Carole Baskins Diary

Big  Cat Rescue’s Involvement in ITC Saving Wild Tigers

 

11/5/09 we were drafting an answer to this question:

 

Here is the question again: How can China's farms be phased out in terms of the animals and facilities themselves, as well as compensation for the owners of the farms?

 

1. Assessment and Preparation of a Plan for each facility 

2. Assessment of existing management regime

 

THE most important thing to do is stop the breeding.  Neutering all of the males is quick and cheap.  That can be done in just a few minutes by our vet and the biggest cost is the sedation.  There is just an overwhelming temptation, from what I see in pseudo sanctuaries, to allow "accidental" breedings so that they have cubs to attract the public.  Mandatory castration of existing males and neutering all new cubs at a few weeks of age, will stop the increase of tigers in cages.

 

On 11/6/09 I reported this success from the ITC conference call:  Resulting from today's call below. Summary is that we can petition the USFWS to rescind their "generic tiger" exception, so that all tigers have to be approved for breeding and use based upon how that use enhances wild populations.  Just rescinding would be very easy, but we also want tougher restrictions on what constitutes enhancement of wild populations and more record keeping and transparency.

 

12/2/09 we were emailing w/ Judy Mills and IFAW to try and garner votes for the Chase contest which would end up funding ITC for a while.

 

12/8/09 Leigh Henry, of WWF reported, “things are moving quickly here at WWF on the US tiger issue.  It has caught the attention of our leadership team as something we can do as WWFUS in the US for the Year of the Tiger.  Our new Sr. VP for Communications seems likely to throw resources behind the effort.”  And “News on the FWS front is that, after a successful WWF meeting with Dan Ashe, they have removal of the generic tiger exemption from the CBW permit system slated for the Fed Reg in the first quarter of 2010. “

 

At the state level we were trying to come up with the Top 5 worst states in regards to captive tigers and I suggested, “If you can only have 5, I would trade SC for NC as that is where T.I.G.E.R.S. is based (and FL) so it would stop the nations largest tiger dealer from being able to move cats back and forth across state lines and having them disappear in his other home state.

 

This is my opinion:  The way it works is he says he is sending tigers from his FL facility to SC but no one in SC would ever know or care if they actually arrived, and visa versa.  As long as he doesn't openly transfer them with a paper trail to someone else, USDA is clueless as to where the cats are.”

 

2/25/10  With the wins from the Chase contest Judy posted:  “The ITC booth at the CITES CoP, generously sponsored by Big Cat Rescue, will be #R3, located in the foyer of the Sheraton Conference Center.  The booth will feature ITC information materials, a continuous feed of ITC videos and tiger-striped giveaways (such as lanyards from which to hang CoP15 identification badges).”

 

3/12/10 Judy reported from the CITES meeting in Doha, “The ITC booth opened for business today, and delegates, observers and even CITES Secretariat staff already are wearing their CoP15 identification badges on our tiger-striped lanyards.  “

 

3/13/10 The Peninsula reported, “Over 1,500 delegates representing more than 170 governments, indigenous people, non-governmental organizations and businesses are attending the world conference.”

 

3/23/13 Judy reported to the ITC, “We had confirmation in this morning’s CoP15 Committee II that the following three Decisions will be retained for at least more three years, until CoP16:… 14.69  Parties with intensive operations breeding tigers on a commercial scale shall implement measures to restrict the captive population to a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers; tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives.”

 

3/29/10 Judy rep

Hosted Big Cat Rescue’s first legislative Fly In to D.C. for the Big Cats & Public Safety Protection Act. Flew in the following and helped them explain the necessity of the bill to their lawmakers: 1. CA BOXER-LaMALFA Michael 2. CA BOXER-McCLINTOC Steve 3. CA BOXER-McCLINTOC Janet 4. FL SOUTHERLAND-NELSON Penny 5. FL SOUTHERLAND-NELSON Linda 6. FL SOUTHERLAND-NELSON Kathy 7. FL SOUTHERLAND-NELSON Breawna 8. MD CARDIN-HARRIS Jerilyn 9. NM PEARCE - UDALL Carol 10. NM PEARCE - UDALL Haley 11. NM PEARCE - UDALL Lee 12. NM PEARCE - UDALL Cheryl 13. PA FITZPATRICK - TOOMEY David 14. PA FITZPATRICK - TOOMEY Shellie 15. FL NELSON - RUBIO-BILIRAKIS Howard Baskin 16. FL NELSON - RUBIO-BILIRAKIS Carole Baskin 17. FL NELSON - RUBIO-BILIRAKIS Susan The 8/5/2013 USDA comment period was extended due to the AZA wishing to exempt their cheetah petting fundraisers, but closed today 11/18/2013 with over 15,000 responses and over 100,000 responses if you include those submitted via coalition partner’s supporters. 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.

