2019 National Press Club Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award Winners
L to R - front row, Rachael Bale, National Geographic, Donovan Slack, USA Today, Elissa Free (Ann Cottrell Free's daughter), Serena Ung, Fox 31 KDVR Denver and Scott Taylor, WJLA ABC 7 News. Back row - Chris Halsne and Carisa Scott, Fox 31 KDVR, Denver.
Print:
Winner: Deadly Dog Experiments at the VA, Donovan Slack, USA Today
In her coverage of the Veterans Administration, USA Today reporter Donovan Slack discovered that the agency reversed course in 2018 and resumed conducting invasive and fatal experiments on dogs. Prior reporting by Slack had led the agency to commission a study on its use of dogs and Congress to pass legislation restricting the controversial experiments. When Slack later discovered that the VA was continuing its painful and fatal dog research despite those restrictions, she investigated. Her reporting again raised the issue to national prominence and triggered an investigation by the VA inspector general which is ongoing. The judges commend Slack for her tenacity and follow through on this issue which could potentially have an impact at research labs across the country.
Honorable Mention: Wildlife Crime and Exploitation, Rachael Bale and Tim Laman, National Geographic
Rachael Bale’s reporting for the National Geographic’s Wildlife Watch project shines a light on commercial-grade wildlife crime and exploitation that is worth an estimated $20 billion or more a year and is the primary threat to the survival of countless species. Bale’s reporting in 2018 included an in-depth feature on the poaching and trafficking of helmeted hornbills, one of the more unusual and endangered birds on the planet, and a species that is critical for keeping Southeast Asia’s rapidly disappearing forests healthy.
That story took Bale and photographer Tim Laman to Thailand and Borneo to track down the very rare and difficult to find bird. Their story explained why the bird, which is poached for its horn, is struggling to survive.
Bale also reported on Jaguar poaching in Suriname, where the large cats are often “killed to order.” That story resulted in the Suriname government publicly acknowledging the problem for the first time.
Broadcast:
Winner: “SeaQuest” - Chris Halsne, Isaias Medina, Carisa Scott and Serena Ung, FOX31 KDVR Denver
Acting on tips from viewers, FOX31 KDVR launched a multi-part hidden camera investigation that exposed horrific conditions inside SeaQuest, a new Colorado mall-based exotic petting zoo and aquarium with locations across the country. The reporting found filthy tanks, unsanitary and unsafe conditions for birds and other animals, and multiple violations of state regulations.
The series led to a state and federal crackdown on the facility including fines and closure of some of the exhibits. In attempts to skirt the law and licensing requirements, SeaQuest not only remained open, but persuaded a teenage employee to house illegally imported exotic animals in his home and eventually give away birds in a nearby parking lot.
As a result of FOX31’s investigation, SeaQuest is currently the subject of civil and criminal investigations.
Honorable Mention: “Thousands of Kittens Killed at USDA Lab" - Scott Taylor, WJLA-TV, ABC 7 News
An investigation with continuing coverage by reporter Scott Taylor and WJLA ABC 7 led to the shutdown of a United States Department of Agriculture research project that killed more than 2,900 healthy kittens since 1982.
By staying on the story for almost a year with investigative reporting that included Freedom of Information Act requests, WJLA’s reporting helped spur proposed bipartisan congressional legislation called the “Kitten Act of 2018” which stands for Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act.
The investigation revealed that not only was there was no need to euthanize the kittens after they were fed raw meat infected with parasites for the study of a food-borne illness called toxoplasmosis in humans, the reporting showed that the kittens could be treated with antibiotics and adopted after the experiments, with no health risk to other animals or people. In fact, the experiments were shown to not be necessary at all, as the USDA ultimately decided itself when it announced this spring that it would be ending the experiments for good.
Winner: Deadly Dog Experiments at the VA, Donovan Slack, USA Today
In her coverage of the Veterans Administration, USA Today reporter Donovan Slack discovered that the agency reversed course in 2018 and resumed conducting invasive and fatal experiments on dogs. Prior reporting by Slack had led the agency to commission a study on its use of dogs and Congress to pass legislation restricting the controversial experiments. When Slack later discovered that the VA was continuing its painful and fatal dog research despite those restrictions, she investigated. Her reporting again raised the issue to national prominence and triggered an investigation by the VA inspector general which is ongoing. The judges commend Slack for her tenacity and follow through on this issue which could potentially have an impact at research labs across the country.
Honorable Mention: Wildlife Crime and Exploitation, Rachael Bale and Tim Laman, National Geographic
Rachael Bale’s reporting for the National Geographic’s Wildlife Watch project shines a light on commercial-grade wildlife crime and exploitation that is worth an estimated $20 billion or more a year and is the primary threat to the survival of countless species. Bale’s reporting in 2018 included an in-depth feature on the poaching and trafficking of helmeted hornbills, one of the more unusual and endangered birds on the planet, and a species that is critical for keeping Southeast Asia’s rapidly disappearing forests healthy.
That story took Bale and photographer Tim Laman to Thailand and Borneo to track down the very rare and difficult to find bird. Their story explained why the bird, which is poached for its horn, is struggling to survive.
Bale also reported on Jaguar poaching in Suriname, where the large cats are often “killed to order.” That story resulted in the Suriname government publicly acknowledging the problem for the first time.
Broadcast:
Winner: “SeaQuest” - Chris Halsne, Isaias Medina, Carisa Scott and Serena Ung, FOX31 KDVR Denver
Acting on tips from viewers, FOX31 KDVR launched a multi-part hidden camera investigation that exposed horrific conditions inside SeaQuest, a new Colorado mall-based exotic petting zoo and aquarium with locations across the country. The reporting found filthy tanks, unsanitary and unsafe conditions for birds and other animals, and multiple violations of state regulations.
The series led to a state and federal crackdown on the facility including fines and closure of some of the exhibits. In attempts to skirt the law and licensing requirements, SeaQuest not only remained open, but persuaded a teenage employee to house illegally imported exotic animals in his home and eventually give away birds in a nearby parking lot.
As a result of FOX31’s investigation, SeaQuest is currently the subject of civil and criminal investigations.
Honorable Mention: “Thousands of Kittens Killed at USDA Lab" - Scott Taylor, WJLA-TV, ABC 7 News
An investigation with continuing coverage by reporter Scott Taylor and WJLA ABC 7 led to the shutdown of a United States Department of Agriculture research project that killed more than 2,900 healthy kittens since 1982.
By staying on the story for almost a year with investigative reporting that included Freedom of Information Act requests, WJLA’s reporting helped spur proposed bipartisan congressional legislation called the “Kitten Act of 2018” which stands for Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act.
The investigation revealed that not only was there was no need to euthanize the kittens after they were fed raw meat infected with parasites for the study of a food-borne illness called toxoplasmosis in humans, the reporting showed that the kittens could be treated with antibiotics and adopted after the experiments, with no health risk to other animals or people. In fact, the experiments were shown to not be necessary at all, as the USDA ultimately decided itself when it announced this spring that it would be ending the experiments for good.
