Cat Tales 2003 December

AdvoCat Newsletters
Written By Carole Baskin

We are the world's largest accredited big-cat rescue facility, and home to 100+ exotic cats, and 80 percent of them were from the entertainment industry and former pets. We do something called operant conditioning, in which the cat is enticed to do things that we need for the animal's management, such as to come lie against the wire so that we can check its ears, or to open its mouth so we can check its teeth. It is a training method that most circus acts purport to use that has no form of punishment but gives a small food reward if the cat does the requested performance on command.I would be the first one to say that these cats shouldn't be in cages and in need of medical care, but that is another day's debate. The learning of the tricks is not the heart of the issue. Most people are not aware that traveling acts are frequently governed only by USDA regulations stating that the cage need be large enough only for the animal to stand up and turn around and that the cat cannot be kept in something smaller than that for more than 60 days. But each time the cat is taken into the circus ring, the 60-day clock starts over again. Many of the cats who come to us have permanent scars on their noses, hips and shoulders from hitting the sides of their tiny enclosures every time they try to move.

The argument is often made that performing animals get fed regularly and get medical attention and a home for life (or until they won't perform anymore), but that would define life in prison to us.

Not too many of us would think ourselves fortunate to be born and bred into a life of confinement and a life of having to bend our wills to that of our oppressor. Cats are the top predator and the most willful of all animals. That is why we are so awed by them and why so many seek to prove themselves superior by being able to command an animal far larger and more powerful.

It is easy to point at profit-driven animal industries and say that they are the bad guys, but it is all a matter of supply and demand. When people become enlightened they will see that every choice we make has an impact on the world around us, and that impact will be good or bad based upon the choice we make.Socrates said, "A life unexamined is not worth living." When people truly examine their motives about why they want to see a magnificent animal in a cage or being made to perform, then their choices will become more compassionate. When people look beyond their own wants and desires and seek out the truth about the living conditions of these animals when they are not in front of the public, then they will have pity for the creatures.People are getting smarter, and they are becoming more aware. I truly believe that 20 years from now people will look back on this controversial question of today and wonder how anyone could have thought that treating animals this way was humane.

Carole Lewis, Founder

Boy Scout Barn

The horse and llama barn construction has resumed after a six month lay-off due to the high waters from the rain over the summer. The barn, an Eagle Scout project of Brian Beard, now has a roof and should be completed by the end of the year. This barn will provide permanent shelter for the hoof stock as well as a much needed holding facility for their veterinary care. -Scott Lope, Manager

Sonoma says Goodbye

Sonoma the Ring-tailed Lemur said good-bye to Easy Street on November 20th. She was a lone Lemur that has gone to live with a mate in Texas at Wildlife Rescue. She was accompanied on her flight by Big Cat Rescue founder, Carole Lewis and Advisory Board Chair, Howard Baskin. Sonoma will be living in a brand new Lemur habitat especially designed for climbing and foraging. WildLife Rescue’s founder, Lynn Cuny, is also a founding member of TAOS, The Association Of Sanctuaries. While many of the volunteers will miss Sonoma, she will definitely have a better life with a mate at WildLife Rescue.

Bobcat Introduction

On Thursday November 13th Bailey the Bobcat made two new friends. You may recall Bailey’s story featured in the September issue of Cat-Tales. She was orphaned at a young age and deemed un-releasable to the wild. Late Wednesday afternoon Bailey was first introduced to Moses and Ana the Southern Bobcats. Bailey, being a curious cub, was excited to meet two animals that looked just like her. She trotted around the enclosure investigating the new sights and smells while Moses and Ana followed with intent. Bailey and Ana hit it off right away. They are perfectly matched in size and color. Bailey and Moses, however, had some issues to work through. Moses tried incessantly to establish dominance with Bailey, but to his frustration his attempt went unnoticed compared to all the other exciting things going on around. Peacocks and Guineas walking by, Volunteers feeding the cats their dinner, and a Tiger just across the road. With such a successful and uneventful first introduction it was decided that the next day we would do another. Thursday morning Bailey was set loose once again in Moses and Ana’s enclosure. She immediately ran to them chirping and purring. After an initial investigation of the grounds Bailey began to play with Ana. They chased each other around, running and jumping. Moses, still confused, was not as accepting but showed no aggression towards the fiery young Bobcat. Bailey has made two new friends and will share a Cat-a-tat with them. We always try to pair the cats up when we can as this is a great enrichment to their lives (spayed and neutered of course).