Reise Cougar’s Name Means Journey

We are expecting a new arrival this Sunday.  Her name is Reise and she is a cougar from Texas who ended up at the Southern Florida Wildlife Rehabilitation Center where JoJo came from.  As most of you know, the owner is terminal and in the hospital, so his volunteers have been trying to place all of the animals.  Reise had been declawed in TX, but they had just butchered her paws, so the nails keep growing back.  There was a vet who helped SFWRC’s owner, Dirk, by donating his services to try and repair the paws.  I’m not sure, but it sounds like this has been done several times, so I don’t know why it hasn’t been permanent.

 

When this vet, Dr. Patrick Mornane, heard that Reise needed a new home he offered to take her but he lives in N.C., and I’m told his health is bad.  Originally we had been told that all of the cats had new homes, and that all of the other animals, even the chickens and koi had been placed, but the deal to send Reise to Dr. Mornane fell through.  That left Reise as the last animal to need a home, but no one wanted to deal with her medical issues.  We agreed to take Reise and have been trying for weeks to arrange a time that we, the FWC and the volunteer from SFWRC can all be there.  Currently the plan is to bring her in Sunday.

 

 

Jamie whacked herself in the face with a pair of fence rippers and knocked herself off a ladder.

 

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.

3 Days in North Carolina at IFAW’s Big Cat Workshop

Dear Carole,  On behalf of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), I would like to invite you to the first-ever Big Cat Sanctuary Workshop to be held in the fall of 2013! This unique and interactive workshop aims to encourage and foster networking and collaboration among sanctuaries and promote best practices for animal care and sanctuary stewardship and sustainability.

 

The first two days of the workshop will consist of guest speakers and activities, including new approaches for sustainability and growth, brainstorming enrichment methods, and creating effective communication through various media, fundraising approaches and more. The third day will involve of a tour of Carolina Tiger Rescue, which will include an interactive discussion on conducting effective, educational, and mission-oriented tours for sanctuaries.

 

Workshop Objectives: This interactive workshop has a primary objective of bringing people together to build collaboration, networking, and trust that will help others excel. Working from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries standards, the workshop will help sanctuaries to:

Identify leadership strengths and areas to improve Identify and try new approaches needed for sustainability and growth Value and recognize the accomplishments of others; reflect and share experiences

 

Apply best practices to animal care and sanctuary stewardship Dates: Friday, October 25th – Sunday October 27th 2013  Location: Hilton Garden Inn at Research Triangle Park, 4620 S Miami Blvd, Durham, NC 27703 with site visit to Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, NC.

 

Participants: This workshop is by invitation only for sanctuaries providing lifetime care to big cats. We encourage two representatives, such as an executive director and a board member, from each facility to attend this event.

 

As a sanctuary committed to the long-term care of big cats and ending the perpetual trade that leads to displaced and unwanted animals, we feel your presence and participation in this workshop will be a mutual investment for all! Please find more information regarding the workshop, including an outline of the agenda, attached to this email. We ask that you kindly RSVP by August 1st 2013 using the attached form or by returning the postcard you’ll be receiving in the mail shortly.

 

Again, IFAW and GFAS are extremely excited to co-host this event, and we hope that you will be able to participate as a vital member of the sanctuary community! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.  Sincerely, Kelly Donithan | Wildlife Rescue Program Officer

IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare World Headquarters 290 Summer Street - Yarmouth Port, MA 02675

 

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.

ZooKeepers Losing Life and Limbs 

Within a week of each other, one worker at GW Zoo (the place we sued and won a 1 million dollar judgment) nearly had her arm ripped off and a man with 30 years experience, at an AZA zoo, was killed by an elephant.  Whenever I hear stories like that, I always think how sad for those people involved and how fortunate we are that you guys are so well trained and responsible.

