Animal Advocates News, Wildlife Rehabilitation in Los Angeles, California. Animal Advocates rescues ill, injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild. We rescue coyotes, bobcats, foxes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, squirrels .... and bats. Mary Cummins is a reporter with Animal Advocates News.
Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate
vanilla the chimp,vanilla, chimp, chimpanzee, mary cummins, wildlife waystation, los angeles, california, save the chimps, lies, false, not true,"sees the sky for the first time in her life," 1995, lab, 2023, florida, island
You've probably all heard the story about Vanilla the 28 year old chimp seeing the sky "for the first time in her life" at Save the Chimps.That's not true. She was raised at a breeders then sold to a lab. She lived in the lab for less than a year. In 1995 when she was one year old she was sent to exotic animal rescue
Wildlife Waystation here in California. There was no solid secure roof originally which is against USDA and Fish & Wildlife regulations. Some of the chimps escaped so they were forced to add a secure roof. It wasn't all a solid roof. It was also chain link just like the sides. The chimps could see the sky through the roof and sides, see photo below. It was actually a pretty large enclosure. This is just an upper loft area.
Vanilla the chimp is most likely just in awe she could see the sky again after being in quarantine for six months indoors. She looks like me after I've been inside for a couple of days working and I go outside and see a beautiful day. The article also forgets that Vanilla is still in captivity.
A lot of these places make up stories to go viral to get mega donations. This place already raised $4,000,000 just to take the Wildlife Waystation chimps, https://ktla.com/news/local-news/last-of-the-stranded-wildlife-waystation-chimpanzees-finally-relocated/ . They refused to take the chimps unless they were given millions of dollars. Martine Colette did the same when she first took the 32 chimps from the lab. Now they make another story to get more donations. They have a board, employees to be paid so they need to raise massive amounts of money. In the end animals are saved so that's all that really matters. Still, the truth would be nice.
"Vanilla, a 28-year-old chimpanzee, has lived her entire life in captivity without an unobscured view of the sky. But now, a heartwarming new video shows the great ape seeing the sky for the first time at an island chimp sanctuary in Florida.
For a portion of her early life, Vanilla lived inside a New York biomedical research facility, where she and dozens of other chimps (Pan troglodytes) were housed in small cages "suspended from the ground like bird cages," according to a statement from Save the Chimps, a sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida, that rescued her and 29 of her peers.
After being removed from the New York facility in 1995, Vanilla and other captive chimps were shipped to the Wildlife Waystation, an animal rescue facility in California that shuttered in 2019, where she was boxed inside a roofed enclosure, cut off from the outside world, according to the Daily Mail."
wildlife waystation, martine colette, los angeles, california, usda, irs, mary cummins, wildlife, permit, CUP, conditional use permit, los angeles county health, zoning, planning, fish wildlife, department, exhibitor, sanctuary, scamtuary, closure, animals, violations, donor fraud, audits, audited, non-profit, flood, fire, deaths
UPDATE: 12/09/22 The last animal has left the Waystation. I think I wrote the original article almost 20 years ago. The one here as first posted 2012 but there was a much earlier one. The sad saga of the Waystation may finally be over.
07/06/2022 My current ten year article may be nearing the end. I think I wrote an article years earlier than 2012 and this may be a continuation of that article. Waystation was shut down. Martine is dead. Most animals have been relocated. This was all caused by Martine's horrible actions and behavior. From the California Department of Fish & Wildlife Facebook page today.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
·
"Here’s how some CDFW staffers in Los Angeles spent their Fourth of July weekend – by helping to move another group of chimps from the closed Wildlife Waystation to a new and fabulous home.
Wildlife Waystation was an animal sanctuary that shut down about three years ago, leaving CDFW responsible for relocating hundreds of wild animals, including dozens of chimps that were used in the medical testing and entertainment industries.
Very late Friday night, Wildlife Waystation staff, CDFW staff and a Florida-based chimp rescue organization, Save the Chimps, carefully loaded seven chimps into a trailer and then eventually a plane at LAX for the long flight to a beautiful new home in another state.
Check back in a few days for photos showing the chimps at their new location. Many thanks to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (www.primatesanctuaries.org), which continues to work on rehoming the final 11 chimps still living at Wildlife Waystation."
05/20/2022 I think these are the last of the Waystation chimps. FTR these were not "accidental births." Martine knew people liked seeing babies and were more likely to give her money if there were babies. Martine put the intact male, females together for the purpose of making babies. This is the same roadside zoo mentality and just one reason the Waystation is now closed.
Because Martine is dead and the Waystation is closed I can finally state that the information in this blog came from Waystation volunteers, employees and veterinarians besides USDA inspectors, Fish & Wildlife wardens/inspectors and of course their public USDA, Fish & Wildlife and lawsuit records. The employees, volunteers, veterinarians, USDA, Fish & Wildlife wanted this information to become public so the Waystation could be closed down or be under different ownership and control. It finally happened.
"Fort Pierce - Thursday May 19, 2022: 'Save the Chimps' has announced the rescue of seven chimpanzees from the Wildlife Waystation in California.
The chimps, known as the 'Sunrise Seven', are now in the process of being transported from California to their new home at the 'Save the Chimps' refuge on Carole Noon Lane in Fort Pierce. Some of them have a history of being used for biomedical research, others have been used for entertainment purposes.
A release from 'Save the Chimps' states that the 'Sunrise Seven' will receive "individualized medical care, nutritious meals, engaging enrichment, and the space and freedom to choose how they would like to spend their days."