New Gift Shop

We are excited about the renovations being made to the main building on sanctuary grounds. Once volunteer housing this space is now being converted into a brand new gift shop complete with a board room, administrative offices, tour waiting lounge, and several restrooms. The gift shop will also be armed with the latest in sales software to make check out easy and efficient. The goal move in date is set for the first of the year.

Free Things You Can Do To Help

If you have a signature paragraph on your emails please add a line stating “I Support bigcatrescue.org” at the bottom. People will admire your passion to help save the less fortunate and it will send a lot more of them to us to see how they can help.

We are looking for commercial land owners and business owners to allow Big Cat Rescue to place a clothing collection box on their property or in front of their business. Clothing is collected and sold with proceeds given to the charity in charge of the collection box, therefore we need high traffic areas to make the most of this opportunity.

Got a web site and want to help big cats?

By providing a link to bigcatrescue.org on your web site or your business' web site, you better our position with the search engines so that more people will be able to learn about the plight of the big cats.

Update On Project Feed The Great Cats

We still need your help to collect the last donations needed to complete the construction of our new food prep station. This new addition will ease the daily task of preparing more than 500 lbs. of raw meat a day, with built in sinks, refrigerators, freezers, and stainless steel countertops. The total amount needed to meet our goal of $40,000.00 is $10,500.00. Donations in any amount will help tremendously.

The “Beach” Gets New Benches

One of the most popular spots on our property is the “beach” that looks out over the lake and the tiger cat-a-tats. This area is where we hold events and parties and school children have their lunches. Our Expedition guests watch the sun set there and enjoy the tranquility.

Previously our seating there and in our orientation area has been cheap plastic chairs that were never pretty and now are showing their age. We are replacing them with clever wood bench/tables that convert from a park style bench to a picnic table as needed.

The new benches provide a wonderful, attractive way to thank donors who help fund this project. For a $250 contribution, the donor’s bench will have a beautiful brass recognition plate with “Donated by” and their name (or “In memory of” if purchased as a memorial for a loved one, either human or animal). Because we only plan to purchase 24 of these benches as funds become available, the opportunity is limited. If you would like to reserve a bench, please call Barbara Stairs at 813-920-6534 now while they are available!

Animal Ambassador Cat-a-tats

Several months ago we began slowly working our way to moving all of the interaction cats to one central location. Cage repairs and updates as well as new rock dens were needed before these cats could be moved. One at a time we began shifting the guest cats over to the new Animal Ambassador Cat-a-tats, which conveniently enough encircle the new gift shop. Little Feather is the latest of the bunch to be moved into one of the newly renovated enclosures. Her new neighbors are Bailey, Ana, Moses, Rose, Natasha, Willow, and Raindance. The last Cat-a-tat is undergoing final improvements and will soon become home to Esmerelda.

Perimeter Fence Meets New Standards

One of the scariest things with running such a large sanctuary is the constant changes in law. While these changes are for the betterment of the quality of life animals in captivity enjoy the work load in updating grounds and habitats is immense. A few years ago cage specifications changed so that roofs were required on almost all of the enclosures. With a lot of cat moving and temporary facilities we were able to get every cage updated to the new standards. Our newest challenge was to meet a new height requirement for our perimeter fence surrounding the entire 40 acre refuge. Extensions had to be installed on more than 6,300 feet of fencing to raise the perimeter fence to 8 feet in height. Several months of labor intensive projects including the clearing of a path around the entire property finally paid off with the completion of a solar powered hot wire running the entire fence. With the new high maintenance addition several “perimeter checks” are conducted throughout the day to maintain the functionality of the hot wire. Volunteers and staff are to be praised for all of their dedication in completing this brutal project.

Big Cats In The News

Thanks to the help of The Dutcher Group, Big Cat Rescue appeared in the news more than 23 times resulting from a press release for The Fur Ball. A frenzy of television interviews, call in radio spots, articles in just about every publication and links on several top media websites all contributed greatly to the success of our biggest fundraiser of the year.

Intern-ships Have Set Sail

Our very first 6 month live-in internship is under way. Kari DeBoskey moved in just before the publication of this newsletter. She will live in an onsite facility rent free in return for 6 months of volunteering which will include animal care, cage & grounds maintenance and other duties befitting an Intern. We are still accepting applications for these internships as they will be offered on a continuing basis. Yo Ho, Yo Ho, an Internships’ life for me!

Our Deficit, Your Year End Tax Planning

Through the end of October, expenses for feeding and caring for the cats exceeded revenues from sanctuary operations (tours, gift shop, donations other than one time bequests, overnight cabin and expedition guests, school field trips, photo tours etc.). The year to date deficit is over $60,000 causing us to have to dip into limited reserves.

