Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office is taking legal action against the Charlestown-based nonprofit Wildlife In Need.
In the lawsuit, Hill’s office asked the court to dissolve the nonprofit animal rescue’s assets and place its animals into court approved animal sanctuaries.
Hill says Wildlife In Need has a history of abusing animals and neglecting to provide them with basic necessities.
“This organization claims to promote the best interests of animals when evidence indicates the exact opposite is happening,” Hill said in a statement. “Generous Hoosiers who have contributed money to Wildlife In Need deserve to know the truth.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a separate lawsuit against Wildlife In Need in 2017 for violating the Endangered Species Act.
“The Endangered Species Act is very limited obviously because it only relates to endangered species, so what the Attorney General’s office is seeking to do is much broader,” PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet says.
In addition to the lawsuit, Hill also filed a motion for a preliminary injunction that would prohibit the operators of Wildlife In Need from removing animals from its premises pending the court’s final order.