The President of Safari's Sanctuary in Broken Arrow recently posted a message on her MySpace page to commemorate Pete Getz's memory. Getz passed away Friday after being attacked earlier this week by a Liger he was feeding.
The entire message is below:
Pete ---- we love you, Rocky we’re fighting for you.
Current mood: 
sad
Category: Pets and Animals
Hello all, getting back online.
Pete Getz, our volunteer, our friend and brother, has passed away. 10/30/08 approx 10pm.
Pete was an amazing person, heart of gold, kind spirit, quiet yet bold, a gentle giant, but with the knowledge of Steve Irwin. Also tall, handsome and an incredible spokesperson for wildlife & rescue. Pete championed our "Pete Getz Wild Reptile Show" this whole year... striving to educate people of these animals, discussing the fears, explaining the truths, and showing his passion for what he loves.
His heart was with his bears; he had raised bears at other facilities and called them his own, even went to visit them this summer to help one through a surgery (just by holding her paw, giving her hugs)... Pete helped us work with our bears, and train them. They loved him so much.
Pete also was an avid reptile man! He had over 50 of his own (personal snakes). Even some venemous. Plus his dogs.... he loved animals so much.
I feel honored to have been able to work with such a man. I dreamt of leaving our Safaris Sanctuary legacy to him for him to continue. Thats how highly I think of this man.
Please pray for peace with his family, this is a tremendously hard time for them.
If you'd like to DONATE toward Pete's extensive medical bills, and care. You can send it to Safaris in memory of Pete Getz... and I will forward ALL monies to Petes family. You can go to safariszoo.com and paypal donate, or mail check to our address (written to the Getz Family) and I will get it to them. If you write it to Safaris (memory of Pete) I will get the money to them. Our address is SAFARIS, 26881 E 58 St, Broken Arrow, OK 74014.
His services are going to be held privately, for the family and closest friends. So please just send cards, donations, whatever to us at Safaris, and we will get it to the family. They are in such mourning, PLEASE respect their wishes for some privacy during this time.
About ROCKY, the liger. We will fight for his life. He does not deserve to die because of this. I may have sounded different in my last blog. I WILL FIGHT FOR ROCKYS LIFE. I do not feel that Rocky is a threat to society. I do not feel that euthanizing him will solve any problem, nor will it bring Pete back. I do not think that Pete would want for his Rocky to be harmed because of this. But that final decision will be made at a higher level than I cannot control.
Safaris of Broken Arrow is CLOSED to the public for now, and I cant say for how long.
Thank you for all your calls, emails... I read them ALL. But please understand I am trying to call back all urgent messages, deal with this tragedy myself, comfort family and friends, and keep our animals fed in the process.
So please I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers, thoughts and wishes. And forgive me, if I cannot call everyone back, or email every one back.
In closing today, I just want to say that I love these animals with all my heart. Started all this for them. If the park cannot stay open, I will still work to keep these animals alive, and be an advocate of education of and for these beautiful creatures that God created, but allowed us humans to intervene in nature and alter their lives forever.
For the love of the animals. And forever in honor of Peter Getz.
Lori Ensign