As year end approaches and you are doing your tax planning, please keep in mind that Big Cat Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, all of your donations are tax deductible, and because we do all of our own fund raising and do not pay any fund raising marketing companies, 100% of your donation goes directly to care of the cats.

Helping Others

Big Cat Rescue’s Cat-a-tat builder, Vernon Stairs, recently completed an adoption room for the Gunn Highway Feed Depot’s domestic pet adoption program. The room will provide a large space for potential “parents” to interact with dogs or cats before adopting them. Already the adoption room has become a big hit. Customers were lined up waiting their turn to play with kittens that needed a home. Feed Depot also hosts low cost spay/neuter days sponsored by Carol Childs and The Spay Mobile.

Calendar of Events

Family Days

Big Cat Birthday December 6th 1PM - 3PM

Ground Hog’s Day January 31st 1PM - 3PM

Volunteer Orientation

December 13th and 27th 12:00 Noon

January 10th and 24th 12:00 Noon

WildEyes At Night Tour

December 26th 8:00 PM

January 28th 8:00 PM

February 27th 8:00 PM

Last chance to enter this year’s Photo Contest

1 Grand Prize: Cabin Rental, 2 hour Photo Safari,3 First Prizes: 1 hour Photo Safari3 Second Prizes: WildLife T-shirt3 Third Prizes: Tour Pass for Big Cat RescueAll winners will be posted for one year on our website: bigcatrescue.org

Three subject categories to submit to:Wildlife (of course), Pets & Landscape

Entry fee is $5.00 per photo or slide with the following information: Category, Name, Address, Phone Number, and Title. Also enclose a self addressed, stamped envelope so that your work may be returned to you after the contest is over.

Come for a Photo Safari or a regular tour to get great Wildlife photos!Judging will be in January 2004 so all entries must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2003. While we understand the value of your work andwill do our best to take care of it during the interim, we will not be held responsible for loss or damage.

A very special thank you to all who made The Fur Ball a successful and fun evening.

SPONSORS

  • 1 Nation Technology

  • Audio Visual Innovations, Inc.

  • Axiom

  • Bacardi of Tampa

  • Baskin Group

  • Carrollwood Cats

  • Dutcher Group

  • Genesis Group

  • Jaguar of Tampa

  • Nelco Companies

  • Palmer & Garland Family

  • Tampa Bay Hand Center

  • Channel 8 News &

  • Gayle Guyardo

  • AUCTION DONORS

  • Lexus of Tampa & Clearwater

  • 18th Century Aviation

  • Jaguar of Tampa

  • Tampa Bay Lightning

  • Jeffrey & Brigitte Ajluni

  • Dennis & Susan Mitchell

  • Carol Childs

  • Natural Kitchen Café

  • Roy’s

  • Valencia Gardens

  • Outback Steakhouse

  • Cody’s Original Steakhouse

  • Chammps Americana

  • Antonio’s Pasta Grille

  • Smokey Bones BBQ

  • Olive Garden

  • Cafe’ Amaretto

  • Bernini Italian Restaurant

  • Whiskey Park

  • Blue Martini

  • Florida Aquarium

  • MOSI & IMAX

  • Don Vincent de Ybor Inn

  • Saddlebrook Resort

  • Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort

  • Westchase Golf Club

  • Embassy Suites Hotel

  • The Stairs Family

  • Busch Gardens

  • Blue Water Cottages

  • Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay

  • Dallas Cowboys

  • Becky Gagliardo

  • Jamie Veronica

  • Miami Dolphins

  • Carole Lewis

  • Fred Hood

  • Lowry Park & Brian Czarnik

  • Howard Baskin

  • Mike Ballinger

  • Brandy Gnadt

  • Jenny Denny

  • Sharon Seefeld

  • Elizabeth Garland Palmer

  • Russell Stahl

  • Bali Bay Trading Co.

