The city’s animal shelter historically reserved for dogs and cats is starting to look more like the children’s zoo at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, the state’s only zoo (if you’re not including city politics). Maybe it’s time for Gregg Dancho, the city’s outstanding zoo director to advise the city on this matter because when you have goats, donkeys, a pig, rabbits and a tank of fish at an animal shelter well … yes … it’s a zoo!!! Because OIB embraces an egalitarian approach to politics why not add an elephant, the GOP’s mascot, to complement the Dem’s donkey? CT Post reporter Brian Lockhart provides the latest on Bridgeport’s version of Wild Kingdom.
State officials will inspect the urban farm that Mayor Bill Finch allowed a transplanted New Yorker to quietly set up on city land after Bridgeport’s health department tried to seize the man’s dozen-plus chickens.
“Now that we’re aware of it, it’s something we’ll have to go take a look at,” Raymond Connors, who oversees animal shelters for the state Department of Agriculture, said Tuesday.
Earlier this year, the mayor granted Chris Toole’s birds asylum at the animal shelter on Evergreen Street. Connors said he learned of Toole’s farm–which has expanded to include more chickens, several goats, donkeys, a pig, some rabbits and a tank of fish–late last week from Hearst Connecticut Newspapers.
Full story here.
The zoo DID have elephants that left many years ago.
Lisa, you raise an interesting point about the last elephant at the zoo. Does anyone recall where the last Beardsley Zoo elephant is buried?
City dump at Seaside Park.
There were two. I believe Champagne went to the Montreal Zoo. Maybe Gregg Dancho can verify.
Brian Lockhart’s article has some rather unflattering quotes to say about Chris Toole from his ex-wife’s friend.
If he needs any food for his animals just go to the dumpsters behind any Bridgeport school cafeteria. There will be plenty; $800,000 worth.
Dear Mayor Greenjeans,
Exactly who is responsible for the expense of this “Urban Farm?” If the answer is “ME” the taxpayer, I am going to have to say sorry, I can’t afford those eggs. Shop Rite has a much better sale on eggs this week.
*** There’s one buried at Wentfield Park, with Pee-Wee Herman’s bicycle and white bucks, no? ***
No Farms No Food, Baby!