AdvoCat 2014 03
March for Lions a Huge Success
Our video sums up the Tampa March for Lions:https://youtu.be/rlyAoQ2MdV4Get all the details, photos and videos here: https://bigcatrescue.org/march-lions/
Amazon Smile
You're going to shop on Amazon anyway, right? I do because Prime gives me free shipping and 2 day service on just about everything I order. When you shop via Amazon Smile you can pick Big Cat Rescue as your favorite charity and we get money from Amazon every time you shop. That's something all of the cats can smile about!https://smile.amazon.com/
Have one wild time on your summer vacation!
Register for Big Cat Rescue's Cool Cats Camp now at https://bigcatrescue.org/kids-camp
Bearing Witness to the Unbearable
Just when we didn't think we could be any more heart broken, we were witness to something that was just gut wrenching, but if we don't bear witness for this little bobcat kitten, then who will?
https://bigcatrescue.org/bearing-witness-unbearable/
Recent Big Cat Videos
6 new wildcat videos to charm, entertain and mesmerize you:
Never Turn Your Back on BIG CATS!
https://youtu.be/bZgklu52Rus
St Patrick's Day for TIGERS!
https://youtu.be/Sv-RsMjPOwk
Lions - A Species Under Threat
https://youtu.be/6mIX90hLFbE
Cougar & Caracal/Serval Hybrid Rescued! - Sanctuary Closes
https://youtu.be/92ao7chHllY
Black Leopard Birthday!
https://youtu.be/_88PFzWFDxo
A Bobcat Love Story - The Purrfect Match?
https://youtu.be/w4jo_Fbbb00
Sad Farewell to Three Beloved Animals
Banjo the Bearcat was a rather astonishing 23 years old when his poor old body just couldn't get him around his enclosure any more. We know cats, and don't take in animals other than cats any more, because we feel like it's hard enough to know everything we need to know about one kind of animal. From all the experts we talked to about Banjo, they said the longest we could expect a binturong to live would be 15 years, so we think he had a pretty good run by living to be 23.Cleo Cat Tra the Serval was "only" 17 but that is our average age for servals. She was in renal failure and went down very quickly. The cats usually let us know when it's over, so we helped her pass on without having to suffer.Nyla the Leopard was 19 and just had a wonderful "vacation" with her brother, Simba in the Vacation Rotation enclosure. We wanted them to get some time out there because we feel like Simba is in his final days, so we were stunned that Nyla's health began to fail so quickly. She was euthanized as she was in late stages of renal failure and during the necropsy we discovered she was suffering from pancreatitis which caused the hastening of the downward spiral.
It has been a very difficult year for all of us who love these animals and right now 24 of our cats are over the age of 20 (when they usually don't live into their teens any where else) so we know there are some heartaches ahead.
Armani Leopard Goes to the Vet
Armani the leopard has been on the observation chart four times in four months for choking on her food, but this time it’s serious and she has to be rushed in to the vet. See what Big Cat Rescuers do to save her life. Unless you are a big cat vet, you will see something in this video that you have NEVER seen before! https://bigcatrescue.org/now-big-cat-rescue-feb-12-2014/
Some GRRREAT News!
West Virginia Bans Private Possession of Wild Animals!
Gov. Tomblin has signed a bill into law to prohibit the private possession of dangerous wild animals. Introduced by Del. Randy Swartzmiller (D-1), HB 4393 passed the House by a vote of 72 to 23, and the Senate by a 22 to 11 vote.
No Animals Harmed in Noah
Darren Aronofsky says no live animals were used and that he opted to use all computer-generated imagery to create the animals on Noah’s Ark, instead of using captive exotics.
Your Roars Were Heard!
In our August 2013 Advocat e-newsletter, we asked you to let government officials in Ventura County, California know they should not approve a permit request by tiger merchant Irena Hauser, who owns 5 white tigers, to house them in a residential area of Malibu. Hauser exploits the tigers in the movie industry and transports them for filming purposes. Last week the Ventura County Planning Commissioners rejected Hauser’s request for a permit!! Thanks for speaking out against this abuse!
Washington’s Trophy Hunting Bill is Dead!
Washington state Senators Brian Dansel and Don Benton authored a bill to force the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to allow trophy hunters to use hounds to kill cougars for fun. The bill died in the Senate so Washington’s cougars and hounds can sleep a little safer. To everyone who shared the alert and contacted legislators: Thank you for helping us stop this cruel and unnecessary legislation!
