Carole Baskins Diary

16 Hour Stressful Tiger Dental Day

Dr Wade Gingerich brought internist Dr. Ron Altman from their S. Florida practice at http://petdental.center/ to help Priya and Seth with their dental issues.  Dr. Justin Boorstein helped monitor the cats and kept up a lively conversation about dental care for big cats.  Operations started at 8:30 am and ended 8 pm as the cats were cleared as being safely awake.  My day started more than 2 hours earlier as I had to prepare for feeding the vet team and the film crew from USA Today’s new 360 venture.

 

Seth had 11 bad teeth extracted and still needs more work but he was at the 3 hour limit for anesthesia.  Priya had 3 root canals and still needs more work, but she was at her limit too.  Sedation is always dangerous for big cats, but at the three hour mark it becomes much, much more dangerous, so we try not to ever exceed that time span.  In between the LIVE Facebook feeds I was doing from my hand held stabilizer and from the over head explore.org cameras, I was running all over the sanctuary helping Jackie Hurwitz and her team scratch off the “shots” they wanted from their wish list.  “Can you make the cat crunch something, so we can get that sound?”  or “Could you get the cat to chase you so we can get her running?”

 

Priya woke up just fine and went back to her enclosure before dark.  Seth took a lot longer to wake up because he panics when confined.  Dr. Justin gave him drugs to cause him to wake up more slowly, with less thrashing about.  Honey, Becky and I sat with Seth and were very pleased that he was sternal and looking around without roaring and throwing himself at the bars.  The mosquitoes were eating Honey up (she must be sweeter than me) so Becky and I went off in search of bug spray.  A few minutes later I could hear the transport banging and we hurried back to find Seth quite agitated in the small space.

 

Now the dilemma:  He’s still really wobbly and it’s about 18 inches from the floor of the transport to the floor of his cage.  He has a bad ankle and we don’t want him to fall or injure it with a mis step out of the transport.  We also don’t want him to get brain damage from banging his head against the bars in his frightened and perhaps hallucinogenic state.  Which is worse?

 

I decide to open the transport door and hope for a soft landing…but he doesn’t go.  Seth just lays there, growling menacingly, looking out the door.  The door is heavy and I call on Honey to help me pull the handle down to the bottom where there is a hook to hold it, but I’ve pulled it at an angle and the handle is wedged between the transport and the wall of Seth’s cage.  The hook is flipped over the handle, but with 438 pounds of angry tiger rocking the transport, I’m afraid the hook will flip off the handle and cause the ridiculously heavy door to crash down on him.

 

Honey tries to pull some slack into the door rope but can’t get enough for me to pull the handle out flat against the wall.  I decide the only way to insure the door won’t fall on Seth is to hold the handle with one hand and hold the safety latch with the other.  My neck and shoulders feel like they are on fire, and I’ve been kneeling on rocks, so I ask Honey to fold up a blanket I was earlier wrapped in, to shove under my knees.  All the while Seth is breathing death threats right in my ear.  We are nose to nose there at the opening to the transport.  Gale is watching the whole thing from the Nest cam and drives back over to the sanctuary to help.

 

Gale is able to pull enough slack on the door’s cable that we get it flat against the wall of the cage and then she suggests that we bungie wrap the latch so that Seth can’t rock it loose.  Gale suggests everyone move away from Seth and shines her car lights on the opening, so he can see the ground ahead of him.  He still won’t go.  He’s mad, but not as crazy as before, so we replace Gale’s car lights with those of the dump truck golf cart so Gale can go home.  She isn’t gone two

Tony the Truckstop Tiger still being fought for.

Big Cat Rescue was the first organization ever to hire a lawyer to represent a tiger.  We were not successful, but ALDF took up the fight and won’t give up.

 

A Truck Stop is No Place for a Tiger! Why We Won’t Stop Fighting for Tony

 

At this moment a 16-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger named Tony is caged at a gas station truck stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, 20 miles outside of Baton Rouge. Confined to a cramped metal cage, Tony breathes in diesel fumes daily while passersby tease and harass him. Tony has lived this way for nearly his entire life, and his circumstances are often a shock to the average person, who feels innately that this is not the right place for a tiger, especially an aging one with neglected veterinary needs. People ask, “how can this be legal?” and the Animal Legal Defense Fund believes firmly that it’s not. In fact, we’ve been fighting for over six years to have Tony relocated to a sanctuary that can meet his complex needs and give him the veterinary care he is entitled to. Our campaign to save Tony is now even more dire after reports raising concerns about Tony’s health.

