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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: May 2007

Is Primarily Primates takeover drama near an end?

 

SAN ANTONIO--Almost a year of litigation over the future of the 28-year-old Primarily Primates sanctuary may end at an April 27, 2007 hearing in San Antonio, at which the Texas Office of Attorney General agreed two days earlier in a "Full and Final Settlement Agreement" obtained by ANIMAL PEOPLE to "fully and completely release, acquit, and forever discharge Primarily Primates," founder Wally Swett, other staff and board members, and Friends of Animals, from "all claims" brought against them in connection with the October 2006 seizure of the sanctuary by now retired Texas assistant attorney general John Vinson.

Friends of Animals had agreed with the Primarily Primates board to take over management of the sanctuary, following Swett's retirement. The "Full and Final Settlement Agreement" is apparently to be challenged by court-appointed receiver Lee Theisen-Watt. Assisted by PETA staff, Theisen-Watt has relocated or euthanized as many as 300 of the 800 animals who were at Primarily Primates.

"It came to light that the whole thing was driven by PETA. As we suspected, many of the allegations against Primarily Primates were not true," FoA president Priscilla Feral said in a written statement. "The Attorney General decided it was in the best interest of Primarily Primates and the animals to turn the sanctuary over to new management," under Feral, "and to settle the case."

The documents Vinson filed to obtain the October 2006 seizure order appear to incorporate large parts of two letters of allegations sent to Vinson and Office of the Texas Attorney General investigator Christopher Krhovjak in May 2006 by PETA counsel for research and investigations Leona Stormont. The allegations were heavily based on complaints by two former employees who had been dismissed for cause.

Vinson in 1994 endorsed a similar attempted hostile takeover of Primarily Primates, also based on complaints by employees who had been dismissed for cause.