Top Shocking Incidents of Big Cat Exploitation
We hope by sharing a new list with you each month that you will join us in speaking out for the big cats and cubs that are exploited across this country every day. We encourage you to take one small action today and reach out via phone or email to contact one or more of the offenders listed below and politely express your concern. Together we can be the voice for the voiceless...together we can make a difference. Please join us in our mission of Caring for Cats & Ending the Trade. If you learn of exotic cats or cubs being exploited in your area, please contact Susan Bass at Susan.Bass@BigCatRescue.org. More than 3,000 Big Cat Rescue supporters spoke up for this poor cub being exploited at the Florida State Fair
No. 1 Last month, the Florida State Fair (Tampa) hosted an exhibit called Jungle Habitat that was exploiting a 4-month-old tiger cub named Takara (photo above). She was living in a dog carrier inside a tiny cage all 11 days of the fair. For $20, up to 6 people at a time could enter her cage to take photos and pet her.When Big Cat Rescue heard about the situation, we contacted Florida State Fair management.We also went to the fair to check out the exhibit and tiger cub ourselves, since this abuse was happening right in our own backyard.We were appalled at the condition of the tiger cub. She clearly seemed drugged; her behavior was well beyond sleepiness or lethargy. When the handler pulled her out of the dog carrier and placed her on top of it, she barely opened her eyes. One of our people is a veterinary technician and it was also her professional opinion that the cub was drugged. We were within inches of the cub and she was able to evaluate the cub's eyes and behavior. There were also several spots of diarrhea in the sawdust surrounding the cub's cage. An adult lynx was separately confined to a very small cage.Amazingly, when the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) sent an officer to the fair to investigate, the officer reported the exhibitor was “appropriately licensed” and the cub “appeared well adjusted to public contact.” WHAT??So many of you were outraged by the response from the FWC. We are too. This is why we are fighting SO hard for Federal legislation that would ban cub petting at these roadside zoos and fair exhibits. Please visit www.StopBigCatAbuse.com to ask your representatives in Congress to co-sponsor and support the Big Cats & Public Safety Protection Act.Sadly, little Takara was exploited again in March at the Lee County Fair (Florida) and the Collier County Fair (Florida), where she was subjected to gawking and petting by hundreds of strangers.If you’d like to add your voice in support of this cub, we’ve made it easy to contact FWC, USDA and the Florida State Fair here: https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51389/p/salsa/web/blog/public/?blog_KEY=31Contact Lee County Fair here: https://fair.leeciviccenter.com/contact/Contact Collier County Fair here: info@colliercountyfair.comTo learn even more, read BCR supporter Julie Hanan’s article about the cub at the Florida State Fair here: https://www.examiner.com/article/20-to-pet-a-tiger-is-that-a-fair-priceNo. 2 Dirk Arthur's Wild Magic show, a circus act featured at two Harrah's casinos in Nevada, was recently cited by USDA for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Dirk Arthur was cited for forcing two tigers and a lion to undergo painful declawing procedures in violation of a long-standing USDA policy, confining a snow leopard to a rusty and unsound enclosure, subjecting a bobcat to conditions that presented “a clear hazard” to the animal’s safety, failing to use adequate barriers to protect the cats and the public, and denying the animals the opportunity to exercise or even adequate space to make normal postural adjustments.Big Cat Rescue joins PETA in asking Caesar’s Entertainment Group, which hired Dirk Arthur’s act, to NOT let the show go on. Caesars should join the growing list of companies – including Simon Property Group, Inc., the largest real estate holding company in the U.S. – that have made a commitment to hiring entertainment acts that don’t exploit exotic, endangered animals.Please ask Caesars and Harrah’s management to end the partnership with Arthur and urge Caesars to commit to only hiring entertainment acts that do not include big cats and other exotic animals. Email Caesar’s management here:tdonovan@caesars.commthomas@harrahs.comwfaul@harrahs.com No. 3 A CBS television station in Washington aired an interview recently promoting an exhibitor with a tiger cub petting scheme at a local outdoor expo. Photos of the cub with the reporter are also posted on the station's Facebook page. The video shows the handler continuously bouncing the cub in the air for several minutes to keep it quiet. The cub cries out repeatedly. Please politely let KEPR-TV reporter Abby Acone and her news director Robin Wojtanik know that their station should not be promoting and condoning the abuse of this cub!Tiger cubs should not be exploited for profit and used as entertainment. And they certainly should not be bounced around like a rag doll. Email them here:Abby Acone: abbya@keprtv.comRobin Wojtanik: robinw@keprtv.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/keprtv