 

Let Tony Live the Rest of His Days in Comfort

 

All across the world, people follow Tony’s story. Recently, we’ve received many reports from worried citizens stating that Tony appears lethargic and is experiencing diarrhea and a decreased appetite. The Animal Legal Defense Fund obtained photo and video evidence and enlisted the help of a veterinarian with experience treating exotic animals to review it. In the vet’s expert opinion, Tony is likely suffering from kyphosis of the spine and an injury or other condition that is causing him to limp. This isn’t run-of-the-mill aging; Tony needs help. Living at a truck stop is, at the least, exacerbating Tony’s poor health. While no animal is suited to living at a truck stop, tigers are particularly ill-equipped because of their sharp sense of smell and sensitive hearing. Independent of all our pending legal work to free Tony, the Animal Legal Defense Fund just submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which licenses the Truck Stop under the federal Animal Welfare Act, urging that Tony be inspected by a licensed specialist and given any necessary veterinary care.

 

The Legal Battle for Tony’s Safety

 

We believe that Tony, and all big cats held in captivity, deserve to live in environments that meet their psychological and physical needs. Our campaign to remove Tony from his particularly grim captivity at Tiger Truck Stop has been lengthy and determined. Michael Sandlin, the owner of the truck stop, however, has pulled out all the stops to keep Tony in captivity.  He has spent over $750,000 fighting our efforts and has also manipulated the legislative system by successfully lobbying the Louisiana legislature to pass a special exemption designed solely to benefit Sandlin and allow him to keep Tony. It’s no surprise that Sandlin puts up such a fight; he’s been exploiting tigers like Tony for decades, using them as a gimmick to lure customers to his gas station. The USDA has cited Sandlin numerous times for violations ranging from failure to provide veterinary care to lack of clean drinking water. In 2003, Sandlin relinquished three tigers amid public outrage over his treatment of the big cats. Only Tony remains.

 

We’re Not Giving Up

 

The Animal Legal Defense Fund recently combined its challenges to both of Sandlin’s legal tactics into the same action, filing an amended petition in intervention in Sandlin’s lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the big cat ban.  This will allow the Animal Legal Defense Fund — in one motion — to raise arguments both challenging the constitutionality of Act 697’s exemption for Tony and explain why Sandlin’s challenges to the big cat ban itself should fail.  A ruling in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund on such a motion should finally put an end to Sandlin’s legal

Alternet Reports: Thousands of Big Cats Are Suffering in Inhumane Roadside Zoos Across the U.S.

Congress can put an end to this cruelty by passing the newly reintroduced Big Cat Public Safety Act.

 

Thousands of lions, tigers, leopards and other big cat species are kept in grossly inhumane conditions by private individuals and unqualified exhibitors in the United States.

 

A man in a suburban Chicago neighborhood kept a tiger in a 5x5-foot cage in his garage.

 

New York authorities confiscated a 500-pound pet tiger from a Harlem apartment.

 

People in California, Texas and North Carolina have encountered confused and abandoned tiger cubs wandering the streets.

 

In two separate incidents in Kansas, county sheriffs seized tigers and other big cats who were found neglected and living in filth in flimsy cages.

 

There’s no question these animals endanger communities. Since 1990, there have been hundreds of dangerous incidents involving captive big cats in nearly every state. Four children have been killed and dozens of others lost limbs or suffered other traumatic injuries. Nineteen adults have been killed and scores have been mauled.

 

To remedy this problem, an alliance of leading animal welfare organizations—Big Cat Rescue, Born Free USA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, The Humane Society Legislative Fund, and the Humane Society of the United States—support the recently reintroduced Big Cat Public Safety Act. The legislation prohibits the ownership of tigers, lions, leopards and other big cat species by unqualified individuals and poorly run animal exhibitions.

 

The problematic ownership of these animals is intertwined with an exploitative industry that breeds big cats for cub-petting opportunities. The use of infant big cats for public handling, such as photo ops and play sessions, is based on heartbreaking abuse. Breeders churn out babies who are pulled from their mothers shortly after birth. Removing newborns from their mothers is traumatic for the mother, who mourns the loss of her young cubs, as well as for the babies, who are deprived of proper nutrition and care.