  • Carolyn Thompson

  • CJ’s Nature Shop

  • Mary Lou Geis

  • Kathleen Mitchell

  • Therapeutic Massage

  • Mark Alan Salon

  • Herb Hamilton

  • MLD III Salon Studio

  • Dawn Hair Designs

  • Lifestyles Fitness

  • Nicole Mallori

  • Debbie Rockman

  • Dotty Rose Bennett

  • Ugo’s Place

  • Karen Golden

  • Beth Reed

  • Duncan Doughnuts

  • Starbucks

  • Westshore Pizza

  • Daniel Capiro

  • Jack Hanna

  • Susan Pearsall

  • N. Tampa Photography

  • Wild Birds Unlimited

  • P&R Renovations

  • Radical Water Sports

  • Bacardi

  • Sharon Marszal

Heroes, New Members, Parents and Donors

  • Donations In Memory of Betty Jernigan 1,000.00

  • Sharon Bradshaw 250.00

  • Claire Moores & BellSouth Matching Grant 150.00

  • Clorox Gift Campaign 104.00

  • Bethany Troyer 100.00

  • Shirley Stanford 100.00

  • Richard & Joan Sargent 100.00

  • Sierra Sales 100.00

  • Edward Roeder 100.00

  • S.E. Rhodes 100.00

  • William Martin 100.00

  • Larry Magee 100.00

  • Bruce & Sandy Mack 100.00

  • Kathryn Fowler 100.00

  • Valerie Blount 100.00

  • Lt. Col. M. W. Arps Jr. 100.00

  • Seminole Financial LLC 100.00

  • Richard & Deborah Boensch 65.00

  • Emma Wallace 50.00

  • Irene Scroggie 50.00

  • BG. Parkes Roehrig 50.00

  • Laura Piskac 50.00

  • Karen Jo Muschiette 50.00

  • Thomas Mix 50.00

  • John & Michelle Lewis 50.00

  • Wilfred Hupp 50.00

  • Roberta Hamilton 50.00

  • Consuelo Reyes Corrigan 50.00

  • Michael Callahan 50.00

  • MarionBochner 50.00

  • Ronald & JanetArnold 50.00

  • Anonymous 50.00

  • Jose Gonzalez 30.00

  • Nicio Vega 25.00

  • Kenny & Yvonne Smith 25.00

  • M Rothstein 25.00

  • Jill Randazzo 25.00

  • Dennis Picard 25.00

  • Shannon Lake 25.00

  • Robin Klemm 25.00

  • Joseph & Dolores Harkins 25.00

  • Fay Forman 25.00

  • Robert & Rosemarie Dieda 25.00

  • Susan Brockner 25.00

  • Betsy Baker 25.00

  • Diane Tyre donation of toy catnip mice for gift shop

WildLife Protectors $150

  • Adelaide Woodward

  • Marden & Charlene Gordon

  • Larry Fimbel

  • Christina Farah

  • Linda Delapenha

Forest Friends $50

  • John & Courtney Zipse

  • Dixie Wright

  • Nick & Jennifer Walsh

  • Robert Skogland

  • Patricia Schafer

  • Michael Pugh

  • Eugene Orlando

  • Susan Murphy

  • Mary Dell Maynard

  • Xenia Matthews

  • Marcia Lemmon

  • Ava Hatfield

  • Roberta Hamilton

  • Casey & Zadda Gile

  • Louis & Betty Cavellero

  • Ed & Jeanne Bittman

  • Joylene Bennett

  • Bob Bayley

  • Jim & Pat Davison

Animal Lovers $30

  • John & Debby Brown

  • Glen Moore

  • Stephanie Wallace

  • Lucas Wallace

Feed The Great Cats

  • Deirdre Reynolds 200.00

  • Rose & Ronald Sigmond 100.00

  • Marjorie & Charles Lorenz 100.00

  • In Memory of Candy 100.00

  • Nancy Rejewski 35.00

  • Michael Mahrer & Leslie Yager 25.00

  • Fred & Margaret McGreery 25.00

  • Chris Feist 25.00

Maya Medical Fund

  • Chase Malone 75.00

  • John & Cindy Mucharo 50.00

  • Richard & Joan Czeck 50.00

  • Diane Schuster 25.00

  • Kim Golfer 20.00

  • Marcia Brantley 20.00

  • Jason Bink 20.00

Sponsorships $25 or more

  • Caterina Tomas - Buffy

  • Pamela Calvert - China Doll

  • Mary Wright - Nikita

  • Monica Svoboda - Takoma

  • Frank & Gail Stegner - JoJo

  • Diane Slakter - Tiger

  • Melissa Simpson - Banshee

  • Susan & Mike Shulman - Leopard

  • Brian & Wendy Shortman - Hercules

  • Yasmin Serajfar - Cloe

  • Tandy Seitz - Leopard Cat & Atlas

  • Debra Ruhlman - Shaquille

  • Cheryl Roy - Catera

  • Melissa Rose

  • Judy Rollman - Maya

  • David Rhodes - Bobcat

  • Karolyne Putnam - Jungle Cat & Sand Cat

  • Heather Pugh - Banjo

  • Jackie Pickering - Leopard & Raindance

  • Stephanie Peace - Zza Zza

  • Linda & Cailin Owens - Saber

  • Randee Moskowitz -Black Leopard

  • Karen Moore - Shaquille

  • Jeannie Moore - Raindance

  • A. Montevago - Missori

  • Thomas & Sherrie Mix - Shaquille

