Celebrities are calling out a famous Malibu winery after it ‘failed to evacuate animals,’ including a beloved giraffe
Katy Clifton
- Celebrities are calling out Malibu wines for failing to evacuate its animals during the California wildfires.
- In a statement made on Saturday, Malibu Wines claimed that most of its animals were accounted for after staff prepared to evacuate late on Friday night.
- Images shared by Whitney Cummings show how close the fires came to the gate enclosing Stanley the giraffe.
- Ariel Winter and Khloe Kardashian have also voiced concerns over the safety of Stanley the giraffe and the other animals located at Malibu Wines.
Celebrities have shared their anger at a Malibu winery which pledged to get its animals out of harm’s way during the wildfire but “failed to do so,” according to a comedian.
The devastating Californian wildfires caused Whitney Cummings to criticize Malibu Wines after hundreds voiced concerns about the welfare of their animals which include Stanley the giraffe.
Responding to the concerns, Malibu Wines released a statement on Saturday which said most of its animals were accounted for after staff began evacuation preparations late on Friday night.
The statement said Malibu Wines had “lost a considerable portion of barns and facilities” and had “a small number of animals unaccounted for,” but said the search for them was ongoing.
Thanks to everyone in the community for your prayers and support through this difficult time. Our amazing animal care and facilities team began preparing for evacuations late last night and because of their efforts we have survived the fire. Our management team and animal trainers are onsite right now feeding, providing water, repairing enclosures, and caring for our animal family (including Stanley). While we have lost a considerable portion of our barns and facilities, our primary concern is the lives our animal and human families. We have a small number of number of animals unaccounted for but the search is continuing through the night. Your offers of support are deeply appreciated and as we begin the reconstruction process we will reach out to neighbors to help with this process!
However, posting on Sunday, comedian Whitney Cummings said that staff on the property “did not evacuate their animals and still won’t,” suggesting they have still been left at risk of dying.
After visiting the site, she wrote, “I wanted to be understanding and gracious, but once you treat your animals like this (when you have plenty of money) we simply aren’t on the same page.”
I’m deleted my understanding caption about Malibu wines/Saddlerock ranch. I didn’t want to speak until i had all the information. Now I do. They had a lot of excuses and i was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. They didn’t evacuate their animals and still won’t. I wanted to be understanding and gracious, but once you treat your animals like this (when you have plenty of money) we simply aren’t on the same page. The pastures were still burning in areas when I got there, an injured pig was found by us that nobody was looking for, and the owners of boarded horses were told they were evacuated which is a lie. So now we have a problem. You guys can DM me if you want to discuss evacuating them otherwise I’m just going to post the photos I have. Talk soon?
“The pastures were still burning in areas when I got there, an injured pig was found by us that nobody was looking for.”
“The owners of boarded horses were told they were evacuated which is a lie.”
The comedian also posted a picture of Stanley the giraffe, who featured in The Hangover Part III, behind a charred gate inside a paddock, with burnt posts seen on the ground.
This is how close the fire came to the fence. Now that i know the full scoop, shame on you @malibuwines @malibusafaris for not evacuating this animal or any of your animals. I was gracious earlier because you told me you’d move the animals and gave me many excuses of why you didn’t which i believed because I’m codependent and always want to give people the benefit of the doubt so i wrote a nice social media post trying to help get you hay. I tried to reason with you, tried to help you, and I brought you food for the animals. I am trying to help you do the right thing and take better care of the animals (you use to make money.) I have trailers and people who can take them out safely ready to go. I have way more photos and videos of how bad the damage in case people think I’m being dramatic. Let’s just do this the easy way? DM me and I will help you. I know moving a giraffe is incredibly dangerous but not having an evacuation plan at at all isn’t acceptable. Yes they keep saying they “evacuated” but that means into a pasture that’s still Smokey and burning on their premesis just FYI. Side note before I knew they left animals in fires was my dream to get married here
Claiming the animals had just been moved to a paddock nearby at the Saddlerock Ranch, she added, “Shame on you Malibu Wines for not evacuating this animal or any of your animals.”
“I tried to reason with you, tried to help you, and I brought you food for the animals. I am trying to help you do the right thing and take better care of the animals (you use to make money.)”
“I know moving a giraffe is incredibly dangerous but not having an evacuation plan at all isn’t acceptable.”
“They keep saying they ‘evacuated’ but that means into a pasture that’s still smokey and burning on their premises.”
Another celebrity voicing concerns about the giraffe was actress Ariel Winter, who shared a tweet which showed the animal surrounded by smoke from the wildfire.
Khloe Kardashian also posted about the giraffe, writing, “No way [the owners] would do this?!?!”
She added: “I have to find out if Stanley the giraffe is ok and if I can help in any way. Oh I feel terrible for him. He’s probably so scared and confused!”
I am so upset by this!!!! @WhitneyCummings you are such a kind soul for doing all that you’ve done! I wanted to believe them!! https://t.co/Ro7gSzE50I
— Khloé (@khloekardashian) November 12, 2018
The statement from Malibu Wines said: “Our amazing animal care and facilities team began preparing for evacuations late last night and because of their efforts we have survived the fire.”
“Our management team and animal trainers are on site right now feeding, providing water, repairing enclosures, and caring for our animal family (including Stanley).”
“While we have lost a considerable portion of our barns and facilities, our primary concern is the lives our animal and human families.”
“We have a small number of animals unaccounted for but the search is continuing through the night. “
“Your offers of support are deeply appreciated and as we begin the reconstruction process we will reach out to neighbors to help with this process!”
Malibu Wines has been approached for further comment.
On Saturday, animals also affected by the fire in the area — including geese, goats, dogs, horses, and llamas — were being cared for by kind-hearted animal lovers.
One evacuated horse had a contact number written on her hooves as she waited in a shelter at the Pierce College Equine Centre, where evacuees were bringing animals to safety.
Llamas in California were tied to a lifeguard stand on the beach in Malibu as the fire came down the hill. A pony was also among the rescued animals who were tied up on Zuma beach.
Some 29 people have died in the Camp Fire in Northern California, matching the state’s record for deaths in a single fire.
Another 228 remain unaccounted for as crews stepped up the search for bodies and missing people. A further two people were killed in the Woolsey Fire in Southern California.