The Wildlife Waystation closed its doors unexpectedly in 2018 leaving nearly 480 animals in need of homes, including 42 chimpanzees. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife stepped in to oversee the animals and the rehoming efforts. Almost all of the wildlife were quickly rehomed, except for the chimpanzees, which posed a more challenging and complex effort. With the help of the emergency fundraising campaign, Chimps in Need, led by NAPSA, 23 chimpanzees have been rehomed at accredited facilities across the country, one sadly passed away of natural causes, and placement has been confirmed for the final eighteen.
“We have the moral responsibility to protect these individuals who have endured incredible hardship in their lives,” said Ana Paula Tavares, Save the Chimps’ CEO. “These magnificent beings deserve to be at a place where they can thrive as chimpanzees. At Save the Chimps, they will have access to spacious and natural habitats and will enjoy freedom of choice and exemplary care.”
The chimpanzees coming to 'Save the Chimps' include a family of five known as Magic’s Family and a pair of males known as the Dynamic Duo.
At the age of 17, Magic is the youngest member of the group, an accidental birth at the Waystation to parents Ernesta (27) and Jeff (46). We look forward to sharing their rescue and personal stories with you as they leave the sunsets of California behind for the sunrises of our Florida sanctuary.
'Save the Chimps' has made a lifelong commitment to care for chimpanzees. The annual cost for one chimpanzee is $25,000. They often live into their 40s or 50s, making this a three to four decade long commitment to provide care."
01/24/2022 Martine Colette dead from cancer. Per her naturalization papers she was actually 83. I didn't write this obituary. It's for information purposes only.
"Colette was a fearless, magnetic, and a natural-born leader with a quick wit and unmatched sense of humor. Her giant heart never allowed herself to turn away an animal in pain. She put the well-being and safety of the animals above everything else, even when it came at her own expense or physical safety. Her bravery inspired others who worked alongside her to do the same. She stood her ground and fought to protect her legacy through multiple fires, severe floods, and numerous bureaucratic challenges. She worked every day to protect the animals under her care, once saying “it’s not an option to say ‘oh well, this month I can’t do it.’ You have to go on, and you have to do it.” That kind of determination was at the heart of who she was.
Born to a Belgian diplomat and his wife Laura in 1942, Colette developed a deep appreciation of nature during her childhood, which brought her face to face with the animals she grew to love and protect. At a young age, she observed wildlife while traveling with her father in Africa and ventured into the villages to learn from the locals about their native fauna. It was during these formative years of witnessing the horrors of trapping camps, hunting, and exploitation of animals that she recognized her life’s true calling.
In 1965, after making the move to Hollywood and building a successful costume design business, Colette rescued her first animal. Working in the entertainment industry, she was no stranger to watching exotic animals go from fashionable pets to dangerous, unwanted houseguests. When no zoos had interest or space to take them, people would refer to her as “the girl from Africa” to surrender their exotic pets. Once her house in Los Angeles could no longer comfortably hold her growing family of exotic species, she realized there was a surplus of animals desperately in need of sanctuary, and she needed to expand.
In 1976, Colette purchased 160 acres of land outside of Los Angeles in the Angeles National Forest and officially started the Wildlife Waystation. Her calculations had been correct—there was a dire need for homes for the influx of surrendered exotic animals. The sanctuary grew exponentially, rescuing animals from the pet trade, entertainment industry, and even receiving and rehabilitating native wildlife brought to her by California Fish and Wildlife. At its peak, in the 1990s, thousands of animals were being cared for at any one time. And, under Colette’s direction, the Wildlife Waystation became internationally recognized and known. Animals from Ireland, New Zealand, around the world and across the country sought refuge at the sanctuary. Colette organized and led a caravan to aid in the rescue of 27 big, maltreated cats from the infamous Ligertown Game Farm in Idaho.
In 1995, Colette was the first to accept chimpanzees from biomedical research. After initially agreeing to take in 16 chimpanzees from LEMSIP (Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates), Colette raced against the clock to expand facilities to receive an additional 32 chimpanzees in desperate need of placement before the biomedical facility closed. Well aware of the horrible past these primates had endured, Colette became an outspoken advocate for chimpanzees, forming some of her closest bonds with her newest sanctuary residents. Colette was an expert in chimpanzee behavior and referred to them as her “hairy children,” while always recognizing they were not pets and respecting the chimps inherent need to integrate into their own chimpanzee family groups and hierarchy.
Martine Colette has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including being named a Designated Animal Expert for the City of Los Angeles; California Fish and Wildlife Certificate for 20 Years of Dedicated Service; and the California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for 22 Years of Tender Loving Care to the Animal World.
To many, Colette wrote the book on how to take in and rehabilitate abandoned animals. Carol Asvestas, a board member of the American Sanctuary Assn., called Colette’s refuge “the mother of all sanctuaries.” Colette is credited for changing the entire culture of the welfare and sanctuary of animals. Today, other sanctuaries drawn on her model. The Wildlife Waystation was the first of its kind, offering safe haven to over 77,000 animals throughout the 43 years Colette ran it. Wildlife Waystation became one of Los Angeles’ most iconic sites, drawing Hollywood’s most elite as it was the place whose gates were always open for the city’s abused, unwanted, forgotten and abandoned animals.