  • Susie Miser - Hercules

  • Trisha Metalla - Raindance

  • Rebecca Merce - Nikita

  • Heather McMahan - Lion

  • Jill McCarthy - Leopard

  • Anna LaMagna - Shaquille, Kongo, Canyon, Shatia

  • Gloria Machesky Hercules & Shere Khan

  • Sandra Lyle - Auroara

  • Chad Lucas - Grace

  • Loralee & Don Loosemore - Jumanji

  • Barbara Lingg - Jungle Cat

  • Lisa Ann LeSeu - Acacia

  • Marcia Lemmon - Leopard Cat

  • Dave Kopke - Raindance Jackie Knox - Leopard

  • Rose Kapka - Sassy

  • Deb Jensen - Morgan

  • Kirsten Jacobs - Raindance & Esmerelda

  • M. Hogarth - Tiger

  • John & Dawn Herbst - White Serval

  • Harry Henderson - Shanghai

  • Callie Hagemeister - Purrfection

  • Brittany Groth - Anasazie

  • Renee Greal - Maya

  • Jerry & Judy Goldman - Scratch & Rafiki

  • Jan Jurczak George - Nico

  • Catherine Fulton - Snow Leopard

  • Annette Erasmus - Bailey

  • Mary Donovan - Sand Cat

  • Alex Dodge - Katmandu

  • Crystal Dodd - Sand Cat

  • Shaye Cunningham - Armani

  • Lisa Cote - Thunder

  • Kelsey Cooper - Saratoga

  • Maria Coombs - Leopard, Moses, & White Serval

  • Anne Chase - Leopard Cat

  • Yvonne Carlan - Pisces

  • Tom Caddy - Hercules

  • Mary Ann Brown - Leopard

  • Katie Brown - Purrfection

  • Carol Bickford - Bailey

  • Bev Berger - Raindance

  • Brittany Begane - Sundari

  • Mrs. Scialdone's 3rd Grade Class - Casper

  • Heidi & Kurt Raschke -Grace

  • Bonnie Jean Creais & Richard Esposito - Genie

  • Peter Altmann & Kathleen Murray - Katmandu

  • Thank you so much for your constant support.

Editor's Note To Self:  All photos are duplicated elsewhere thru site. 

Cat Tales is a quarterly newsletter that goes out to all 90,000 of our supporters. 

Cat Tales December 2003

WildLife On Easy Street Is Now Big Cat Rescue

We spent much of the last two years agonizing over whether we could afford to move out to the middle of nowhere to escape urban sprawl. (We decided to stay where we are.) For the first time, we thought about our name. If we had to move away from Easy Street our name wouldn’t make much sense. The more we thought about that, the more we realized that the name already didn’t make much sense. We rescue big cats and it is a tough job where there is never enough money to do the things for our animals and our overworked and underpaid staff. The vast majority of our animals were discarded exotic pets. Only a couple were ever in the wild and thus Wildlife. Nothing about what we do is Easy. Our Street isn’t even a street, it is a dirt road. Big Cat Rescue is a name that says who we are, what we do and calls people to action in the shortest and most memorable phrase. We polled lots of people in the marketing and public relations industry and these are the highlights of their wisdom regarding the name change: The name must say what you do, The name must be catchy and easy to repeat, The name must cause an emotional response, The name and web address must be easy to remember. It’s a big change but already we are starting to reap the benefits of a name that better describes us. Please help us get the word out.

Last Chance to Pet a Cat

In last month’s Cat Tales we asked you to tell us how you felt about the impact of petting a cat in your decision not to want one as a pet. We also asked how you perceived the cat’s attitude toward it. Based upon the feedback, we are considering eliminating the interaction as part of the Day Tour. If we do so, the effective date will be the first of the year. We are a sanctuary, above all else, and our cats are our primary concern, so this may be your last chance to pet a cat as part of the Day Tour experience. As always, we can never guarantee that the cats will join in the fun, and we won’t make them come up for petting, but these may be the last few weeks that we offer the opportunity. We will still offer the interaction as part of the Big Cat Expedition program, because far fewer people will be interacting with the cats.

