We are calling on Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert and the presiding judge of the Jackson County Circuit Court to pursue the maximum legal penalties in the case against Nicole Schott, the former owner of the now-closed Rogue Valley Zoo, also known as “Great Uncles of the Jungle.”

Schott has been indicted on over 300 criminal charges, including first- and second-degree animal neglect, after authorities found more than 200 animals—some exotic and endangered—living in filthy, unsafe conditions. According to reports, several animals were malnourished, others dead, and many more suffering in silence while confined in substandard enclosures. This wasn’t an isolated case of negligence—it was an alleged pattern of cruelty that spanned years.

Our legal system has a chance to send a clear message: animal neglect on this scale will not be tolerated in Oregon. These animals—lions, alligators, tortoises, lemurs, and more—could not speak for themselves. But we can speak for them.

Too often, people convicted of animal cruelty receive minimal punishment, even in cases involving multiple victims and severe suffering. That must change. This case is not just about one failed roadside zoo—it’s about setting a statewide precedent that animals deserve safety, dignity, and justice.

We urge District Attorney Heckert to fight for full accountability in this prosecution, and we call on the court to impose the strongest possible sentence allowed under Oregon law. Anything less would dishonor the lives lost and the trauma inflicted.

The public is watching. Let this be the moment Oregon proves it takes animal cruelty seriously.

Sign this petition if you believe justice must be served—for these animals, and for all those still vulnerable to abuse.