While her legacy lies in the animal lives she saved, Colette was beloved amongst those in the animal world and beyond. She was a born storyteller, captivating her audience with colorful stories and flawless delivery. She believed the future of the animals she loved so dearly depended on the younger generations seeing the value in nature. She hosted class field trips, and organized outreach programs to the local schools in order to keep the “magic” of animals alive in the hearts of children everywhere.
Even during her last weeks, as she fought valiantly against cancer, she still received phone calls from others asking for help placing animals. Colette drew from her wealth of knowledge and vast connections. The last of the animals she saved will be placed in new homes thanks to her even after she’s laid to rest.
One of her final comments, as she was surrounded by friends, Colette said “Soon I’ll be walking with tigers.” Those of us from Wildlife Waystation know she’ll be walking with thousands of other animals, as well. "
11/18/2021 A note from Marcia Mayeda of Los Angeles County animal control. It's a list of the actual animals which were at the Waystation when they closed. Martine used to say they had 1,000 no 1,500 no 500 animals. There were actually 434 animals there when they closed.
"Marcia Mayeda | The 434 Animals Impounded from the Wildlife Waystation
Uploaded: , Tuesday, Nov 16, 2021
By Marcia Mayeda
Paging Noah . . .
In last month’s blog I listed the many unusual animals DACC has impounded throughout the years. I challenged readers to guess which two species of animals that DACC has not impounded, promising to reveal the answer in this month’s blog.
The animals were: African grey parrot, African lion, African spur thigh tortoise, Bactrian camel, badger, ball python, barn owl, bearded dragon, boa constrictor, bobcat, capybara, coachwhip snake, Cooper’s hawk, desert tortoise, dolphin, ferret, great horned owl, hedgehog, jaguar, king snake, Nile monitor lizard, nutria, okapi, pushmi pullyu, red tailed python, reticulated python, Savannah monitor lizard, sea lion, screech owl, sulfur crested cockatoo, and tiger.
Before I get to the answer, I think you will be interested in reading about another extremely unusual wild animal case we had. In 2019, we were informed that the Wildlife Waystation was closing after 43 years of operation. The Waystation, located on 160 acres in unincorporated Los Angeles County near Sylmar and Tujunga, had served as a sanctuary for unwanted or abused wild and exotic animals that had no place to go. Unfortunately, after financially struggling for many years the Waystation was unable to continue.
Many former circus animals, zoo animals, and exotic pets were there, as well as chimpanzees rescued from laboratories. The wild species were regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and sometimes the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). There were also domesticated animals that were under DACC’s jurisdiction.
The birds included 12 Amazon parrots, 8 blue and gold macaws, 12 cockatiels, 1 cockatoo, 2 eclectus parrots, 5 green wing macaws, 1 Hahn’s macaw, 4 military macaws, 5 Moluccan cockatoos, 2 nanday conures, 1 parakeet, 1 African grey parrot, 2 Senegal parrots, 2 severe macaws, 3 umbrella cockatoos, 1 yellow-crowned Amazon parrot, 1 toucan, 1 golden eagle, 1 emu, 4 roosters, 13 doves, 4 ducks of different species, 7 geese (Canada, Egyptian, snow, and Chinese), 2 red-tailed hawks, 3 owls (barn, great horned, long-eared), 2 peacocks, 8 pheasants (Chinese ring-necked, Chinese golden, chukar), 2 pigeons, 2 ravens, 3 swans, and 1 turkey vulture. And a partridge in a pear tree (just kidding).
The reptiles included 2 anacondas, 7 American alligators, 1 caiman, 1 alligator snapping turtle, 6 green iguanas, 1 Argus monitor lizard, 1 Nile monitor lizard, 1 savannah monitor lizard, 4 ball pythons, 2 Burmese pythons, 5 Colombian boas, 4 gopher snakes, 3 kingsnakes, 1 rattlesnake, 2 red-tailed boas, 1 reticulated python, 2 rock pythons, 1 Colombian tegu, 4 desert tortoises, 1 leopard tortoise, 1 ornate box tortoise, 8 Russian tortoises, 16 sulcata tortoises, 4 box turtles, 20 red-eared sliders, and 2 snapping turtles. There was also a pond containing numerous koi fish.
The domestic animal count consisted of 3 alpacas, 2 dogs, 13 pigs (large hogs as well as pygmy pigs), 7 goats of varying breeds, 3 llamas, 1 mule, 9 horses, 2 sheep, and 3 rabbits.
The CDFW stepped in to take control of the facility and ensure the wild animals were properly cared for while they identified new homes for them in sanctuaries or zoos around the country. DACC staff was there daily for ten months, assisting the CDFW and providing care for the domesticated animals.
DACC handled the rehoming of all the domestic animals, birds, and bison. The bison joined the existing bison herd at William S. Hart Park in Newhall and can be seen by visitors today. Our Equine Response Team volunteers helped with the trailering and transporting of the animals, and one volunteer (a fish specialist) handled the relocation of the koi fish. It was a very successful partnership and all the wild animals were placed with zoos or other sanctuaries, except for the chimpanzees. They will be rehomed when the receiving sanctuaries’ facilities currently under construction are finalized for their arrival."
07/05/2021 Martine Colette thinks she will reopen the Wildlife Waystation. She is allegedly teaming up with a group, probably herself, to buy the property from herself to reopen the sanctuary. She will first start a "Chimp Village at Wildlife Waystation" for the remaining chimps. She will refuse to allow the last few to leave. Then she will go back to having a ton of animals.