 

These vulnerable baby animals with weak immune systems are forced to endure rough and excessive public handling during which they are deprived of much-needed sleep, physical abuse from handlers attempting to keep them under control, and stressful conditions associated with transport.

 

When the animals grow too large for public handling, they are typically discarded. It is impossible to know where all of these big cats end up, but many go to pseudo-sanctuaries—facilities run by operators who want the public to think that they run legitimate havens for animals in need, but who are really providing sub-standard animal care that also endangers caretakers and the public. Other big cats are warehoused at roadside zoos or sold into the pet trade.

 

It is not uncommon for these unhealthy animals to suffer from malnutrition, parasitic infestations and other ailments. Some die prematurely as a result of inadequate care.

 

Like the owner of this emaciated pet lion, private owners often fail to provide a proper diet. (image: Humane Society of the United States)

 

Careless handling practices and unsafe big cat cages are a disaster waiting to happen, and when it does, first responders and the community are put in danger. This was underscored a few years ago in Zanesville, Ohio, when a deranged man released 18 tigers, 17 African lions, three cougars and numerous other animals before committing suicide. Forty-eight animals were subsequently shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies in a terrifying ordeal that lasted through the night.

 

No one should have to risk encountering an escaped big cat in their neighborhood, and no wild animal should have to spend his life pacing in circles around a barren cage. Too many captive big cats are kept in inhumane conditions, posing a threat to the community and creating a burden for law enforcement agencies and sanct

USA Today! Congress finds bipartisanship on animal protection issues

WASHINGTON — Congress has found something cute and cuddly to agree on.

 

Plagued by bitter division and fierce infighting, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have found rare consensus on legislation to protect dogs, cats, horses, tigers and bunnies from abuse.

 

In the first few months of the new 115th Congress, House members and senators have introduced more than a dozen bipartisan bills on animal welfare, including a measure to bar people from keeping tigers, lions, and other big cats as pets and legislation to outlaw the sale of shark fins in the U.S.

 

About half of those stand a strong chance of passage this session, said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of  The Humane Society of the United States.

 

"I think we're positioned for success," Pacelle said. "You have such a diverse group of people — from conservative Freedom Caucus members to moderate Republicans to liberal Democrats — who have come together on an issue they know their constituents care about."

 

Americans' passion for animals is what's driving Congress to act, said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., the new co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, which has more than 120 members.

 

"The biggest reason that this issue crosses party lines is that is has so much public support," said Buchanan, who was named the 2015 "legislator of the year" by the Humane Society. "About a third of my district is seniors, and most of them have pets that they love. I've had dogs and cats and horses myself, but I never realized how much passion there was for animals until I got this job 10 years ago. It comes up at almost every one of my town halls."

 

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., co-chairman of the caucus, said Americans have become increasingly vocal about how much they care about their pets, wildlife and farm animals.

 

"Members of Congress are realizing that protecting animals is not just the right thing to do, it's also developing to become potent politically," he said.

 

Blumenauer said that point was underscored last fall in Oklahoma, where animal protection advocates defeated a "right to farm" ballot initiative that critics said would have allowed abusive "puppy mill" operators to shield themselves from laws against animal cruelty. Residents of the conservative state, which voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in the same election, defeated the initiative by about 20 points.

 

Animal welfare advocates also helped pass a ballot measure in Massachusetts last year to ban extreme confinement of farm animals and an initiative in Oregon to ban the trade in ivory, rhino horns, and other body parts from wild animals.

 

Those votes have helped convince members of Congress from both parties to support animal protection laws at the federal level, Pacelle said.

 

"Supporting animal protection also allows them to soften their image with their constituents and show compassion," he said. "Animals help humanize them."

 

Among the bills that Congress is considering:

 

— Big Cat Public Safety Act: Reps. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., teamed up to offer this bill to ban the possession and breeding of lions, tigers, leopards and other big cats by private individuals or unqualified exhibitors at roadside zoos. Thousands of big cats are being kept in people's backyards and basements or in poorly maintained roadside zoos, creating a serious safety hazard for the public while threatening the cats' health, the bill's supporters say.