Jaguar Rescue

The two Jaguars, a spotted 13 year old male and black 9 year old female, were owned by a small road side zoo in New Hampshire. They had been kept in tiny cages in the basement at the zoo for more than a year and haven't seen sunlight in all that time.  As is often the case because people want to see younger cats, these surplus older cats were stored with no concern for their needs.

When the owner died, his wife sold the cats that were marketable. But these two were in such bad shape they could not be sold.

Black jaguar and golden jaguar at Big Cat Rescue

The black female is bloated and has calluses on her hips and elbows from being confined to a cement floored cage. The female was blowing massive amounts of mucous discharge. This was caused by a rotten tooth that was so bad the infection had progressed into her sinuses. The spotted male is grossly underweight and arthritic.  You can count every rib and see his sides are caved in and his back legs wasted away.  He is currently scheduled for an MRI to determine his condition. Both cats arrived with heavy parasite infestation that is responding to treatment.

When we got the call about the jaguars in distress, our initial reaction was that we would have to give the same painful response we had already given over 300 times this year to people trying to place unwanted cats at the sanctuary, i.e. that the sanctuary had land, but no funds to build an enclosure or pay for food and veterinary costs for additional cats. That is when we decided to try what we thought was a “long shot”. We called our local Jaguar car dealership, Jaguar of Tampa, to ask for help.

Rob Elder of Jaguar of Tampa visited Big Cat Rescue. He watched as Shere Khan, the 800 pound tiger, stealthily approached the fence of his natural “cat-a-tat” enclosure and stood staring at Rob just three feet away. He then toured the rest of the 42 acre facility visiting the many different species of cat and hearing their personal stories. He learned about the issues that lead to the widespread abuse and abandonment of these cats, and the personal story of the two unwanted jaguars, and knew he had to help.

With the help of Jaguar Cars, Jaguar of Tampa came up with a program to fund the entire cost of supporting the two Jaguars. Based on that, Big Cat Rescue has accepted the cats and is currently providing medical care to bring them back to health. An initial donation check of $4000.00 was presented to Big Cat Rescue on October 23. In addition, Jaguar of Tampa committed to make an ongoing donation for each car sold starting November 1, 2003. The dealership is also posting display materials about the jaguars and BCR in their beautiful showroom and service waiting lounges to help to acquaint customers with Big Cat Rescue and ask for their help.

When corporate sponsors set an example by stepping up in a dramatic way to help the animals, one of the things that is very helpful for them to know is that those of us who love these animals appreciate their efforts.  We are deeply indebted to Jaguar of Tampa for their generous contribution, which over time will add up to many thousands of dollars.

If you would like to help us express appreciation to them, please send an email to us at SaveTheJaguars@Verizon.net.  We will collect the emails and deliver them to the dealership.

Volunteer Appreciation Section

Cathy Mayeski was recognized as Big Cat Rescue’s first Volunteer Vanguard recipient at this year’s Fur Ball Award Ceremony. Cathy has displayed a stellar example of volunteerism in her more than five years of service at Big Cat Rescue. Cathy is a member of both the Volunteer Committee and the Board of Directors, is a Volunteer

Coordinator, and serves as Volunteer Staff. This full-time medical professional volunteers over twenty hours a week and is an integral member of the Big Cat Rescue family. Congratulations Cathy!

Donors Cough Up to Make the 2003 Fur Ball a Huge Success

If you missed the Fur Ball, you missed the most fun you could have had this year at a Fundraiser Gala! Thanks to all of the supporters who attended and donated items for the auctions we grossed $33,000.00!!!!! More than 300 guest attended the event each with a unique spin on the safari casual dress.

Months of planning, begging, and late nights making sure everything would be just right, finally paid off with the most successful fundraiser that WildLife On Easy Street has ever hosted.

VIP Guests were welcomed by Easy Street volunteers and enjoyed complimentary Turi Tiger Tinis and Champagne.

The night continued with a never-ending silent auction spread, gourmet vegetarian fair, African drumming sessions, door prizes, a Bahamas Vacation giveaway, a wild live auction hosted by Channel 8 News Anchor Gayle Guyardo, Conga Limbo Lines, and an amazing fire eating act put on by Prince Rupert.

The proceeds from The Fur Ball will go toward the construction of new simulated rock dens for the cats that still have only plastic dog houses for shelter. The constructed dens are made from an upside down U shaped concrete base, then built up with dirt and concrete material. This natural looking insulated den gives the cat a roomy place to find relief from blistering hot summer days and cold winter days, as well as shelter from storms. These rock dens cost an average of $500-$1500 depending on size. Boris the Pallas Cat is already enjoying his new den and rock wall. Several ledges built into a simulated rock wall give him plenty of vantage points. Two Cougars, three Leopards and several small cats will also be getting their new dens in the near future. The $22,000.00 netted by The Fur Ball will more than cover the construction of needed dens as well as provide funding to facility improvements that will ultimately improve the quality of life our animals enjoy.