This is impossible because there is no CUP conditional use permit and they will never get one. They will also never get permits with Martine involved. Sounds like a money raising scam to me. And again, the Waystation bought the property and paid Martine for it. Martine then just filed a quit claim from the Waystation to her. I see major tax and other issues for Martine.
06/29/2021 Six chimps were taken to "Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Washington state." 26 chimps remain.
07162020 32 chimps remain at the Waystation. The other sanctuaries refuse to take them unless they get $6.9M ahead of time. This is how the Waystation got them. They said they wouldn't take them unless they got money. This is how some sanctuaries work. New animals are a fundraising opportunity. When Waystation took the chimps originally they were separated by sex and none were pregnant. The vet was prepared to instantly neuter them all. Martine wanted cute babies to get more donations so they she put them in together unneutered. They all got pregnant and multiplied. That's why they have so many now. Irresponsible scamtuary.
05/09/2020 All animals have been placed except for chimps. They are asking for money to build enclosures for them which will take a year. Sounds like the sanctuaries will only take them if they come with money.
"Dear Friends of Wildlife Waystation,
We have wonderful news! Nearly all of our beloved animals have been placed in new homes. Everyone -- except 32 chimpanzees!
When Wildlife Waystation closed last August after 43 years, it was home to nearly 500 animals. Over four decades we cared for more than 77,000 animals. We remain deeply committed to making sure these chimps find the best new homes to live out the rest of their lives.
The handful of our remaining care taking staff has worked extremely hard during the last months under incredibly stressful conditions. At last, we are delighted to announce that the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) has joined forces with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Four sanctuaries have offered permanent new homes for our last chimpanzees.
But, even at this extraordinarily difficult time in our world, we still need your help!
Before the chimps can move – new housing must be built at each sanctuary. This construction will take up to a year. In the meantime – NASPA and CDFW need help paying for their daily care -- food, water, cleaning, enrichment, medical support, and all of their day-to-day needs. While, our same keeper staff continues to care for the chimps, Wildlife Waystation cannot meet the financial needs without NAPSA and CDFW."
11/27/2019 A non-profit and Fish & Wildlife are still working to get the Waystation animals placed. Nearly half of the 500 animals have already been placed. The Waystation has assets which can pay for the animals care. A main asset is the property. Martine is trying to sell the property. Legally all funds must go to the Waystation as they paid for the property, the loans, upkeep and improvements. Other people and non-profits even donated to upgrade the property. One upgrade is the pond in front of the cabin where Martine had lived. A non-profit pond business donated the pond to the Waystation. They didn't donate it to Martine. They would not have donated it if they thought it was Martine's personal real estate.
10/16/2019 Waystation land listed for sale for $2.2M. Correction. This is Martine Colette's property now. She is listing her own property for sale. It's in her name. She quit claimed the property to herself even though the Waystation paid for it. I see legal battles. The proceeds of sale of all of the property, real and personal, must be donated to a similar non-profit in the area per the IRS. The Waystation paid Martine Colette for salary, loans, property, legal fees... Martine owns the cash she took from the Waystation though probably not all of it. Martine also has to give back the rent she charged to the Waystation for renting their own property.
Here is the listing in RedFin. This is Martine's bedroom and bathroom. She even had people donate the pond in front of her house. It was donated to the Waystation but she's keeping it. So much for a write off. Martine got in trouble for using Waystation funds to fix her own house. This is the house. All of that property belongs to the Waystation and not Martine. The Waystation paid for all of it at least once it not twice. Scroll below to see the evidence that the Waystation paid for it and owns it.
Broker/Agent does not guarantee the accuracy of the square footage, lot size or other information concerning the conditions or feature of the property provided by the seller or obtained from Public Records or the other sources. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of all information through personal inspection and with appropriate professionals. The property may have video/surveillance devices.
10/11/2019 More animals relocated from the Wildlife Waystation to other better sanctuaries.
"Domino is one of three hyenas recently rehomed to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado from the Wildlife Waystation in California. With the hyenas also came six grizzly bears, four black bears, two tigers and a mountain lion, also known as a cougar or puma."
10/05/2019 The Waystation has never had a breeders permit ever. Three of their lions were born at the Waystation a mere two years ago! They were not allowed to let animals breed in the Waystation. Martine didn't care. She violated the rules and regs all the time. Those three young lions now live in Cedarhill.
Still getting attacks from alleged Waystation supporters. I have been reporting about their problems for years. I report about things they've done after they've done them. I did not cause any of their problems. All of their problems were caused by Martine Colette. These people should be mad at her but they're not. Misdirected rage. Martine Colette kills animals and destroys a wildlife sanctuary after taking lots of money and assets from the non-profit. Her "fans" attack and unrelated actual wildlife rescuer for no reason. This reminds me of the fans of other scamtuaries like the Gentle Barn, Rowdy Girl and others. Their fans attack people who merely show them facts which prove they're a scamtuary.
08/24/2019 Some animals have been moved to Arizona.
08/22/2019 Here's a good article about the Waystation from someone who has been following their sad saga for years. I don't support all of his work as he doesn't know other subjects too well yet writes about them.
08/21/2019 Waystation is again begging for money. They should sell whatever real estate, assets they have if they can. There is a clause in the deeds that states if the Waystation doesn't own the real estate, it goes to the state of California.