 

More were listed but not included as they are not big cat focused. 

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start

I was wearing jeans and my iPhone 7 Plus is a huge phone that will fall out of my pants pocket in such situations, so I pulled it out and set it on the ledge of the toilet seat cover dispenser at about eye level.

 

Apparently, that’s where I left it.  I made a point through dinner of NOT pulling it out to check it every few minutes, as is my habit.  I was trying to stay present with my darling and just put the rest of the world out of my mind.  At the end of dinner I said I needed to pick up kale at the grocery and asked Howie to give me a list.  I reached for my phone to take down his selections and remembered I’d left it in the bathroom, right behind us.  When I went to get it, someone had taken it.

 

I checked with all the wait staff and manager, but no one turned it in.  Howie suggested I call it, but whoever took it knew to shut if off right away as Find My Phone can’t find the phone unless it was on.  There was plenty of battery left, so I knew it had been deliberately stolen.  That was about 7:15 PM and I was up until 1:30 AM today dealing with my stupid mistake.

 

First I had to remotely lock and erase the phone.  You can’t get into it without my finger print, but my whole world is on that phone, including every password for every thing I have to do.  Erasing it meant I wouldn’t be able to find it when the thief does turn it on, but Apple does have a pretty cool feature where you can have the lock screen say something, so I said, “I lost my phone.  Please call 813 493 4564 to return it.”  So, hopefully, when they try to activate the phone some dealer will know it’s stolen.  I had to pay off the $745.00 contract on the phone to “upgrade” to a lesser quality phone because they didn’t have the same storage in stock and I couldn’t wait.

 

I’ve had two bobcat calls yesterday, and things come in threes.  I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if some bobcat was dying on the side of the road last night because I chose to wait until morning to get the phone I really needed.  Thankfully, the bobcat calls I got were not requiring my immediate attention.  One was a woman in TX who said she’d recently come into possession of an elderly house cat she thought was a bobcat.  The photos she sent confirmed that, so I told her what I needed in order to import the cat to FL and she’s not returned that message yet.

 

The second was a woman and a vet in IL who had to amputate the leg from a hit by car bobcat.  He can’t go back to the wild, so they wanted to be sure someone would take a really mean bobcat and give him a good home.  I told them we would, but that it would require their Department of Natural Resources and mine approving it.  They said they would do that, but again, no call back.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Wyeth Bobcat Goes Free and Big Cat Public Safety Act Re Introduced!

Animal welfare coalition applauds reintroduction of “Big Cat Public Safety Act” to prohibit private ownership of dangerous big cats.

 

Thousands of big cats are kept as pets or maintained in ill-equipped roadside zoos in the U.S.

 

Big Cat Rescue, Born Free USA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud U.S. Representatives Jeff Denham (R-CA), Walter Jones (R-NC), and Niki Tsongas (D-MA) for introducing the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 1818). The bill would advance animal welfare and protect public safety by prohibiting possession and breeding of tigers, lions, leopards and other big cat species by private individuals and unqualified exhibitors.

 

This bill would strengthen the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, the existing federal law passed unanimously in 2003, by closing the loopholes that allow private possession of big cats by unqualified individuals. Existing owners that do not qualify for an exemption may keep the big cats they currently possess so long as they notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill provides for reasonable exemptions for wildlife sanctuaries and exhibitors licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture that meet basic standards intended to protect the public and the animals.

 

According to Kate Dylewsky, program associate at Born Free USA, “This common sense and narrowly-crafted bill is an urgently-needed solution to the problem of big cats kept in unsafe and abusive situations around the country. Thousands of big cats are currently owned as pets or maintained in ill-equipped roadside zoos. These poorly regulated facilities — with animals kept in basements, cement pits, or in backyards — pose a severe risk to the safety of people in surrounding communities, as well as the welfare of the cats themselves.”

 

Nicole Paquette, vice president of wildlife for The Humane Society of the United States, said, “Tigers, lions, and other big cats should not be kept in peoples’ homes or backyards. In order to protect the public, there needs to be strong oversight of these private owners who, in most cases, do not have the expertise needed to properly care for these animals in captivity. Some states have little to no laws regarding the keeping of big cats and it’s time for a uniform federal law that ends this dangerous industry once and for all.”

