A canid or wolf-dog at the Predators of the Heart Facility in Anacortes. The organization now goes by Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue. (Courtesy: Debbie Sodl / Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue)

Predators of the Heart once again denied a special use permit to continue operations

By Lauren Gallup
A canid or wolf-dog at the Predators of the Heart Facility in Anacortes. The organization now goes by Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue. (Courtesy: Debbie Sodl / Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue)
A canid or wolf-dog at the Predators of the Heart Facility in Anacortes. The organization now goes by Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue. (Courtesy: Debbie Sodl / Because We Matter Exotic Animal Rescue)

Listen

(Runtime 1:04)

Read

The Skagit County Board of County Commissioners denied an appeal and affirmed the county hearing examiner’s October decision, denying a special use permit for Predators of the Heart (POTH) in Anacortes.

The decision on Dec. 12 came as no surprise to the organization’s executive director, Ashley Carr, who said the organization will appeal this latest decision in superior court. 

“I wasn’t expecting anything more from them, to be quite honest,” Carr said. “This is just kind of the process we have to take to be able to take it to superior court.”

The organization, a nonprofit that houses over 60 animals, has not been operating for revenue since early 2022, when the county said POTH would need to cease operations while applying for a special use permit to continue operations with animals that the county deems as potentially dangerous. These include cougars, bobcats and wolf-dogs. Some have disputed whether the animals are wolves or wolf-hybrids but both are regulated under county law.

Since POTH has been closed from garnering revenue, Carr said donations have kept Predators of the Heart running. 

“We’re gonna keep going and do what we can to save these animals’ homes,” Carr said.

Just last week, Carr said the organization took in a coatimundi that Carr said was privately owned and had been neglected. 

A group of neighbors that is suing Predators of the Heart is represented by David Perez, who said the group is feeling cautiously optimistic about the commissioner’s decision.

“We knew the whole time that this facility was illegal, that it was operating impermissibly,” Perez said. “Now it’s time for the county to start enforcing these decisions and work with POTH to shut them down in an orderly manner.” 

Carr has said if the facility does have to shut down for good, many of the animals would have to be euthanized. Perez and others disagree with that notion.

“Ideally, at this point, POTH would accept the hearing examiner’s decision, the county’s decision and work with credible third parties to rehome these animals — there’s no reason a single animal needs to be euthanized at POTH,” Perez said.

Groups like the Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN) have called out what they view as poor practices at POTH. It is the perspective of NARN that the animals at POTH could be rehomed into sanctuaries. 

“It’s very concerning behavior that Predators of the Heart says that some animals will have to be euthanized if they shut down,” said Hannah Thompson-Garner, director of Advocacy and Mission Advancement at NARN. 

Thompson-Garner said the only instance animals would have to be euthanized would be if transporting the animal would be detrimental and inhumane to the animal, given their current health status.

“We hope that there can be a good outcome for the animals that are there because it is not [them who are] responsible for this,” said Rachel Bjork, NARN board president. 

NARN does not house animals or facilitate the rehoming of animals.

POTH has 20 days to appeal the decision to superior court. 

UPDATE 1/3: This story has been updated to clarify what the Skagit County permit would allow.

Tags: