Lions, tigers sent to sanctuaries
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 3:34 AM
By Dana Wilson
THE
Six lions and tigers left behind when their owner was evicted from a
The giant cats, wards of the county since September, were taken this weekend from their home in Gambier to Big Cat Rescue, a nonprofit sanctuary in
"The safety and welfare of the animals is the most important thing to us," Reed said.
His office began caring for the cats in April after owner Diana McCourt was evicted from the
After McCourt’s eviction, the animals remained at the farm, which is owned by Donnalynn and Christian Laver of
On Sept. 28, a judge labeled the lions and tigers "abandoned" and officially turned them over to animal control, Reed said.
Reed then worked to place them with a rescue facility. He estimates the county spent about $4,700 to build cages for the cats, and he said local donations of chicken and beef helped to offset feeding costs.
On Saturday, representatives from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Big Cat Rescue and the Wild Animal Orphanage in
The cats arrived safely and are doing fine, said Scott Lope, director of operations for Big Cat Rescue.
"They’ll have a big, natural enclosure," Lope said. "We’ll give them the best life in captivity that we can."
McCourt said she is appealing her eviction and maintains that the cats are her property. She was angry that she wasn’t told the cats were being moved.
"I don’t know what will happen now," she said.
dwilson@dispatch.com
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