My article has been here for seven years. Now that the Waystation is closing for all the reasons the IRS, USDA, Fish & Wildlife, LA County Health Dept, Planning and Zoning stated a few "fans" of the Waystation are attacking me. I did not cause the Waystation to fail. I've only been reporting on it for the last seven years. They did not close because of the recent fire or flooding. They've needed $30,000,000 in order to upgrade the roads, water system, sewage system...since at least 2003. Martine's mismanagement, wars, lawsuits with Fish & Wildlife, IRS, County...is the reason the Waystation is a shambles. Martine is the person people she be mad at. The IRS found she used the Waystation's money on herself and her property. I think the donated pond is in front of Martine's personal residence. Martine quick claimed the property deeds from the Waystation to herself.
08/17/2019 Wildlife Waystation is now saying negative things about Matthew Simmons of Lockwood Sanctuary. I know Matthew Simmons only wants what is best for the animals. I told him not to send his wolves there. He swore to me he was going to fix the Waystation. I told his wife about all the 40 years of problems. I sent her a link to this page. I told her it was impossible to fix the Waystation.
Just fyi the Waystation didn't rescue 77,000 animals. Let's do the math. 43 years from incorporation 1976 to today. That's 1,790 animals a year. Since 2003 they haven't been allowed to take in new animals. They never had a breeding permit so they can't allow them to breed or get pregnant. That means they took in 2,851 every year from 1976 to 2003. Because they never had a wildlife rehabilitation permit they never filed any annual reports so we will never know. I did FOIA requests to get the waystation permit data. They were not taking in that many animals.
The Waystation did at least state in the most recent article that no animals will be euthanized. There may be some animals too old, ill and disabled to find homes. We'll see what happens.
Wildlife Waystation USDA permit cancelled
Cust/Org Name (DBA): MARTINE COLETTE(WILDLIFE WAYSTATION)
Customer No: 3621
Certificate No: 93-R-0177
Certificate Status: CANCELLED
Status Date: Mar 16, 2000
14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON ROAD
LOS ANGELES, CA 91342
COUNTY:LOS ANGELES
08/13/2019 Hard to believe it. Waystation closes. Board voted to relinquish their permit. Fish & Wildlife will look for homes for the wildlife.
The Times article below is the most researched article about the closing.
Lockwood just stated they aren't working with Fish & Wildlife to place the animals. No one knows what will happen to the wolves they placed there. I warned them not to send the wolves there.
Matt Simmons was voted off the board two weeks ago. I actually warned his wife about this in an email the second I heard he was taking over. I sent her all of my research. I told them not to give them those wolves.
I will start posting redacted versions of all the complaints Waystation volunteers, board members, veterinarians... sent to me over the last 15 years.
Video of a wolf at Wildlife Waystation. Wolf was in this condition for days. This is from February 2016.
"Juneau the wolf got weak in the rear end. He finally could only stand on a small flat area in his enclosure. They put him in a small flat enclosure without his mate. That enclosure was in a heavy traffic area with other animals and people. He got stressed and started pacing, trying to do laps in his cage. He started dragging his rear end so they decided it was time to euth. This was a Friday. Martine came and said it'll have to wait until Monday. Juneau dragged himself in a stressful manner until Monday then he was euth'd. Here's a video of Friday. Obviously he was worse over the weekend but there's no video."
Martine still owns the real estate. She took mortgages out on the real estate. She took loans of $591,000 on one property and $480,000 on the other.
COLETTE MARTINE D
14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON RD
SYLMAR CA 91342
APN: 2581-018-018
Bedrooms: 2Bathrooms: 1
Square Feet: 8,016 SFLot Size: 11.308 AC
Year Built: 1981Garage:
COLETTE MARTINE D
14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON RD
SYLMAR CA 91342
APN: 2581-018-017
Bedrooms:Bathrooms:
Square Feet:Lot Size: 4.759 AC
Year Built:Garage:
Below is Martine Colette's real estate in LA County.
Below is the Waystations real estate in LA County. There is a deed restriction. If the property is transferred to anyone, any entity other than the Waystation, it becomes the property of the state.
05/23/2019 I don't believe this. She lied and said she stepped down twice before for legal reasons but never did. The Waystation paid for all that land and Martine quit claimed it into her name. She charges the Waystation rent for their own land. Matthew Simmons of Lockwood is now the CEO? The Planning Commission said a decade ago the Waystation needed $30M just to cure health code, building, planning violations. They lost their last application for a CUP. Planning stated they will never give them the permit. They admitted their are located in a ravine?
As of March 2019 Martine is still the CEO and President. May 21, 2019 Waystation's FB page said Simmons is the COO not the CEO. Their website says Martine is still in charge.
Another day another "oops" birth. Three lion cubs born at the Waystation. They aren't allowed to let their animals breed. They don't have a breeding permit. I'm sure this was intentional so they could have cute babies which people want to see so they'll give donations.
12/05/2016 I just spoke with LA County Planning. There is a CUP application for the Wildlife Waystation. The case number is RCUP 201500106. Please contact our Zoning Permits Section for more information, 213-974-6443 (Project number R2015-02578). Anthony Curvi is in charge of it.
This is just an application. There are no online documents. The last application was 2005 which was denied. I spoke with the planning person about that application. They said it was denied and they will never ever give the Wildlife Waystation a CUP. As a previous expert stated the Waystation would need $30,000,000 worth of improvements to comply with just the County violations, mandatory improvements to the property. That estimate was in 2003 so it would be more expensive today.
I believe that Martine filed the application just as a way to raise money. She knows she will never get the CUP after 40 years of complaints. Since the very beginning in 1976 Martine has not been in compliance. Martine has been viciously attacking, suing, threatening USDA, Fish & Wildlife, County... They will never ever give her a CUP. In fact the planning person said "we will never, ever give her a CUP."