 

I often comment on these news stories because it is an opportunity to remind the general public that these are wild animals and they should be protected in their wild habitats; not bred for life in cages.  That brings out all the animal abusers who point out that we have had accidents here too.  What they fail to note is that those incidents were in 1997 and 1998 and are posted on our own website here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/big-cat-attacks/

 

September 2, 1998 Citrus Park, FL: Black leopard bites volunteer (Mindy Harrell) attempting to pet animal through cage at Wildlife on Easy Street. Wounds to arm required 451 stitches to close.  The volunteer admitted she was breaking the rules and was not allowed to return to the property.

 

December 25, 1997 Tampa, FL: The St. Petersburg Times reported that a man (Timothy Evans) who was bitten on the arm by a cougar in 1996 was suing WildLife on Easy Street.  The suit was dropped when the man’s friend, the pet owner of the cougar (Sherrie Frost) was deposed.  Both were former volunteers, and were suspected in the release of the cougar from WildLife on Easy Street in August of 1996 as he was trying to make a case that the cat he was accusing of the bite was dangerous.  Both volunteers were dismissed from the program and the cougar was recaptured without incident.

 

If you are ever thinking to yourself that our rules are too numerous and that we are too strict, it is because we learned from our mistakes.  Please be careful and keep in mind that these cats can move faster than you can blink.

 

Note that these are not topics for your tours.  People always ask if any cat has ever escaped or if any cat has ever hurt anyone, and if you tell these stories, it will be the only ones they remember and repeat.  It is here so that know that we have been open about it on our website and so that you will know what the bad guys are talking about when they talk trash about us.  Your answer to these morbid questions that people ask should only be what you have seen yourself, or to say, “I haven’t been witness to anything like that, but you can search our website as it is over 9,000 pages of information about the sanctuary.”

 

This was written to the volunteers at Big Cat Rescue today.

 

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.

My Computer Crashed and Took My Diary With It

 

My back up drive failed and took with it all of my documents, including my diary again!  Later I was able to piece the journal back together from older hard drives and saved emails.

 

 

Hi everyone! (Tammy Theis, Bobbi Brink and Mike Booth)

I am contacting you to see what you have in mind for our Panel: Networking, Media, and Effective Communication?  I see that on the agenda Michael Booth is talking about Effective and Successful Communications from 4 till 5 and then our panel, including Mike, starts at 5 and runs till 6, I think.

 

So, my question is if Mike is doing a one our presentation and then joining us for a panel that continues the discussion; as it seems to be a similar topic?  Also, what do you guys have in mind regarding how we should present?  Do we each take 12 minutes for a presentation on how each of us does Networking, Media, and Effective Communication?

 

Or do we take the topic of our greatest strength and present on that for our 12 minutes?  I know it would be a lot easier for me to talk about Media and our YouTube success for 12 minutes than to try and cram all three topics into 12 minutes.  Do we want to entertain questions after each person presents, or wait until the end to be sure that each has time to present?  What do you guys have in mind?

 

cc: Panelists: Mike Booth, IFAW; Carole Baskin, Big Cat Rescue; Tammy Thies, The Wildcat Sanctuary; Bobbi Brink, Lions, Tigers, and Bears. For the cats, Carole Baskin

 

 

Jamie and TeeGray 

 

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.

We Won Is Posted Everywhere Until We Do I believe in the power of intention and have printed these up and hung them all over the house and on my desktops as wallpaper. It is to celebrate the future where cub handling is banned world wide. Image by Christina Hess, w/ my text overlaid. The calls you never hear about We do a pretty good job of letting you and our outside supporters know about the work we do to save exotic cats, but there are a lot of calls and emails that you never hear about because it turns out to be a case of mistaken identity or we never find the cat or the person who calls, saying they want us to rescue their cat drops off the radar before we can make arrangements. We told you some months ago about an injured leopard that we were trying to save, but we have no police powers and none of the agencies who do would intervene, so the cat continues to suffer, if still alive. Sometimes, in cases like Tony the truck stop tiger, the wheels of justice turn ever so slowly and four years have passed, but we haven't forgotten him and will update you the minute there is something to report. We get countless calls and emails asking us to save black panthers (mostly) and every other imaginable kind of cat, but the vast majority of these turn out to be fat domestic cats, hybrid cats who are not regulated, dogs, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and even nutria (big rats). One of those calls ended up in me bringing Baby Cakes the genet back from the ASPCA in Largo. They found him wandering in a neighborhood and thought he was a Coatimundi...which was a pretty good guess. Many of the queries we can handle by having the caller send a photo, but a lot of times we have to drive out to the scene, wander around in the woods for hours, and then return with nothing to report to you. I know you guys do a lot that I never see too. Some of you have become experts at knowing when a cat is "just not himself" and know all of the ins and outs of inventory, check in, guest relations, cat poop and more. I am so proud of all of you and want you to know that we are all working to care for the cats who live here and end the suffering outside our gates. Watching this video is NOT mandatory, but shows you some of the behind the scenes work in our rehab program. 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

