Very happy to have rescued a baby bobcat last night in Clermont.

Even happier that we may be able to rescue a tiny mate for him from a wildlife center in Venice that isn’t equipped for bobcat rehab.

 

Especially happy that USFWS is looking into Joe “Exotic” right after the state just hit him with subpoenas for tax evasion.  See Howard’s response to their questions about Joe:

 

It is easier to lay out the history and include answers in it.

 

• In 2010 Joe renamed his traveling cub petting show Big Cat Rescue Entertainment and was using our photos and videos.

• January 2011 BCR filed suit against Joe personally and GW Exotic for trademark and copyright infringment

• Joe countersued alleging slander and libel. BCR filed for summary judgment to have those claims thrown out.

• January 2013 the judge ruled in favor of BCR on summary judgment to throw out counterclaims

• 1/11/13 Joe agreed to a consent judgment rather than go to trial.  Judgment is for a little over $1mm both personal against Joe and against GW Exotic, the original zoo..

• 2/19/13 Joe had three staff form a new entity, The Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Foundation. - Directors were John Finlay, Gary Douglas and Tracie Myron-Schultz

• 3/29/13 Joe filed personal bankruptcy and GW Zoo filed for bankruptcy.

• 8/5/13 the US Trustee made Joe sign an agreement that his debts were not discharged by his personal bankruptcy, presumable because he lied in the filing.

• 12/11/13 the judge granted BCR motion to dismiss the GW Zoo bankruptcy filed 11/21/13

• Joe had transferred the zoo land from his name to his mother days after we filed our suit. The Bankruptcy Trustee in his personal bankruptcy sued his mother who confessed to it being a fraudulent transfer and had to buy it back at the appraised value.

• 4/15/14 BCR sued Garold Wayne zoo arguing on various legal bases that it was formed to evade the judgment and basically was the same as the old zoo. The answer to the question why was the zoo name changed, directors changed, and Joe's role change on paper to be a consultant, was to avoid the BCR judgment.

• 9/3/15 Joe marries Travis Maldonado and took his name.  He had previously in 2014 held a ceremony where he married both Travis and John Finlay but it was not legally sanctioned.  He then had a falling out with Finlay and accused Finlay of assault. When gay marriage became legal he formally married Travis. Best guess on why he took Maldonado name is that the Schreibvogel name was so tarnished he thought he could escape some of the reputation. 

• 2/1/16, again right before trial, Joe entered into a consent agreement admitting the fraudulent transfer of assets from GW Exotic to Garold Wayne and the agreement included an injunction against transferring asset.

• Then Joe basically did an instant replay of what he did after the prior judgment.  

• 2/5/16 Garold Wayne zoo board supposedly voted to dissolve the corporation. Jeff Lowe set up a number of new entities. The one that purports to run the zoo now is Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, LLC formed 2/8/16. Joe continues to operate as an alleged consultant but appears to have continued to run the zoo throughout the name changes, entity changes, and director changes. According to a suit filed against all the zoo entities and a number of individuals Monday Jeff Lowe is President. Have no info on the directors.

• There are also Greater Wynnewood Development Group, LLC. Ten acres next to the zoo was purchased in the name of former director Tracie Miron-Schultz and this Development entity purports to be developing an outdoor movie theater and big cat display on that property. There is also a for profit entity Big Cat Institute formed 2/13/16 whose purpose is unknown.

 

Immediately after the 2013 consent judgment Joe announced on line that BCR could use the judgment as toilet paper and BCR would never collect.

 

Bottom line, in the opinion of BCR, and confirmed by the court in the case of Garold Wayne and currentl