After the application only is formally accepted, there will be public notice. All the files will then be available on the planning dept website. You will then be able to search and find the file here http://planning.lacounty.gov/case At that point all the neighbors and concerned entities will be able to voice their concerns. If one neighbor is against the CUP, the Waystation will never get the permit. Public comments will be allowed after the application is public. After the Planning Commission and public investigate and comment on the project, the Planning Commission and Commissioners will vote to approve or deny it. I would bet every penny I have that they will again deny the permit. There are already many people and organizations that will speak against the permit. Notice they have not had a CUP for many, many years. The County could shut them down any day. They won't because Martine said that if USDA, Fish & Game, County...shuts them down, she will kill all the animals. Other times she said she will dump all the animals on USDA, Fish & Game, County...
Just pulled up the last time the Wildlife Waystation sued Los Angeles County. Here's the case from 2003 when they were trying to get a CUP and were denied. The Waystation dismissed the case. Martine was trying to get a temporary injunction to stop the County from shutting down the Waystation. The commission will never give her a permit especially after this. This application as a ruse to raise funds will end up hurting the Waystation even more.
12/02/2016 Today someone emailed me and said that the Waystation didn't lose their permits... Here is what the Wildlife Waystation emailed to them which was sent to me. This is totally false.
"HI Valerie, thank you for checking in with us and asking. It is absolutely not true that we have lost licenses, or cannot take in animals. We are renewing our licenses with the county and Fish and Wildlife, just as we do every year, we have been operating under a county Conditional Use Permit while we do some facility upgrades but it's business as usual and if we have space and there is an animal in need, we'll give them a home. We have just taken in a brown bear, a bobcat and a possum that were in need of homes. I'm not sure where the incorrect information is coming from but it's not accurate."
They have never had a wildlife rehabilitation permit ever. They are not open to the public. They can't give tours. They can't take in new animals. They do not have a conditional use permit. Even Martine admits this. In fact she says she reapplied to get the permit and will have it soon. She did not reapply. There is no application with LA County Planning commission. They purged the last application out of the system. It was from 2004 and denied. The Planning Commission said they will not give the Waystation a CUP.
"Barrett said. "Unfortunately, there were some real logistic and physical realities that Martine could not easily solve and would not deal with realistically. The Waystation acreage is extremely hilly and rolling and the cost to bring a piece of land like this up to current codes on road improvement, hillside stabilization, water supplies and storage for fire protection, sewage disposal, etc. is just way too prohibitive for a nonprofit animal facility. While I was involved, the estimates for infrastructure improvement, not including any cage or habitat improvements, were in the $30 million range, and would likely be higher now."
"In addition to everything else, the County and the Waystation were at a major legal juncture," Barrett explained. "The Waystation's long standing conditional use permit had expired. Technically, the county could have closed the place."
The Los Angeles County administration "was rightly horrified," Barrett conceded, "by the aging, junky, illegal mess the Waystation had evolved into. In addition, all the government agencies that had struggled with Martine over the years were now comparing notes and sharing information. As each agency learned more about the problems other agencies were having, that affected each agency's willingness to work collaboratively with, or believe or trust, Martine.
"Additionally there was a simultaneous campaign of complaints to each of these agencies, especially the county, by a collection of former volunteers and others, even a former board member."
I decided to see if there was any new news about the Waystation today. Martine said she applied for a CUP and will get it soon. She has not applied. I just checked Los Angeles County Planning. Here is the case number for the last application which was denied in 2004. 200400005.
Go here and search by case number or names "Wildlife Waystation" or "Martine Colette." Nothing pulls up. Last time I spoke with planning they said they have not and will not give the Waystation a CUP. They are illegally operating without one.
While I was researching the CUP I see new videos the Waystation made to beg for money. In one a tiger is walking outside of its enclosure in the mountains. The tiger must stay in its enclosure.
I also saw a morbidly obese domestic skunk. They're illegal to have in California. That weight will kill that skunk if it's not dead already.
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An anonymous person too weak to leave their name just left a comment asking to see my USDA history. The person said EVERY animal person has a violation. Guess what? Not this one. I have had perfect inspections since 2003. They don't schedule appts. They just show up at your door unannounced. I don't have a problem complying with regulations. I don't take in more animals than I can properly handle.
What I've written about Martine and the Waystation is the truth backed up by lots of documents. In fact I'll start posting more of Martine Colettes legal documents and liens.
This information has been online for at least five years unchanged. If Martine wanted to sue me for defamation, she could have but she didn't as what I posted is the truth. There is also a one year statute of limitations on defamation in California. Everything I have posted came straight from Martine Colette herself, legal documents, USDA documents, Fish & Game, Arizona Sheriff records, her naturalization papers and public records.
To the person sticking up for Martine's cruel treatment of animals, shame on you.
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Found some old newspaper clips. Martine Colette was breeding the animals. Here she shows off three white tiger cubs. She states they are the only ones.
Martine Colette wildlife waystation white tiger cubs
Originally the Waystation wasn't supposed to allow any visitors. They also weren't allowed to have over 200 animals max. The planning commission and neighbor were concerned about security and waste issues. Everything the planning commission and neighbors feared might happen actually happened. If someone is moving to a larger location because they have too many animals for their present location that should be a sign that they will again have too many animals.
