The Wild Animal Sanctuary made waves earlier this week when it announced that it was raising its cos...

1. Wild Animal Sanctuary director answers viewers' questions
The Wild Animal Sanctuary made waves earlier this week when it announced that it was raising its
cost of admission from $15 to $50 - a move that the executive director says is aimed at helping the
animals and weeding out tourists from actual supporters. 9
KUSA
Allison Sylte, 9:48 p.m. MDT July 29, 2015
Pat Craig, the founder and executive director of the Wild Animal Sanctuary(Photo: KUSA)
KEENESBURG - The Wild Animal Sanctuary made waves earlier this week when it announced that it
was raising its cost of admission from $15 to $50 - a move that the executive director says is aimed
at helping the animals and weeding out tourists from actual supporters.
"We just want to honor the people who do support the animals, and anybody who doesn't see the
value in supporting them, that's fine, you can go learn and see wildlife somewhere else, and have a
great time at the zoo or somewhere that's more in that line," Executive Director Pat Craig told
9NEWS Monday.
Craig emphasized this central point Wednesday during an interview with 9NEWS Reporter Steve
Staeger, saying that the price increase is aimed at getting more donors.
Visitors can pay $200 a year for unlimited visits.
"So one of the viewer questions that we've gotten is, 'Why increase the price, why not just close the
thing now and only allow supporters to come inside?" Staeger asked.
"That's virtually what's happening, in a sense," Craig said. "The only reason we wanted the $50
option was to give people who haven't become a donor yet that option to say 'well, jeez, how would I
know unless I come and see what you're doing?'"
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The price increase has prompted an outcry on social media - and the Wild Animal Sanctuary has
responded directly to some of the comments from visitors on Facebook, in one case, commenting
that a donor criticizing the admission increase gave $19 in 2013 and $10 in 2014. Craig says he was
genuinely thanking the visitor for her contributions.

2. "That's public information that's in the non-profit's records," Craig said. "It goes to the IRS. It's on
the 990."
"That wasn't like condescending," he added. "It wasn't to out this lady or anything."
Craig says the sanctuary's approach on social media in response to criticism about the admission
increase is to be "honest and open with supporters."
"You could say, 'Oh, we're the Donald Trump of sanctuaries' if you want, but the key is when people
speak frankly, others don't like that,'" he said.
When asked about his January comments to the Greeley Tribuneabout plans to build an RV park,
welcome center and bed and breakfast on the property, Craig told 9NEWS that these projects "will
still happen" and don't interfere with the mission to be about the animals rather than a tourist

3. destination.
"But those are all for supporters," Craig said. "I can introduce you to people who are supporters ...
they've always been supporters and they live in Fort Collins, places like that, and they're the ones
who come down here and say 'well jeez, you ought to have this.' They said 'you ought to have this
bed and breakfast because I'd stay here.' We're addressing something they asked for."
9NEWS Reporter Steve Staeger spoke to Wild Animal Sanctuary Executive Director Pat Craig.
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