American Exotic
Want to support a TV series that will educate a huge audience about the REAL issues involved in the private ownership of big cats and other animals?The biggest challenge we face here at Big Cat Rescue in the battle to stop big cat abuse is educating people. Most people have no clue that thousands of exotic animals live in miserable conditions under current laws. The phrase we here most often when we tell people on our tours about big cat issues is, “I had no idea!”When award-winning director Michael Webber created the documentary Elephant in the Living Room (“Elephant”), he showed the real story of exotic animal ownership. Elephant won 5 Best Documentary awards and became the #1 Independent Film in the nation for three weeks in a row – remaining in the Top 10 for nearly a year.Michael Webber has now created a TV series along the lines of Elephant. It will be a great next step in getting the message out about big cats and private ownership to the American public!The first six episodes have been in production for over 3 years. To raise funds to finish those episodes, he is now posting the project on Kickstarter, a website that allows YOU to become part of the project and make the series a reality!By funding this privately instead of through a cable network we can keep the content pure so the real message stays intact.Every donation helps. Even $5 dollars. If you are interesting in being part of this (you can say you funded a cable TV series!), visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaelwebber/american-exotic-with-tim-harrison.
Rock to the Rescue
A ROARING time was enjoyed by all as Big Cat Rescue volunteers teamed up with Ms. Hannah Shaw, Director of “Rock to the Rescue” for an exciting Big Cat fundraising/public awareness event that took place as part of the 2014 Plant City Strawberry Festival.“Rock to the Rescue” is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by classic-rock band STYX, whose mission is to build strong, healthy communities through the support of grassroots organizations across the country.This is the second time that Big Cat Rescue has teamed up with “Rock to the Rescue”, collectively raising $4000.00 in support of the magnificent creatures that call the sanctuary home.
Rock to the Rescue is a project founded on the principle that our communities are stronger when we work together in mutual aid. Having played over 1500 shows in the last 14 years, STYX has been strongly connected with communities across the country. At each tour date, Rock to the Rescue partners with a local group to give back to the community through outreach, fundraising, and volunteer support. What makes Rock to the Rescue so unique is that they work on a grassroots level with small groups, giving real support to real individuals who are creating positive changes in their communities. Rock to the Rescue is building initiatives in the areas of music education, animal welfare, and health and well-being.For additional information, visit: https://rocktotherescue.net/
More Digital Big Cat Books
We have added a couple new ones since the last newsletter went out. https://bigcatrescue.org/books/
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
from
Big Cat Rescue
(Click here to watch short video)
Dear Supporter;We have a favor to ask: We now have access to an EASY – FAST – FUN way to raise money. The best news is there is absolutely NO COST to you and will only take 10 to 15 minutes of your time. In fact, you can do this anywhere, using your computer, phone and/or tablet.
Here's How:
We have been selected to test out different online and mobile games. When you try out these games, the game distributor pays just for trying them out. We are only asking you to spend 10 to 15 minutes trying out at least one game. Of course, if you like them, you can play them as long and as often as you want. All games are FREE to play and all are family friendly and SAFE.Using your computer or tablet please click on the link to check out and play at least one game from this week’s list of online games. Online Games (new games are added weekly)For smartphone users, please open this email on your phone and click on the link and download to try out at least one game from our list of mobile games. The more games you try out the more money we are paid. Mobile Games (new games are added weekly)You can help us even more by sending this email to at least one friend or family member, so they can help us raise funds, too. Plus, most games are interactive and you can play with them. One more way to help raise money at NO COST to you: Yahoo has agreed to help us by providing a special search site that is branded just for us. They will also share revenue from searches to help us raise needed dollars.Just click on the link and check it out…It's that easy. SearchingPlease try 5-10 natural searches using this search engine, after all you already use the Internet to search. Now you can search using a branded search engine built exclusively for us, of course the more you use it the better it is for us.Thank you for your support and help. It really is...
EASY – FAST – FUN – FREE!