Shalom Wildlife Zoo recently shared that it is facing a lawsuit over its operations.
The zoo has been listed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by two of the zoo’s neighbors, one of which is an author and one of which is married to a former veterinary for the Milwaukee County Zoo.
The persons suing Shalom have allegedly started an organization named “We Love Farmington”, which is the town where the zoo is located.
The filed lawsuit is seeking to invalidate Shalom’s ‘Conditional Use Permit’ or CUP, which they first received back in 1995 from the Town of Farmington.
In 2024, Shalom approached the Farmington Town Board about renewing their CUP, and were granted an updated version.
Later in 2024, the zoo expanded their size after purchasing additional land that further expanded the property.
In alignment with the expansion, the zoo held four separate town meetings, which once again resulted in the Farmington Town Board approving a new CUP in January of 2025.
This new 2025 CUP allowed for the zoo to have additional operations that matched their expanding footprint. The CUP permitted Shalom to host special events like wedding ceremonies and corporate get-togethers.
According to the zoo, they have hosted other events in their past; the new agreement allowed for larger gatherings on a “much-upgraded facility on the new property”.
The property would also have a new space where children visiting from schools can have a covered place to enjoy lunches while on class trips.
Shalom has stated that the plaintiffs are asking the court to order that the zoo has been violating town ordinances and laws for years, despite the zoo not having any history of citations from local, state, or federal governments.
The plaintiffs have also filed several complaints against the zoo since 2021, filing with a variety of agencies including the Town of Farmington, the DNR, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
The owners of Shalom filed a counterclaim and complaint against the “We Love Farmington” association as a response.
Currently, the owners have also stated that they are facing large legal fees that are redirecting their funds away from animal operations.
Shalom Wildlife Zoo has over 400 animals in their care, spread out over more than 100 acres of land.
