Oregon State Police served search warrants at West Coast Game Park Safari in Coos County, Ore., on May 14, 2025.
Courtesy of Oregon State Police
Oregon made use of a unique investigative team to probe animal abuse at a zoo in Coos County.
Oregon State Police said they began an investigation into animal neglect at the West Coast Game Park Safari in the fall with help from local, state and federal agencies.
One partner assisting in the effort was the Oregon Humane Society, which runs one of the nation’s only animal forensics centers. The nonprofit, which also has its own law enforcement agents due to a state law passed in 2012, served one of the search warrants at the roadside zoo in Bandon on May 15.
“One of the things that really makes Oregon unique is we have Humane Law Enforcement officers here, who are commissioned by the Oregon State Police, and we have that forensic center,” said Laura Klink with the Oregon Humane Society. “We’re the only state in the country that has both of those things.”
Related: Authorities seize hundreds of animals after search of roadside zoo in Bandon
Klink said OHS agents are trained in collecting evidence of animal abuse and neglect. The organization sent a law enforcement agent and a forensic veterinarian to West Coast Game Park Safari when authorities searched the facility.
The Oregon Humane Society also received several animals at their forensics center in Portland. Klink said evidence OHS collects can be crucial in building a case for prosecutors.
“Our chief of law enforcement likes to say, ‘If you don’t have a veterinary report, you don’t have a case,’” Klink said. “Animals can’t tell us what happened to them.”
The Oregon Humane Society reported that it investigated over 500 cases of suspected animal abuse in 2023, resulting in 12 criminal cases. Klink said the organization’s animal forensic center is used by out-of-state agencies as well. The only other center of its kind is in Florida.
Related: Law enforcement raids roadside zoo in Bandon
There are only two universities — the University of Florida and Cornell University — that offer advanced degrees in veterinary forensics. Klink called the training an “emerging and growing specialty within the veterinary field.”
Police ended up seizing and relocating hundreds of animals from West Coast Game Park Safari. In the last year alone, United States Department of Agriculture inspectors cited the zoo 78 times for issues of non-compliance related to animal welfare.
No charges have yet been filed against the zoo’s owner, Brian Tenney.
Justin Higginbottom is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
