Zebras, Camels and Kangaroos in the Snow — Super Lawyer’s East Texas Ranch Becomes a Near Biblical Scene

Tony Buzbee and Frances Moody's Rescue Animals Haven Adapts to Extreme Conditions

By Shelby Hodge // Feb 17, 2021

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Zebras in the snow at Houston attorney Tony Buzbee's Antioch Ranch in East Texas, where his fiancée Frances Moody has her eyes on conservation efforts. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Tony Buzbee's East Texas ranch has seen 16 inches of snow since winter storm Uri charged across Texas.

Rescue camels at attorney Tony Buzbee's East Texas ranch find themselves deep in snow but with shelter ready to protect them from the Uri and Viola fallout. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Rescue Kangaroos at Tony Buzbee's East Texas ranch are being sheltered indoors while winter storms Uri and Viola rage across Texas. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

While the snow from Winter Storm Uri was beautiful the energy grid fallout was not so pretty. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

A rescue donkey at Antioch Ranch in East Texas where Tony Buzbee and Frances Moody are working with ranch foremen to keep the animals safe. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Llamas in the field at Tony Buzbee's Antioch Ranch in East Texas soon find shelter against the winter storm Uri. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

The precious Boar goats at Tony Buzbee's Antioch Ranch make their way through the snowfall, resulting from winter storm Uri. They were saved from slaughter. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Trial lawyer Tony Buzbee at his Antioch Ranch in East Texas during warmer times. (Instagram photo)

Part of the well-cared-for menagerie at Tony Buzbee's Antioch Ranch in East Texas where winter storm Uri has dumped 16 inches of snow. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Tony Buzbee's 7,000-acre Antioch Ranch in East Texas has 12 shelters for his menagerie of rescued animals. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Rescue cattle at Houston attorney Tony Buzbee's ranch in East Texas are under the watchful eyes of ranch foremen. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Tony Buzbee and Fances Moody insured that shelters were built across the 7,000 acre Antioch Ranch to provide protection for the rescue animals. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

An unfriendly thermostat reading at Tony Buzbee's Antioch Ranch in East Texas thanks to winter storm Uri. (Courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

Frances Moody embraces a rescue donkey that she and fiancé Tony Buzbee retrieved from Habitat for Horses. Buzbee's ranch in East Texas is home to numerous rescued animals. (Photo by Vivian Arcidiacono)

Citizens for Animal Protection 2019 gala chairs Frances Moody & Tony Buzbee (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

Frances Moody & Tony Buzbee joined forces in 2019 to chair the Citizens for Animal Protection gala, which resulted in record proceeds of close to $800,000.(Photo by Daniel Ortiz)

The photos on Houston trial lawyer Tony Buzbee’s Instagram feed of his East Texas ranch are remarkable. Rescue Zebras in the snow, camels trekking through snowy drifts and two kangaroos finding comfort indoors in warm doggie beds.

Even before there was threat of the Texas deep freeze, the colorful attorney and his fiancée Frances Moody, a dedicated animal activist and vegetarian, were making plans for sheltering their growing collection of rescue animals at their ranch near the Louisiana border north of Tyler. Of course, they were thinking hurricanes and heat, maybe a little snow in this locale at Atlanta, Texas.

And then the mercury dropped to minus 3 degrees. And the snow fell 16 inches as of midday Wednesday.

With foresight at play, the Antioch Ranch foremen Jared Springer and Mauriano Moreno packed the 12 animal shelters with dry hay, alfalfa, corn and feed and looked after the animals spread across the 7,000-acre spread.

“I want to make sure that Jared and Mauriano get the credit because they have gone above and beyond to make sure our animals are given the best chance of surviving,” Moody emails.

“Countless hours prior to the storm preparing, buying extra feed, securing shelters, talking to experts who’ve lost their animals and not making the same mistakes,” Moody continues. “Busting water three times a day. Making beds in the woods because some of the animals won’t use sheds. Pouring extra feed out all over on top of beds of hay so the animals can find it. . .

“Main thing is extra feed, dry bedding and water supplied three times a day.”

Part of the well-cared-for menagerie at Tony Buzbee’s Antioch Ranch in East Texas where winter storm Uri has dumped 16 inches of snow. (Photo courtesy of Antioch Ranch)

The ranch hosts 17 species, most of them rescued, including two alligators rescued from a farmer who was going to shoot them; donkeys and goats rescued from Habitat for Horses; three cats rescued from the streets of Houston; rescued cattle; pigs; and more.

“Another thing to note,” Moody emails, “is that if we take an animal in, we make sure that we do all of our research first and make sure that we are able to provide the best possible home for them.”