Email to Mike Di Paola re an article he is writing for HSUS Magazine.

I just added this to the top of our page on our evolution to try and sum it up:

 

Animal abusers hate us because we are the leading sanctuary dedicated to ending the abuse at its root by banning the private possession of exotic cats.  These big cat abusers make up lies or twist the truth to make people think that we breed, buy, sell and allow public contact (just like they still do).

 

We never bred lions or tigers.  Our first kitten was born in 1994 and we stopped breeding in 1997.  There were a couple of accidents, from old cats and hybrids we didn’t think were fertile, but the very last cat born here was a leopard cat in 2001.  His parents were both in their late teens and thought to be too old to breed.  As of 2015 we have rescued more than 200 exotic cats.  We have 13 who were born here.

 

We stopped allowing public contact in 2003.  We had only allowed public contact to show people, who thought they wanted a wild cat as a pet, that all the cat wants to do is pee on you.  The sharing of those photos online didn’t get across that same message, so we stopped it.  We stopped allowing our staff to touch the cats in 2004 because it is dangerous and sends a bad message.  Sadly, many sanctuaries that are otherwise pretty good, still like to show off that way and we think it hurts our efforts to stop public contact.

 

They also would like to know more details about your transformation from exotic pet breeder to big-cat rescuer.  I've read this, but I confess I'm a little unclear as to how it played out. Was it a single event or a gradual awakening? (give details if you can)

 

There were two major turning points.

 

Circa 1995 my late husband, Don and I were at a wild animal auction and I recognized one of the lynx being sold as being one that we had previously owned.  He had been one of the rescued fur farm kittens that we had placed in a pet home.  I had told everyone that if their kitten didn't work out to bring them back.  Most did, but this cat somehow ended up at an auction where taxidermists were likely to end up with him.  We brought him home that day, but it was one of those moments where the light came on in my head and said, "others are not committed to lifetime care of these cats, so you can't trust people who say they will always love the animal or bring them back."

 

When my husband would go out of town, I would neuter as many of our male cats as I could get done quietly.  Spays would be obvious, but he didn't notice the males being fixed.  The good that came of it was that he was frustrated that the cats weren't breeding, so I was able to convince him that they needed better food, more space and more privacy.

 

The second turning point was after Don left in Aug 1997 when I could openly spay, neuter and separate the cats to stop the breeding.

 

There was a third turning point was circa 2000 when walking alone through the sanctuary, I passed by Nini an ex circus tiger and, as clear as day, heard her say, "We don't belong in cages."

 

I'd been working on the Captive Wildlife Safety Act since 1999 and before that on pig gestation crates in FL, but Nini's voice was so powerful and just stopped me dead in my tracks.

 

Trying to end the abuse wasn't enough.  I HAD TO END THE ABUSE because magnificent creatures like her were suffering in prison cells and it wasn't going to end until the laws were changed.

 

The sanctuary had never even broken even, and had to be funded by my real estate business up until 2003, but as early as 2000 or so I knew that we had to turn around our finances so that I could focus on the legislative issues that would end the abuse once and for all.  Thankfully, I met my current husband, a Harvard MBA in late 2002 and he was able to lead us into an era of financial stability, so that we could pursue the most important part of our mission, which is to End The Trade.

 

I'm sorry if there are typos.  I am running out the doo