Big Cat Rescue takes a look at the Big Cat Picture

Big Cat Rescue Founder, Carole Lewis and Director, Jamie Veronica took a look at the Big Cat Picture at the 2nd annual Wildlife Conservation Expo in (Oh So Sunny) Los Altos Hills, California. The Expo which was held on the campus of Foothill College on October 11th & 12th was hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN).

The Wildlife Conservation Network was founded in 2002 and is dedicated to helping independent conservationists from all across the globe by building awareness for the many projects geared towards saving the world’s mammals. WCN provides back office support—fundraising, marketing, administrative and technical expertise—enabling the conservationists to work more effectively and spend more time in the field. It also provides a common link between ongoing research in the wild and the general public through discussions and workshops at the WildLife Conservation Expo.

The WCN founded the Wildlife Conservation Expo as a way for conservationists to bring their message to enthusiasts as well as to raise awareness and funds for their project. The event brought together 20 Conservationists including the world renowned, Dr. Jane Goodall, 20 Ambassadors for animal welfare organizations, and more than 1,000 wildlife devotees.

The two day Expo was a whirlwind of informative lectures, idea swapping, mountains of literature, photos and film from the field, and an inspirational experience for the world’s next generation of Conservationists. One of the many interesting talks was given by Dr. Olga Uphyrkina from Russia, sharing the plight of the Amurian Leopard as well as the obstacles a small conservation team faces in the start up phase of a project. A common theme among all of the lecturer’s specific projects was lack of awareness, help, land and funding. Several talks were given spanning both days and included presentations from The Snow Leopard Conservancy, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Cheetah Conservation Botswana, Small Cat Conservation Alliance, The Andean Cat Alliance, and The Jane Goodall Institute among others.

The first day of workshops was at the Wildlife Conservation Expo was topped off with an exclusive gala hosted by the WCN, with special guests including Dr. Jane Goodall and Isabella Rosalini. 250 attended the premier event. At each table a Conservationist was seated giving guests a chance to speak one on one and share ideas, concerns, and possible solutions. Carole and Jamie were among those who attended the benefit and were seated at Dr. Jim Sanderson’s table. Dr. Sanderson is the leading authority on the world’s most endangered small cats. He spoke at length about exciting news from the field, of camera traps catching a glimpse into the lives of the wild Andean Mountain Cat. These photos are the first documented of the Andean Mountain Cat and were captured by one of several cameras he has employed throughout South America.

The Wildlife Conservation Expo was a truly eye opening experience exposing the Big Cat Picture. As much as we would love to, here at Big Cat Rescue, we can not leave the sanctuary to go abroad and join the front lines in the battle against extinction. We can however do our small part and educate the public about these animals and the threats that they face. We do this through our tours and outreach programs. We believe that the first step towards saving these wonderful animals is to create caring through understanding. This is only a small step, but a needed one as humans have become more disconnected with nature and our wild neighbors.

Other great people we had the chance to get to know a little better were:

Jane Goodall

Dr. Jim Sanderson, Ph.D. and small cat expert.

Lilian Villalba, head of the Andean Mountain Cat Project.

Darla Hillard and Rodney Jackson of the Snow Leopard Conservancy.

- Jamie Veronica, Director

BIG CAT RESCUE FILES ZONING APPLICATION.DETAILS, AND HOW YOU CAN HELP

On October 17th Big Cat Rescue filed an application with Hillsborough County to have the sanctuary property designated as a Planned Development and ask approval for specific improvements we would like to make to the property.Expand Education Program

A primary focus of our plan is to enhance our educational program. Although the sanctuary strives every day to provide the best care we can for our animals, the broader mission of BCR is to educate our audience about the issues that result in so many animals being abused or abandoned. By providing that information, we hope to have an impact far beyond the limited number of animals we can save. By informing people about what they can do to solve these problems, such as not purchase these animals as pets, we hope to eliminate the need for rescue by stopping the abuse and abandonment of these wonderful animals.

A major part of our education program includes field trips to BCR by school children of all ages. Currently the experience we can provide is limited to what we can do outdoors and very much subject to weather conditions. On very hot days we have no air conditioned indoor space to provide relief from the heat during part of the children’s visit. If we encounter inclement weather during their visit, the only shelter is the school bus.

