Live reindeer display at shopping mall provokes social media backlash


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WEST VALLEY CITY — Valley Fair Mall is defending its decision to display live reindeer inside the shopping mall during the holiday season.

“I think it’s pretty awesome, kids can actually see the deer,” said mall patron Rosalee Montag.

In conjunction with the Christmas trees, lights and Santa Claus, some parents said they came to the mall for that real-life experience.

“I just think it's fun," said Channing Thomsen. "It’s fun for the kids.”

On the mall’s Facebook page, there were comments with mixed reaction over the live reindeer display. Some parents expressed excitement over wanting to take their children to visit the animals. Other people were more vocal about their disapproval on the Facebook wall.

“These are wild animals that deserve better than to be props, stuck inside your noisy mall,” wrote David Berg.

Other commenters chimed in, accusing the mall of being inhumane.

“You should be ashamed of yourself for bringing wild deer into a loud, crowded mall,” wrote Brandon Mark.

Others came to Valley Fair Mall personally to voice their concern to management.

Kids at the Valley Fair Mall intently gazing at the display of live reindeer set up for the holiday season. (Wintson Armani/KSL TV).
Kids at the Valley Fair Mall intently gazing at the display of live reindeer set up for the holiday season. (Wintson Armani/KSL TV).

“They wouldn't choose to be here given the choice,” said Jane Zidon. “I think we really need to start considering that and considering animals as individuals and not as props for Christmas time or marketing opportunities.”

One of the main concerns people have over the live reindeer display is they consider reindeer to be wild and not meant for enclosed places like a pen inside a shopping mall with holiday commotion.

Matt Shadle owns over a dozen reindeer and has been loaning them to places like the zoo and malls for the past 12 years. Shadle said the reindeer mom is accustomed to crowds at the mall, but it's her daughter's first year on display.

“A wild reindeer would've already been out of this pen and gone,” Shadle said. “They would jump and go. You couldn't contain a wild reindeer.”

Zoo keepers at Hogle Zoo are accustomed to reindeer on display. In fact, Shadle has been supplying the reindeer for the zoo’s annual Zoo Lights event for several years. But Lauren Beatty, who cares for hoof stock, said as long as the reindeer have proper food water, shelter and exercise, they should be fine to be on display inside a mall.

Statement from the Humane Society of Utah
"The Humane Society of Utah is always concerned when people and animals interact, especially in public areas. During the period surrounding Thanksgiving and on through the Christmas season, there will be a number of holiday-related exhibits around or inside malls, shopping centers, Christmas Villages, and Christmas tree sales yards that may include reindeer.

Logan's Willow Park Zoo also exhibits a pair of reindeer. These animals fall under the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' 'Collection, Importation and Possession of Zoological Animals' regulations and possession requires a Certificate of Registration from DWR. The regulations require that holders of permits provide 'humane and healthy conditions, including: humane handling, care, confinement, transportation and feeding.

The COR is required as reindeer could possibly spread disease to wildlife such as deer, elk and moose. They are also required to be housed in escape-proof enclosures when at the permit holder's permanent location. The Society encourages the viewing public to not interact with or to feed these animals while on display without first speaking with their owner or representative(s). Reindeer are generally considered to be a domesticated animal and are normally used to being around people."

“There's a difference between domesticated and tamed. Domesticated would be like a dog and tamed would be a horse,” explained Beatty. “They do revert to their natural normal instincts. So if something scary jumps out at them, they're going to react to it.”

At the same time Beatty explained there are also exceptions.

“There are cases where if they're born in captivity or they're used to people, this is normal for them." Beatty said. "Kids, loud noises and music are not going to bug them.”

A mall spokeswoman, who explained the staff is full of animal lovers, said that the reindeer are kept outside in a manger-type display with hay and room to roam from around 8 a.m. until around noon. Then work crews escort the reindeer to the indoor mall display pen that also has hay, food and water.

After 5 p.m., the reindeer are then escorted back outside to the outdoor display and are kept indoors at night to stay warm. The reindeer have a veterinarian on-call, along with mall staff, monitoring them throughout the day to make sure no one spooks or harms them.

“If it wasn’t a safe thing, we wouldn’t be allowed to do it,” said Valley Fair Mall spokeswoman Teresa Patrick. “We have just found that the experience is far more positive than negative.”

The positive experience of shoppers is not the issue for animal-lovers like Jeremy Beckham of Animal Rescue Media and Education.

“What Valley Fair Mall is doing is probably legal. No one is saying that it violates any criminal cruelty to animal laws, but just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right,” said Beckham. “We’re asking that Valley Fair Mall do the right thing and get rid of this depressing display and be on the right side of history and do the humane thing for these animals.”

The reindeer will be on display at Valley Fair Mall through Christmas Eve.

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