raid on Collins Zoo.
     He said public safety was his number one concern.
     But owner Betty White's number one concern during the raid was the safety of her animals.
     She says she's raised some of the big cats from kittens.

"Some of them I bottle-fed. I stayed up 24 hours in a period making sure they survived."

     This is not the first time White has been raided.

"They have taken animals in the past. They have been ordered to return those animals. They have disobeyed those court orders."

"We have been revisiting the Collins property over the past 2 years. We've been giving them a chance to fix the regulation issues. Those issues have still not been fixed."

     The Humane Society and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries took animals from the property that they consider inherently dangerous.

"I have a USDA license which permits me. I do not have a state license."

     White was issued 30 citations for not meeting state standards.

"I should've been able to be there with them. They're, like I said, they're my babies."