Martine Colette Wildlife Waystation
Here is the rest of the article above. Martine Colette was breeding the animals and selling them to zoos. She also used them in movies and tv programs. She was going to let a university use her animals in a breeding study. Keep in mind she never had a breeding permit.
Martine Colette Wildlife Waystation breed sell animals to zoos use in television and movies
Another article stated that Martine Colette fed entire cows and horses to the animals. Martine said she butchered them herself on site. She didn't have a butcher license.
Martine Colette butchers horses cows on site.
In the below article a politician has stepped up to get a $300,000 grant to get the Wildlife Waystation in compliance with regulations. Notice this is soon after they opened that they had problems. They've had problems since the beginning. Instead of making plans to become compliant with regulations, Martine Colette plans a huge 10,000 person arena, gift shop, a western town, cabins...to turn the Waystation into a tourist spot. The politician finds out and is not pleased. Martine has done this since the beginning. Beg for money for animals, spend it on something else.
July 23, 2016: Wildfires are near the Wildlife Waystation. Legally all USDA, Fish & Wildlife, Calif Fish & Wildlife permit holders must have written emergency plans. They must have all the money, crates, trucks, water, food, veterinary supplies, volunteers, employees arranged and ready at all times. Obviously the Wildlife Waystation is in violation of their permits again. They are again asking everyone else to help them evacuate. I'm sure Martine Colette will be using the wildfires mainly to beg for money just like the Gentle Barn did.
I am all for saving Wildlife Waystation animals, buildings. If they really do need help, people should help. My only point is we legally must have the necessary means to care for our animals in emergency before the emergency happens. During the last fires Martine Colette stated she did not have enough crates, cages, food, water, trucks, trailers to evacuate the animals. She said paraphrased "we'll just have to sit here and let the animals die because we have no money." Then people felt sorry and donated money to Martine. They didn't have to evacuate. They didn't evacuate. They kept the money donated to evacuate. I do truly hope the animals are not in any danger.
Here is their current plea.
"A CALL TO ACTION!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Please...if you have a trailer, please head up to the Waystation to assist us in our evacuation!! There has been a semi-official report that they're allowing us access to continue our evacuations!! We don't know how long they'll be allowing this, so if you can help us out, please do so!! Please understand that anything can happen when you arrive, so please know that we are eternally grateful for your offer for help!
Please note: only vehicles with trailers will be allowed.
BE CAREFUL, PLEASE!
UPDATE: If you are turned away at the road, please wait at the 7-Eleven. We have many people staged there in the wait. Thank you all so much for the support you're giving during this very difficult and scary time!"
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Found some more of the underlying documents. Here is the criminal case against Martine Colette in Arizona. Martine illegally brought a tiger cub into Arizona with no Arizona exotic animal exhibit permit, USDA permit or transport person. She plead innocent then changed it to guilty. This is when she tried to get a new Wildlife Waystation in Arizona on a residential property. She'd need to be on A2 zoned land and get a CUP conditional use permit which she would never get with her horrible history or not obeying the law. Notice she used her fake birth date on her ID.
Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation
martine colette, wildlife waystation
06/16/2016 Here is a working timeline of the Waystation based on major lawsuits, loss of permits and media articles. I will update it with more information and over write the file. Every word comes from the linked lawsuits or media articles. I didn't write any of this.
Martine Colette and the Wildlife Waystation's original permit was as a dealer then a researcher. They did not get an exhibit permit until 1985. A lot of people who are into exotic animals and want to own one as a pet will get an exhibit permit so they can legally have the animal. It's illegal to own an exotic or wild animal without proper permits in California. The purpose is to make sure the person knows how to properly care for the animal for the safety of the animal and public.
May 29, 2016: Big shakeout at the Wildlife Waystation again. I just saw it on the news. Volunteers have been fired. Here's the video.
One interesting thing is that the volunteers are "no longer" allowed to hold or walk the animals. This has to do with their permits and insurance. They were allowing "volunteers" handle the animals when they weren't permitted for such activity. They still don't have an off premise USDA exhibit permit as far as I can tell. I'll look it up again.
Julie Medrano, volunteer, Mike Rapp, animal trainer, Cassandra Tchen, volunteer talk about being fired from the Wildlife Waystation. I was fired as a volunteer at the animal shelter twice. I was asked back both times. I know how it feels. I also know the reason is generally political. The volunteer cares about the animal whereas Martine does not.
Every few years there's a big shakeup at the Wildlife Waystation. The entire board has resigned en masse twice that I know of. They generally fire lots of volunteers at once. This happens every time the Wildlife Waystation is in trouble. The BODs, volunteers want to help the animals but Martine Colette refuses to relinquish control. Martine Colette now controls the Wildlife Waystation as she put all the real estate in her name and charges then rent. She also collects a salary.
The Wildlife Waystation has been in trouble since they first started in 1976. I read a little about Martine when she did the costumes for Earth, Wind and Fire in 1975. They basically depicted her as a crazy animal hoarder with lots of large exotic animals in her house.
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It appears things are still just as bad at the Wildlife Waystation. Animals receive poor care. Martine still takes a lot of the money in the form of salary and rent. Martine treats the board members and volunteers very poorly.