 

Carson Barylak, campaigns officer at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, noted that “there are now more tigers in private hands in the U.S. than remain in the wild, and nearly all of them are denied proper veterinary care, nutrition and enrichment.” Moreover, “law enforcement officers and other first responders — including those who have encountered these deadly animals in the course of their work — have joined animal rescue and conservation advocates in supporting the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Emergency officials and the communities that they protect, much like the big cats themselves, should not be placed in harm’s way by a private owner’s irresponsible decision to keep big cats.”

 

"Relying on accredited sanctuaries to take in unwanted and usually neglected big cats is not a viable solution," said Carole Baskin, founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue. "When individuals foolishly acquire big cats as pets or exploit them in entertainment businesses, the cats often suffer in deplorable conditions with inadequate nutrition and veterinary care for many years. Then when owners realize they are not equipped to take care of a big cat or no longer want them, the burden to house and care for these big cats falls upon sanctuaries. This is not the solution; it does not address the inhumane treatment of the cats nor the public safety issues."

 

Facts:

 

There have been more than 700 dangerous incidents in the U.S. involving tigers, lions, and cougars, including hundreds of human injuries, maulin

Washington Post:

Many countries ban circuses with wild animals. These lawmakers want the U.S. to follow suit.

 

Mexico, Peru and several other Latin American countries have banned or restricted the use of animals in traveling circuses in recent years. Performing animals are even rarer in Europe, where many nations prohibit them.

 

There is no such federal law in the United States. But dozens of local bans, as well as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s recent decision to fold its tent, have some lawmakers hoping the American political terrain might now be fertile enough to send all circus elephants, tigers and bears to retirement.

 

U.S. Reps. Ryan Costello (R-Penn.) and Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) appeared on Capitol Hill this week to introduce a bill that would prohibit wild or exotic animal performances in traveling circuses. Flanked by television actors Jorja Fox and Eric Szmanda, the representatives argued that the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act — known by the unwieldy acronym TEAPSPA — would end the suffering of creatures that profit-motivated humans force to perform unnatural behaviors and live in cramped conditions.

 

“I don’t think that those practices have any place in the fabric of our society,” said Costello, who added that his constituents are keenly interested in animal welfare issues.

 

[One problem with shutting down the circus: Where will the animals go?]

 

The question is whether they and lots of other Americans are interested enough to push for a nationwide ban on circus animals. The bill is only the latest iteration of a proposal that’s been introduced in Congress several times before but has never gotten far. Also at the Hill event was former U.S. representative Jim Moran of Virginia, who noted that he was “sorry” it had never passed before but said the idea “did make some inroads.”

 

There’s little question that public sentiment about performing and captive animals, particularly those considered highly intelligent, is changing. The Ringling Bros. announcement in January, which cited a decline in ticket sales, came after local laws and pressure from animal protection groups prompted the show to retire its elephants. Last year, SeaWorld decided to stop breeding orcas, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore is planning to move its dolphins to a sanctuary.

 

And animal welfare issues, as Costello suggested, have far more bipartisan support than many topics under consideration in Washington.

 

[Ringling’s elephants are retiring. Will their lives be better?]

 

What’s more, backers of the bill say, the Trump administration’s zeal for cost-cutting could work in their favor. Circuses with animals are subject to federal inspection under the Animal Welfare Act. Retiring the animals would therefore reduce spending on inspections, making it a “win-win” for the government and for the creatures, said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, whose campaigns helped drive the Latin America bans.

 

“There’s an immediate budget cut,” Creamer said. She said a ban would affect 19 traveling circuses with about 300 animals.

 

A trainer moves a dromedary during a show at the Cedeno Hermanos Circus in Mexico City in 2015, before a ban in that nation took effect. (Henry Romero/Reuters)

But there’s also an anti-regulatory zeal these days in Washington, and many lawmakers are loathe to dole out sweeping new restrictions to industries — and that includes circuses. One opponent of TEAPSPA is the Cavalry Group, an advocacy group for “animal enterprise,” which last year said the idea “would deprive countless Americans the ability to experience endangered animals up close, such as elephants and tigers.”

