Zoo closing after break-in

Posted 2/19/20

Mini S Exotic Zoo on FM 1799 near Lake Holbrook in Mineola is closing its gates for good.

On Jan. 26, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the zoo concerning criminal mischief. According …

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Zoo closing after break-in

Posted

Mini S Exotic Zoo on FM 1799 near Lake Holbrook in Mineola is closing its gates for good.

On Jan. 26, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the zoo concerning criminal mischief. According to the sheriff’s report, someone had illegally accessed the property, damaged a game camera, cut two locks on an enclosure and released two animals. The case was forwarded to investigators.

The pair of rescue capuchin monkeys that were released were located and retrieved the next day by owner Michelle Smith.

In a social media post, Smith stated, “Mini S Exotic Zoo has recently been the target of a severe online attack with acts of vandalism. This illegal act puts the animal’s lives in danger as they could not survive without heat, water, and proper nutrition. 

“Amazingly and with much expert help and search crews, we were able to safely return them into their protected habitat with nutritious diet. We cannot allow animals and humans to be abused and endangered after spending 25 years of rescuing and protecting.

“Because of this we have decided to close our doors to the public in order to protect the lives of our animals and our staff. We have already started, and will continue to re-home our animals so they may be in safe and secure environments. We appreciate your love, support, and our wonderful rating average of 4.97! We have a perfect inspection rating with USDA for 25 years and also just as important we are perfect to the public that sees us on a daily basis and sees the wonderful oasis created for the world’s most incredible beings. Thank you to everyone who has visited and supported us. 

“Thank you to the schools, colleges, vet tech programs, vet offices, scout programs and individuals who have allowed us to help educate the world. With everyone in our hearts – you have all given me the best reward in life, sharing and helping these magnificent beings.”