Our plan provides for a two story building that would serve a number of purposes. The top story would be an open room that could be used to provide indoor educational activities as part of the school visit. This could include craft activities like drawing their favorite animals for the younger children, and video and slide show presentations about conservation, extinction, habitat preservation and the many other topics related to the broader efforts to save our wildlife. The room could also be rented out for small events to raise additional funds to support the sanctuary. The building would also house an area where guests waiting for their tour or after their tour could view information about the sanctuary, our animals, and broader conservation issues.

Enhanced Care of the Cats

Operant conditioning with a tiger

A number of improvements are intended to help us better care for the cats. We would like an expanded cat hospital that would avoid having to take cats off premises for surgery or other treatment. Moving the cats off the property adds stress at a time when their systems are already weakened and lowers their chances of survival. Treatment on site can also be faster and sometimes avoid the need for anesthesia which is in itself dangerous for the cats. We would also like to improve our food preparation building. We feed over 500 pounds of food daily, with many different diets required by different animals. This is done out of cramped quarters that are aging and need to be expanded and improved.

More for our Visitors

Other amenities for our staff and visitors that we would like to add over time are a few offices, a larger gift shop and some kind of food service for visitors. We would also like to create limited access to the sanctuary from the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. This nature path for walkers, joggers etc. runs along our perimeter and the sanctuary could provide a wonderful enhancement to that experience. Further, we hope to add more cabins for our overnight Expedition visitors and some longer stay units that could house veterinary and conservation interns from around the world who visit us to learn about how to care for the big cats. With these improvements we hope to generate more revenue to be able to support the cats.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

It will take years and considerable fund raising to fulfill this dream. But the first step is to obtain the appropriate approvals from our County. For those who are interested in helping us with this, there are two things that would be enormously appreciated.

1. Letters of Support

The first is that letters of support can be a great help. If you’d like to write a letter, please send it to us here at BCR so we can create a package to submit at once and make sure they get into the record.

The envelope should be addressed:

Big Cat Rescue Planned Development

Attn: Howard Baskin, Advisory Board Chairman

However, the letter itself should be addressed to our County Commissioner as follows:

Mr. Ken Hagan

County Commissioner - District 2 County Center

601 E. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33602

RE: PD Rezoning Application RZ-04-0058 (PD)

For Big Cat Rescue at WildLife On Easy Street

Some of the things that would be helpful to point out in your letter, in your own words, are your view of the work we do at BCR, the quality of the care the animals receive, and particularly the learning that goes on about the animals and their inappropriateness as pets. If you have been involved in bringing children to the sanctuary, including their reactions, what they learned, or even better their own letters would be helpful. Finally, it would be helpful if you could express support for our plans to improve the property so we can better serve our animals and visitors and continue the work we do. Letters do not have to be only from local residents. Showing that we have national recognition and presence is also very helpful. We thank in advance any of you willing to take time to write to us.

2. Attending the Hearings

An even more critical need for our local residents is to have people come to speak briefly on our behalf, or at least attend, the hearings.

There are two hearings. The first is before a Hearing Officer. His or her job is to make objective assessments and then make a recommendation to the Commissioners. That hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2004 at 6 p.m. at the County Center at 601 Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa. The second is before the County Commission. That is currently scheduled at the same location for Feb. 24, 2003 during either the morning or afternoon sessions. We will not know until closer to the date.

Under the hearing rules, only people who appear at the January 12 hearing can speak at the Commission meeting in February. The more we can show the kind of community support we have and the more understanding we can give the Hearing Officer and Commission about the valuable work we do and the experience we provide, the better our chances of being able to enhance our ability to continue and improve that work.

If you think you may be able to attend the hearings, please send an email with your contact information to SaveTheBigCats@verizon.net with “PD Hearings” in the Subject line. If you do not have email, please call 813-889-7244 and leave a message with your contact information. When the hearing dates and times are known to be firm, we will contact you and ask if you are able to attend.

On behalf of the cats, we thank you!

Howard Baskin, Advisory Board Chair

Claws and Effect:

Because of what happened with Montecore and Roy Horn of the famed magic act, Siegfried and Roy, we have been asked the same two questions by hundreds of people: “What was the tiger really thinking?” and “Is it humane for animals to be made to perform?” To the first question all I can say is I don’t know. To the latter question, these are my thoughts:

By definition, inhumane is "lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion." To force one's will upon another for no other reason than to satisfy our own desire to be amused, or our own gain, is to lack pity or compassion.

Tiger in circus wagon

Carole Baskin
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