The new owner of the Natural Bridge Zoo turned herself in to serve a 100-day jail sentence on Wednesday. Sasha “Gretchen” Tocho Mogensen, 41, was booked on Oct. 29 at noon at the Rockbridge Regional Jail.
Mogensen had been ordered by a Rockbridge County Circuit Court judge on Sept. 24 to turn over two missing giraffe calves or face 100 days in jail for contempt.
With Mogensen choosing jail time, the location of the baby giraffes remains a mystery. Some of her supporters believe that Mogensen chose jail time, because she was afraid another giraffe would die in Animal Control Unit’s custody.
Gretchen, the daughter of former co-owner Karl Mogensen, and stepdaughter of former co-owner Debbie Mogensen, reopened the zoo in May 2024 as the new owner.
While Gretchen Mogensen was not part of the original court case that involved the eventual seizure of approximately 70 animals, a judge ruled that because she is the current caretaker of the animals, she is responsible for following the wishes of the court as it pertained to four giraffes, two of which were pregnant.
Four giraffes seized in place
Four adult giraffes were seized in place by Attorney General Jason Miyares’ Animal Control Unit in December 2023, two males and two females.
On the condition of anonymity, one expert told AFP that there is no law in Virginia that allows the seizure of an animal after leaving the premises when a search warrant is closed, and there is no law on the books that allows for any animal, other than livestock, to be seized in place.
However, a judge ruled in favor of the seizure in place, and despite allegations of abuse and neglect, the giraffes stayed in the care of the zoo for months. Jeffrey, one of the male giraffes, was moved first in October 2024.
The two females, Little Girl and Valentine, were pregnant and due to give birth some time in the spring of 2025. The average gestation period for a giraffe is 15 months. Inspections of the giraffes took place at the zoo in October 2024, December 2024 and February 2025, with no issues.
ICYMI
The inspection team arrived at the zoo in April and were allegedly denied entry because Mogensen was not on site. The state alleges they were denied entry three times, and when they were allowed in, the baby giraffes were nowhere to be found. The mothers, the state said, were skinnier and appeared to have given birth to the calves.
Shortly thereafter, the Animal Control Unit made plans to move the three remaining giraffes from the zoo: the two females and Wrinkles, the final male giraffe at the zoo.
Despite assurances from the attorney general’s office that the move of the adult giraffes would be handled by trained professionals to ensure the health and safety of the animals, Valentine died while she was being transported to a Georgia conservation park.
The zoo posted a series of videos of Valentine’s seizure to show the animal was in obvious distress before she was loaded into a trailer. One video reel has 42,000 views; the other has 81,000 views. The zoo called out Rockbridge County and the Animal Control Unit saying the seizure itself was the definition of animal cruelty and abuse.
The cause of death for Valentine has not been released, however, those at the zoo believe her death was preventable as she showed obvious signs of distress during the process that were ignored.
The Animal Control Unit has refused to take any blame for Valentine’s death. Instead, they have pointed the finger at the zoo, saying they were looking at two injection sites on the giraffe as a cause of death.
ICMYI
If Mogensen serves the full 100 days for contempt, she should be released on Feb. 5, 2026.
The attorney general’s office did not provide a comment on her arrest.
Could contempt case be retribution?
The Virginia Animal Owners Alliance has been vocal in its support of the Mogensens throughout the court proceedings.
On Tuesday night, the organization posted that Gretchen was preparing to say goodbye to her animals for the next 100 days.
“They won’t understand her absence – especially her beloved Mutosh – but she has made plans to ensure their care,” VAOA wrote.
The VAOA believes that the court action is retribution for filming the government’s seizure of the giraffes and blaming them for Valentine’s death.
“Gretchen is going to jail on October 29th because she dared to film the government’s abuse of her animals and publicly called them out for it,” they wrote. “Now she is being punished, and the Animal Law Unit is doing everything they can to break her spirit. We want Gretchen to know we believe the State of Virginia is completely in the wrong.
“We admire her grit and see the amazing relationships she has with her animals. We are her biggest human fans.
“The fight is not over, and the next 100 days will pass. In the meantime, we will not rest. We will not go silent. We see the injustice.”
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Crystal Graham