When Rose Was Born She Reminded Me of a Rosebud

 

(The last photo of Momma Jacquie and me dated 2/11/13.  This was the day we moved her from Aunt Carole’s condo to the Cougar Camp at Big Cat Rescue to live with my parents)

 

Tiny, delicate and fiery red. But a name like Rosebud conjures up cows, so Rose became her name.  She was born into a chaotic time at the sanctuary, so I didn't get to spend much time enjoying her kittenish ways. It was a decade before we were on solid footing at Big Cat Rescue and I finally had the chance to just observe her.

 

I envy the time our volunteers spend with the cats. It's a luxury I've rarely been able to afford. In a rare moment, where no one was pulling at me to deal with a personnel issue nor answer a phone call, I walked past Jamie who was trying to comb a knot from Rose's fur. Jamie was using the telescoping back scratcher.

 

At first I hurried on by, but then turned around, deciding this was a great teaching moment, to show through a video how we groom the cats. It's possible to give the cats some pleasure without risking a bite or scratch. Rose was clearly loving the good scratching she was getting in that hard to reach area behind her ears. I'm glad stopped and enjoyed this precious moment in time. In just another day or two Rose was gone.

 

Never a Boring Moment – Escaped White Tiger “Sighting”

 

I was about nine years old and was perched in the highest branches of the pine tree next to our home on Larwood Dr. in Charleston, WV, looking out toward the airport where my father was the private pilot for Gov. Arch Moore.  It was my favorite spot.  I could see for miles across the hills and valleys.  I was watching planes take off and land at long intervals.  I was bored out of my mind.  “God,” I implored, “never let me be this bored again!”

 

Well you have to be careful what you ask for because I don’t think there has been a boring moment since.  Today was one of the weirder days.

 

At 1:24 am the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office called me (apparently) but my ringer was off, so they called our Operations Manager, Gale, and said that a caller had reported a white tiger loose on Van Dyke Road and they wanted her to see if our tigers were all here.  Gale did the rounds, even though we only have one white tiger, just to be sure that all of the cats were accounted for.  Thankfully, she didn’t bother me with it and let me sleep.

 

At 8:52, 8:56 and 9:00 am I get (and miss) three calls back to back from Tallahassee, but I am out cleaning litter boxes and the caller didn’t leave a message, so I am unaware, until just now, that these calls were in my “Recent Calls” list.  Probably the Florida Wildlife Commission.  850 717-14XX

 

At 9:06 am I get a call (also missed) from the Homestead area 305 247-80XX and they didn’t leave a message this time, but I see that the same number did leave a message at 1:25 am, saying that they were a Deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office reporting a white tiger sighting on Van Dyke Road in NW Tampa.  I find it odd that a sheriff’s deputy in Tampa would have a Homestead area code, so I call the real Hillsborough County Sheriff.

 

I tell them who I am and about the call and the Captain said they did get such a call last night, but that he has no idea who called me or why they would have a Homestead area code on their phone. No one else has reported the white tiger and we all just figure it was a drunk or a prank caller. Our enemies, the people who abuse big cats for a living, think it is fun to annoy us and the local police with their stupidity on a regular basis.

 

I told him that we have a new, high power dart rifle if they do see a cat and that we would be happy to help them capture the cat alive.  I texted Gale after the call and that’s when she told me that she had been called in the middle of the night and had done her head count.

 

At 11:11 am I get a call from 813 735-93XX and it is a young man who is telling me that he was the cal

Big Cat Rescue in Spain

 

AAP Primadomus is located on more than 400 acres in Villena and currently houses a variety of primates that have been rescued from private ownership, circuses, and laboratories. They are now expanding their focus to also rescue countless lions and tigers that are in need across their country.

