Urge Three Bears General Store's Owner to Send Bears to a Reputable Sanctuary

At Three Bears General Store, a deplorable roadside attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, three Asiatic black bears—Papa, Katie, and Smokey—are confined to a virtually barren concrete pit where they have nothing to do but stare at the walls and beg tourists for food. Recently, a bear named Mandy died in the pit, having been deprived of feeling the soft ground beneath her feet, digging her own den, and generally living as a bear should.

The bears are denied opportunities to do anything that would make their lives meaningful, such as climbing, digging, foraging, and exploring vast terrain. As a result of incompatible animals being forced to live together in a small pit, the bears fight with each other, which, according to an employee, is a common occurrence.

Three Bears also has a lengthy history of animal welfare violations, including failing to provide animals with adequate veterinary care and clean drinking water. Recently, one bear was seen dragging her back leg. Arthritis and foot injuries in captive bears are often caused by obesity and living solely on concrete.

In 2014, PETA rescued two Himalayan black bears from a cramped cage in the residential backyard of Three Bears' owner Bill DeLozier. They now live at The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, where they have soft grass and wide-open space and are hibernating each winter, likely for the first time in their lives. They got the care that they desperately needed, but Papa, Katie, and Smokey are still suffering at Three Bears.

Please join us in urging Three Bears to send the bears to a reputable sanctuary, where they'll get the space and high-quality care that they need and deserve.