Just discovered that Martine Colette lies about her age and name. In her California naturalization papers her birth date was April 30, 1939 and not 1942 which is on her other documents. She was born in mainland China. Her name was Martine-Diane Skarstedt and she didn't become a citizen until 1990. "Skarstedt" is her first husband's name. He worked on a dairy farm before becoming an actor. They were married in 1964 in Nevada and divorced 1968. She married Paul L Ridley in 1969 and divorced in 1975. She married Joseph J Dawson in 1981 and divorced in 1984. She changed her name each time. Martine Colette is not a widower. Her first husband died after they divorced. That doesn't make you a widower. Who is the fourth husband? When she married Dawson her name was "Martine D Brassinne." Is "Brassinne" her maiden name? It's related to people in the UK and Belgium. Why did she use the name of her first husband on her naturalization papers which were signed in 1990? So many stories hard to know what's real. There was a Charles Brassine born 1896 England died 1976. He was an upholsterer. Maybe that's where she learned to make costumes. Charles Louis Brassine became a US citizen then died in England. His father was a hair dresser's assistant, "hair cutter." Both the father and grandfather were British. They were not from Belgium.
Maybe Martine used her inheritance to start the Waystation which was started in 1976, 1977. Below is her naturalization document.
Martine Colette, Martine Diane Colette, Martine Skarstedt, fake name, birth date, birthday April 30, 1939, mainland China
UPDATE: 09/23/2014: I just learned that the Wildlife Waystation's conditional use permit expired a long time ago. They never renewed it. They have an application to renew it but it most likely will never be approved. The case number is 200400005. They cannot have a wildlife sanctuary or run a business of any type on the property. In summary the Wildlife Waystation has many LA County zoning, building, safety violations. They are in violation of LA County Animal Control. They are in violation of the water resources department. They have a USDA permit but they still have violations. They don't have a Fish & Game permit for the animals or the sanctuary. Their cages are not legal. They cannot have visitors or give tours of the sanctuary. They are of course still giving tours, having visitors, running a business on the property. They continue to get more animals even though Fish & Game told them they are not allowed to get new animals. They have never had a wildlife rehabilitation permit ever. The only reason this place is still in existence is because Martine Colette threatens to kill all the animals if Fish & Wildlife tries to shut them down. What a mess. 09/21/2014: The Wildlife Waystation located at 14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Road, Lake View Terrace, California 91342 has a morbidly obese opossum. When opossum eyes cross and their tail gets fat they are morbidly obese. It's illegal to exhibit an animal that is too fat or too thin as per USDA regulations. That opossum will die early. They need to feed it less and give it some exercise. This is why all our opossums and skunks are on exercise wheels if they are able. They enjoy the activity and it's good for them.
From today, September 21, 2014. The Waystation is closed to the public. How do they get around this? They have a "volunteer" day on the weekends. You pay to be a volunteer, pay for a class. Then legally you're not a member of the public. 99% of the volunteers are just members of the public. One woman just posted an article about her "tour" of the facility. I bet Waystation gets even more donations with this sob story.
Here are recent USDA violations that I just pulled up for 2013 and 2014.
IRS, Attorney General, 990, tax returns, Wildlife Waystation, Martine Colette
Martine Colette takes $86,000/yr salary and charges the Waystation $90,000/yr to rent ten acres from her. Originally those ten acres belonged to the Wildlife Waystation. Martine quit claimed the property to herself from the Waystation.
I pulled up their California corporation documents. They were suspended by the California State Franchise Tax Board then started a new corporation in 1984. They were formed n 1977, not 1976 as previously stated.
Martine Colette, Martine Diane Colette, Vance Skarstedy, Paul Ridley, Joseph Dawson
From the Waystation website. They admit they did not handle skunks, raccoons with distemper properly. They infected their big cats who died. Very sloppy quarantine and lack of proper cleaning methods. "Disaster Strikes One of the major disasters to strike the Wildlife Waystation was the flood of 1978. We lost our water supply, power, sheds, lumber piles and supplies. Even large oak trees were pulled up by the roots. Our little creek became a raging torrent, four or five feet deep, and we had no bridge. To get food and supplies to the animals on the other side, we had to string a rope to keep from getting swept away and carry everything across. With a 1/2-mile section of Little Tujunga Canyon Road wiped out, we were marooned for six weeks. We had no trash pickup and food was brought in by helicopter. One sick little coyote even had to be choppered out to a vet. Without a doubt, the most devastating blow of my life was the disastrous distemper epidemic which first struck in June, 1992. An alarming number of raccoons and skunks had been coming to us that spring already infected with canine distemper. The first we knew we had something scary in our midst was when M’toto, an 18-month-old African lion, began to show signs of illness resembling distemper. Symptoms quickly appeared in other large exotic felines. We sought expert advice from UC Davis and Cornell University veterinary schools. It was a mystery. Canine distemper had crossed over to infect the felines and we had the dubious distinction of being the first to experience the deadly effects. (NOTE: Some two years later, this same distemper crossover began to appear in the wild lion populations of Africa.) The Wildlife Waystation was closed to the public for nearly a year. By the time the epidemic ended, 18 of our beautiful big cats succumbed, including Reesha, the Siberian tiger, who had been sent to us from a dentist in Pennsylvania some twelve years earlier. Reesha was only four months old when he arrived here and was raised in my yard. It’s still hard to talk about this dark period. M’Toto, the first to show the symptoms, survived and with special medication to control the lasting symptoms, is living a comfortable life." Below Martine tried to get a restraining order on a woman and lost. She was sued for debt collection. I think she was sued when someone was injured or died in 2005. Not positive.
Martine Colette aka Martine Colete quit claimed the Waystation property purchased in 1976 to herself in 2002. There are four parcels. She tried to sell one parcel in 2007 for $2.5M. Below from the listing in 2007.
Google+Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.
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