Members of the Union County Sportsmen’s Club and Wildlife Sanctuary in Pennsylvania can enjoy a variety of sights and activities. There’s a restaurant, a campsite, hunting, fishing and a variety of animals for the members to see. Think of the Wildlife Sanctuary like a small zoo.

You would think that a Wildlife Sanctuary would be a safe place for animals where they are cared for appropriately. That does not seem to be the case. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has inspected the enclosures and the animals multiple times and found numerous problems.

One of the animals that the USDA was most concerned about what an Adriatic Black Bear named Dillan. His enclosure at the “sanctuary” was made out of concrete. It wasn’t at all like a natural or comfortable environment. The bear had been declawed and was thought to have arthritis. He was also very obese, probably due to the small size of his enclosure and the fact that he was often fed leftover food from the club’s restaurant. Dillan was also observed rocking himself back and forth in an unnatural manner which most likely meant that he was either in pain or experiencing psychological distress.

It seemed that no matter how many times the USDA reported the problems they noticed, nothing was done about it. Finally, PETA stepped in and found an alternative place for Dillan to live, The Animal Wildlife Sanctuary in Colorado.

Alec Baldwin wrote two letters to the Thomas Wolf, the Governor of Pennsylvania, to try to help PETA get the bear relocated. His first letter was ignored, but his second letter got some attention. Part of the momentum for change happened when People magazine published Baldwin’s letter and raised awareness about Dillan’s plight. 

Baldwin wrote, “Time is running out to get Dillan’s life-threatening issues treated by professionals who have the expertise and resources to do so.” He closed the letter by urging the Governor to use his “power to ensure that authorities hold the club accountable and help secure Dillan’s transfer” to The Wildlife Animal Sanctuary.

Watch the video below to hear more about Dillan’s living conditions at the Union County Sportsmen’s Club and Wildlife Sanctuary and what his life is like now.

 

Dillan’s new home is quite a bit different than where he used to live. Now, Dillan has a pool to splash in and fresh fruits and vegetables to eat. He seems to be enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. After just one day at his new home, he stopped the repetitive rocking back and forth motion.

The Animal Wildlife Sanctuary has an important mission.

“The Sanctuary travels across America and into foreign countries around the world to rescue animals that are suffering.

Each rescued animal is rehabilitated and released into large natural habitats with others of their own kind.”

Dillan is far from the only animal the Sanctuary has rescued. Lions, tigers, bears, wolves and many other animals call the Sanctuary home.