Lazy 5, PETA both claim win

The giraffe hoof before trimming.

The giraffe hoof after trimming.

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

The owner of Lazy 5 Ranch says it will continue caring for its giraffes as it always has despite an animal rights group’s cruelty accusations that came to a head in a Rowan County courtroom last week.

But now, thanks to the attention those accusations brought, the ranch also has a backup plan. And, even though the animal rights group lost the court case, it is claiming victory.

A private warrant filed in December by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) litigation counselor Amanda Schwoerke alleged Hampton intentionally tormented a giraffe by not trimming its hooves.

District Court Judge Thomas Foster found Hampton not guilty last week.

“We were very confident we were right,” Hampton said Monday.

The case goes back to August, when a PETA press release said Hampton failed to “provide adequate veterinary care to a young giraffe with severely overgrown hooves” and allowed the animal to “languish in this painful damaging condition for more than nine months.”

Hampton has said the giraffes weren’t in pain. He has said previously he preferred Lazy 5’s giraffes use gravel or limestone to naturally trim their hooves, a process he says has worked well in the past.

He told the Post earlier this month that restraining and anesthetizing the animal would be risky and could result in its death. However, 2-year-old giraffe Summer’s hooves were trimmed about two weeks ago using a 19-foot-tall chute.

Hampton said in the past the giraffe’s hooves have been trimmed and have stayed trim naturally. He said in the future Lazy 5 will employ the natural way to trim the animal’s hooves, but if it doesn’t work, the chute would be used.

“The chute is something we will have as a possibility to use again. It is quite expensive,” Hampton said. It is also a tool, he said, and the ranch has to “try to pick and operate those tools the safest way possible.”

PETA released a statement saying that although Hampton was not convicted, the agency’s investigation and the charge served its purpose — to have the animal’s hooves trimmed.

“There is no question in anyone’s mind that a giraffe was made to suffer when Henry Hampton refused for at least 14 months to trim the animal’s severely overgrown hooves,” said David W. Perle, a senior media coordinator for PETA.

“Hampton finally did what needed to be done; as a result, this suffering animal finally got some relief,” Perle said.

Hampton said he was glad to have the matter resolved, but wishes it hadn’t consumed so much of Lazy 5 Ranch’s time, which he said would have been better spent caring for animals there.

“It’s just an inconvenience,” he said.

At the same time the trial was taking place, Lazy 5 Ranch was undergoing a USDA inspection, which Hampton said came back as “a complete clean inspection.”

During the short trial last week Hampton and his lawyer, John L. Holshouser Jr., presented a video showing the giraffe walking and running freely, Hampton said. Hampton has said the untrimmed hooves did not cause the animal to walk differently than any giraffe whose hooves were trimmed.

Following PETA’s concerns about the possibility of animal neglect, two USDA veterinarians and Rowan County Animal Control Supervisor Clai Martin inspected the ranch. Martin said he saw nothing that gave rise to any cruelty law violations.

Hampton said Monday he was sorry the conflict happened and he blamed PETA’s attempts to “chase away” school children. In early December, after Lazy 5 Ranch was named the top school field trip destination in the state, PETA sent letters urging school superintendents throughout the state to not let students visit.

“It would be a loss for us and the school kids,” he said.

Hampton said the animal cruelty accusations and subsequent attention has cast a negative light on Lazy 5. But the facility has a tremendous following, he said and “an unbelievable amount of support.”

If people want to see for themselves how Lazy 5 cares for its animals, Hampton invites them to do so.

“I’m anxious to answer questions,” he said.

Hampton said he was thankful Holshouser chose to help the ranch.

“We definitely needed help because we’ve never had anything to happen like this before,” he said.

Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.