Ashley Carr, the director of Because We Matter joins Ari Hoffman to describe how the government and neighbors are trying to shut down a wolf sanctuary that rescues animals in Washington.
Listen to the audio here:
Statement from April Grossruck, Because We Matter | Board of Directors
Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue in Anacortes was barred from its main source of income back in Feb 2022. We did private small-group tours to educate about wildlife, which brought thousands of guests & millions in tourist revenue to Skagit Valley. We also did Make-a-Wish and were ready to launch a Veterans PTSD program. Skagit County blocked our revenue for permitting, which we’ve been unable to secure for 2 years (now headed to appeal.)
Concurrently, we received a nuisance lawsuit from a wealthy neighbor, who hired a huge firm out of Seattle to come after a small nonprofit. This gentleman is influential in county politics and contributed to a law that targeted our facility in the past.
We are fighting for our right to exist. The animals are owned legally and often received from government agencies; closure jeopardizes their lives. We’re scraping by with donations and may be laying off staff soon (there’s only 3 now.) Our director Ashley takes no salary and has dealt with intimidation, harassment, relationships pressured, etc.
Many local businesses have also been adversely impacted through us being targeted and we frequently have to deal with false narratives.
Our goal is to keep raising media awareness. My opinion is that we’ve been dealing with local government overreach, interference in an established business, and abuse of process. We’re beyond the pale now and just want to keep caring for 100+ animals we provide for, but we also feel it’s in public interest to know what’s been happening.