 

The company that runs Ringling Bros., of course, has also lobbied against the bill in the past. Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, indicated it would no longer be a priority now that the circus is closing. But, he said, it remains a bad idea premised on inaccurate inform

Letter to ODA re Witness Protection cats and Kenny Hetrick Family

Yesterday

 

Today Corrina Hetrick tried to sneak onto our 3PM tour using Tammy Lopez as the ticket buyer and driver and using the fake name of Peggy Schroyer on the release form.

 

We refunded the tickets to Tammy Lopez driving Grey Kia Optima Lic# GVI G19

 

When they arrived, Tammy spoke to our Operations Manager at the gate.  Gale noticed the passenger had her hair up under a baseball cap, dark sunglasses and was trying to hide her face.

 

Gale alerted the Gift Shop staff who noticed that every time one of them walked near she would duck her head away and move away from them.  They called me to come see what was going on.

 

I walked up to her, introduced myself and just waited to see what she would say next.  Most people just can't stand a long pause and the next words out of her mouth were:  I'm Corrina.

 

She went on to say that she just wanted to visit me in person, as a courtesy, to let me know that everything I've heard about her was wrong.

 

I told her and her friend they had to leave.

 

She argued a bit, saying that she just came out of respect to introduce herself to me and show me what a good person she is.

 

I countered that lying about who she was on the release form, and hiding behind her hat and glasses, and ducking away from my staff told me all I needed to know about her.

 

Her friend asked why they couldn't go on the tour and I told her it was because I don't believe their heart to be in the right place, that I believe them to be litigious, and that it's my right to refuse service to anyone, so I was refusing it to them.

 

I walked them to their car and told them I'd refund their tickets online, which we did after they left.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

Spring break: Why did it take so many years to build a bigger rehab area?

That may sound like a disjointed title, but the two are intimately connected.  Each year we allocate the funds we have left at the end of the year in two directions.  Roughly half goes into reserves that allow us to be sure we can meet our commitment to the cats even if there is another 9/11 and donations and tours stop. The other half goes into capital improvements for the cats.  Those of you who have been here for many years have seen these improvements happen one after the other over the years.  Bigger, open top enclosures, vacation rotation and fun-cation enclosures, a state of the art cat hospital after 20 years with an inadequate one, now the much bigger and better rehab area.  Why didn’t we just do those all at once years ago?

 

I’m sure the answer is obvious – we did not have the money.  We had to space these out over many years and build them as we generated revenue. The more we raise in tour revenue and donations, the faster and bigger and better we can make these kinds of improvements.

 

Our spring break peak season is a critical part of the funds we have left over at the end of the year to spend on improvements for the cats.  Let’s do the numbers.  If you take out a tour of 20 who paid $38 each, that is $760. Add what they spend in the gift shop, donations made or sponsor kits purchased that day, and a few who become regular donors afterwards because of the experience you give them, and that one tour generated well over $1000 for the cats.

 

When you take time out of your busy schedules to sign up for the additional tours we do during break, EACH TOUR YOU GIVE IS THE SAME AS YOU DONATING $1000 TO THE CATS!  And because that revenue comes on top of our normal tours and donations, it goes right to the bottom line, i.e. to the reserves that protect the cats’ future and to the big capital projects that improve the cats’ current lives.

 

You may have seen Carole and me giving regular tours during the peak time in the last week of the year.  We do that because this revenue is so important to the lives of the cats.  The spring break is a longer and much bigger source of revenue, which means it requires more sacrifice of time.

 

If you possibly can, please help Honey, Gale and Chelsea fill in the added tour slots so we can offer these extra tours and generate that bottom line revenue for more improvements for the cats.  Thanks very, very much! - Howard

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk

I Open a Drop Shipping Shopify Store Called CatRescue.biz I spent all day yesterday getting this site ready to launch. I’ve been listening to podcasts on how to do it and I’m hoping it can one day replace my real estate work as something I can do from anywhere as a digital nomad. Ashley Wanda Says Joe Offered Her a Couple Thousand to Kill Me Ashley Wanda called and left a voice mail on my phone. She said she’s disabled and lived at the GW Zoo. She said she heard Joe Schreibvogel saying he’d try to hire others to kill me and then he offered her the same deal; a couple thousand if she’d do it. She said her father was a police officer and that she felt both her life and my life were in danger. She said she was reporting that crime and all of the drug abuse to authorities. She said she witnessed a lot of abuse while there and was especially upset about beating the cubs. Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story. The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/ I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story. My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet. You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion. Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk