• Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
Friday, January 27, 2023
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat

BCR by BCR
January 18, 2009
in News World
0 0
0
0
SHARES
38
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email
From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  January/February 2009:

Funds raised for fake sanctuary

       PALM BEACH–The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on November 18, 2008 arrested Heather Southworth,  26,  for allegedly unlawfully soliciting funds for an unregistered charity called Rescue:  Big Cat Organization–which appears to have existed entirely in cyberspace.
       The Rescue:  Big Cat Organization web site,  still active on December 27,  2008 but taken down soon afterward,  claimed to represent a charity founded in Pennsylvania in 1985,  also operating sanctuaries in New York,  North Carolina,  and Florida.  The site included photos and stories about many purportedly rescued animals, and listed 18 supposed staff.
       "Those are not real people.  They are made-up names," Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Gabriella Ferraro told Jason Schultz of the Palm Beach Post.
       "The commission received a tip about the charity soliciting donations in April 2008,"  recounted Schultz.   "When the state agency investigated,  it found that the location given for the sanctuary is actually the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge headquarters.  The commission did aerial surveys and found no big cat sanctuary anywhere in the federally managed refuge. When confronted by commission officials, Southworth admitted making it all up,  the commission said."
       "This would be amusing if it weren't so pitiful,"  Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin told ANIMAL PEOPLE.  "The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission claimed officials spent eight months figuring out who Heather Southworth is and that she was running a fake big cat charity,  but the fact of the matter is that they knew who she was and where she lived since July 8,  2008,"  when Baskin sent them all the particulars,  in response to an inquiry from a USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service inspector.  "It just took them five months to do anything about it,"  said Baskin.
       On the same day,  Baskin found photos of several Big Cat Rescue animals on the Rescue:  Big Cat Organization web site,  and wrote to Southworth demanding that they be removed.
       Baskin also filed a formal complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services,   she said.
       "Consumer Services boasts that they can charge $1,000 per day for every day that someone illegally solicits charitable contributions,"  Baskin noted,  "but over the years a number of complaints have been filed against traveling big cat photo booths that solicit donations,  and the only action the state has been known to take against these big cat exploiters is to tell them to stop. The next day they are right back at it again."

—
Merritt Clifton
Editor,  ANIMAL PEOPLE
P.O. Box 960
Clinton,  WA  98236

Telephone:  360-579-2505
Fax:  360-579-2575
E-mail:  anmlpepl@whidbey.com
Web:  www.animalpeoplenews.org

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, founded in 1992.  Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.  $24/year; for free sample,  send address.]



—
For the cats,

Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL  33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457

http://www.BigCatRescue.org
SaveTheBigCats@gmail.com

Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:

http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU

This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be
confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above.  You are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of
the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The
recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of
viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused
by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.


Tags: News World
Previous Post

BOBCAT HIT BY CAR! – Big Cat TV

Next Post

Another tiger kills 19-yr-old; hunt on for maneater

BCR

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

News World

Enrichment Program @ BIG CAT RESCUE!

May 7, 2022
110
Zanesville Massacre 18 tigers 17 lions 3 cougars gunned down  Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat jeg empty
News World

Zanesville Massacre 18 tigers 17 lions 3 cougars gunned down

October 20, 2021
10.3k
Vanessa Hudgens Shame  Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat jeg empty
Cat Laws

Cub Petting Shame

September 12, 2021
6.1k
Snow Leopard  Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat jeg empty
News @ BCR

Save Snow Leopards

April 17, 2021
6.2k
Big Cat Rescue does bobcat rehab and release of native, Florida bobcats.  Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat jeg empty
Articles by BCR

GoFree

March 29, 2020
2.7k
Next Post

Another tiger kills 19-yr-old; hunt on for maneater

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Recent Articles

  • Insitu2021 January 17, 2023
  • Smell my beans! Priya tiger at Big Cat Rescue. January 13, 2023
  • Want! Kekoa and Makani rehab bobcats at Big Cat Rescue. January 13, 2023

Recent Comments

  • Deb Quimby on Koda Lioness
  • heather elliott on Sapphire
  • Jason Jenkins on Tiger Facts
  • Claire Pritchett on Koda Lioness
  • Deb Quimby on Jinx

Save Big Cats

Donate to Big Cat Rescue

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

More from Big Cats

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Insitu2021

January 17, 2023
Smell my beans! Priya tiger at Big Cat Rescue.  Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat jeg empty

Smell my beans! Priya tiger at Big Cat Rescue.

January 13, 2023
Want! Kekoa and Makani rehab bobcats at Big Cat Rescue.  Funds raised for fake Big Cat Rescue CopyCat jeg empty

Want! Kekoa and Makani rehab bobcats at Big Cat Rescue.

January 13, 2023

© Copyright 2023 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • About BCR
  • Videos
  • Big Cat Facts
  • Cub Facts
  • Our Cat Stories
  • Sanctuary Cats
  • Shop and Save Cats
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Abuse Issues
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2023 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist