Shari Buck,Office Administrator
Heathcote Botanical Gardens
210 Savannah Road
Fort Pierce, FL 34982
(772)464-4672
sbuck@heathcotebotanicalgardens.org
Dear Shari Buck,
I have been rescuing exotic cats who were sold as pets by Sue Arnold and her ilk for 16 years. I am appalled the Heathcote Botanical Gardens would allow such a person to use their good name and venue to perpetuate the cruel practice of breeding wild cats for life in cages. I know she is calling what she does “education” and wildlife conservation, but that is only her way of soliciting funds and sympathy for her otherwise inexcusable business.
Sue Arnold has been a breeder of servals, caracals, bobcats, jungle cats, cougar and wildcat hybrids for many years. Most of the complaints we get about these smaller cats are from people who have bought their exotic pet from Sue Arnold and then they reported that she has refused to take back the sick, has refused to buy back the dead, has refused to buy back those who turned out to be bad pets and most of them, even the hybrids, end up being unsuitable pets. Despite years of complaints from those who bought such unsuitable wild cats and wild cat hybrids from her, she continues to breed and sell.
Visitors to her home in the past year have reported that you can smell the cat urine from the minute you step out of your car.
The story below is just one of many.
RAMBO Male Jungle Cat
DOB 2/22/99
Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 12/5/99
Rambo came to Big Cat Rescue on 12/5/99. He was bred for the pet trade by Sue Arnold. His owner had sent him to live with her daughter who died unexpectedly and his primary caregiver became the 12 year old grand daughter. She and her relatives agreed that they did not want to see Rambo exploited as part of a hybridization breeding plan for profit and asked if he could come live at Big Cat Rescue. Here he has a 900 square foot Cat-A-Tat with tunnels, grasses, hills, bushes, trees and flowers. He is very talkative and loves to carry on conversations with his keepers.
Even a 12 year old child could see that it was cruel to breed these cats for lives of confinement and deprivation.
I am hoping that you will see this too and prohibit those who breed exotic cats for lives of captivity from using your facility as a way to promote themselves.
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
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