The Vancouver Park Board is shocked to learn animals adopted from the Stanley Park petting zoo that closed last year may have been resold as meat.
After the zoo was shut down due to a budget shortfall of nearly $3 million, dozens of people were given goats and sheep under specific conditions that they would not be sold, traded, loaned or destroyed.
Of the animals, 17 goats and four sheep were adopted by a Langley-area farmer.
Vancouver Park Board commissioner Constance Barnes said she was devastated to hear rumours three animals named Cadbury, Sadie and Tink were auctioned off and killed.
"We're outraged that somebody has taken it upon themselves to treat the animals in this way," Barnes said.
The board is considering taking legal action over a potential breach of contract.
"We need to be as diligent as we can now going forward in making sure this person is absolutely held accountable," Barnes added.
Vancouver Park Board General Manager Malcolm Bromley said the board took precautions to make sure animals were well cared for.
"I'm very upset that we tried our very, very best to avoid this, and unfortunately we did not in this circumstance," Bromley said.
He told CTV News people trying to adopt had to provide letters of reference from veterinarians and employers, and that their sites were inspected.
"The SPCA has said that our due diligence was second to none. We followed very stringent, thorough practice to check everybody out," Bromley added.
Barnes said the board is reaching out to the person accused of selling the goats and sheep and asking him to return any remaining live animals.
"We will hope that he will do the right thing, and if there are animals that are still there we will take them back and make sure they are safe," she said.
The park board is also following up with the 12 other adopting families to see if any other petting zoo creatures were mistreated.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger
