NEWBERRY, MI— The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ordered Oswald’s Bear Ranch in Newberry to pay a penalty to settle a complaint.
On April 12 of 2019, two bears escaped their enclosure. One bear was recaptured, but the second was shot and killed three days later after it was found ripping screens off a neighbor’s windows.
A complaint filed in October of this year alleged owner Dean Oswald violated the Animal Welfare Act. Oswald claimed a three-day power outage allowed the bears to escape, but statements from the neighbor, the Luce County Sheriff's Office, NOAA, and Oswald’s electric provider contradicted his claims.
On December 6 the USDA ordered Oswald to pay $2,400 to settle the complaint.
