Animals found slain at Tift county wildlife rehab
TIFTON, Ga. – According to our news partners with the Tifton Grapevine Newsletter…
Approximately 10 animals were discovered killed Monday at a Tift County wildlife rehabilitation facility in what the owner-operator calls a “massacre.”
Jessica L. Pisciotta, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator with Steadfast Wildlife Rescue Rehab Inc., said on social media that among the dead animals that she had been rehabilitating are several deer, an emu, a gosling, and a turkey. On social media, she said some of the animals had been shot in the head.
When contacted, Pisciotta told the Tifton Grapevine that “multiple weapons” were used by “multiple people.” She declined to say any more because she said the matter is under investigation.
“I don’t feel comfortable talking about it,” she said. Pisciotta asked that the Grapevine not report anything about the dead animals, even though she had already talked with WALB-TV and had done live videos about it on Facebook.
“When news sources are not supportive of the positive things … I think it’s really disgusting to come after the story when you’re not supportive and only come after the story when animals are slaughtered,” she told this reporter.
The Tift County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) “has been contacted, and they are now handling this investigation and not our agency. DNR has been on the site today.”
Kevin Joyce with the DNR’s law enforcement division said that investigators were on the site of Steadfast Wildlife on Tuesday. He said that more information would be available later.
Pisciotta, who has said she had operated the wildlife rehab out of her home for about 20 years, relocated her operation to a rural site in Tift County last year after the City of Tifton told her she was violating city zoning laws by having the rehab in a residential neighborhood. The city said some of her neighbors had complained about the animals in the residential area.
When operating the wildlife rehab in her home, Pisciotta had been helping all manner of injured wildlife, such as deer, vultures, coyotes, foxes, beavers, opossums, and owls.
By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
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