 

In an effort to prepare for this project nearly a dozen experts were invited to a symposium that focused on sharing information regarding the proper care of big cats in captivity, emergency protocol development, and enclosure design. Big Cat Rescue President Jamie Veronica and volunteer veterinarian Justin Boorstein travelled to Spain and joined experts from Italy, South Africa, France, Austria, the Netherlands and all across the United Kingdom.

 

Over the course of three days the team worked tirelessly to provide as much information as possible to the members of not only AAP Primadomus, but also its origin center Stitching AAP. Stitching AAP is a rescue center for apes, monkeys and small exotic animals in the Netherlands that was founded more than 35 years ago.

 

The symposium was a huge success. Big Cat Rescue will continue to work with AAP remotely throughout the development process. We are so pleased to provide assistance to organizations that are saving big cats across the globe!

 

Last month I told you about a gruesome situation that we were working on but now we have exhausted all governmental channels and are taking this story to the media to see if we can get this leopard some relief.  This is what I have sent to ABC Dateline and CNN's Jane Velez-Mitchell:

 

"This leopard was, according to her owner, Carolyn Atchison of Animal House in Moulton, AL, injured a year ago and yet this image was taken June 10, 2013 by some animal protection folk who went there to rescue the domestic dogs and cats that they said she was feeding to her big cats.  The animal protection group said that Atchison told them the leopard had been fed a doberman, who fought back, but lost.

 

I have gone to the state, the USDA and the USFWS and they say there is nothing they can or will do.  I am told that the Attending Vet is the owner's boyfriend and he says the cat is fine.  This cat is obviously NOT fine.  Can you help?

 

As you probably know, the ALDF is still fighting for Tony the truck stop tiger; now before the Supreme Court.  We have a federal bill pending right now that would end the private possession of big cats.  It is HR 1998 and called the Big Cats and Public Protection Act."  We will continue to try and get some help to this cat and have already obtained an import permit into FL if the cat is seized.  We have offered USDA and the USFWS placement for the leopard and told them we can have a crew there within 20 hours of notification that they have seized the animal, but both agencies are saying that it isn't their problem.

 

The owner claims that this is her favorite cat and that's why she won't give her up.  She says the leopard is 19 and can't undergo surgery and she believes that the cat is not in any pain, despite both her and her vet admitting that the cat continuously licks at the wound.  Every day, when you are out there in the rain and the bugs and the heat, you are enabling cats like her to have our resources to try and save them.  We will keep you posted.  This was in the July newsletter to volunteers at Big Cat Rescue.

 

 

Jamie and Little Feather Bobcat at Dr. Wynn’s office after her seizures.

 

8/5/2013 The USDA posted a request for public comment on our petition to ban cub handling for 30 days.  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/08/05/2013-18874/petition-to-amend-animal-welfare-act-regulations-to-prohibit-public-contact-with-big-cats-bears-and  See the 21,552 comments and supporting documents here:  https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2012-0107

 

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 choos

People Say Our Sanctuary Was a Landfill

I keep hearing people say that our sanctuary was previously a landfill or a dump and yesterday heard that it was in foreclosure.  These things are partially right, but the landfill statement makes people concerned for our cats' health and the bad guys frequently say that more than 100 cats have died here because we are built on a dump.  The factual story is that in the 1980's I loaned $80,000.00, on what was 40 ac of dry ground to a man named Wendell Williams.  He paid on time, so I never had a reason to come look at the property again until he quit paying.  When I came out to see why he wasn't paying, I discovered that he had dug out an 18 ac lake and hit a spring.  He had been selling the dirt; made lots of money and moved on.  I did foreclose on him to get the property.  The other way he made money was by allowing construction crews to dump building materials here after tearing down buildings.  It is concrete, lumber, sheet rock, and plastic piping for the most part that he buried.  None of that stuff would pollute our lake, which is tested annually because of the tigers, nor would it pollute our ground water.

 

Don Lewis used to bring home everything he could buy: trucks, boats, planes, baby strollers, clothing, everything he saw at every yard sale and "treasures" he would find in dumpsters.  He covered the top of this 40 acres with his hoarding.  He went to Costa Rica once a month and every time he was gone, I was hauling out dumpster loads of the junk he brought home.  The restraining order he applied for against me was in an effort to be able to stop me from hauling off all his "good stuff" if he got a call while in Costa Rica from someone ratting me out.  His secretary told me about the restraining order and that this is why he did it after his disappearance in 1997.  We never fought, so I didn't have any idea that he had done such a crazy thing.  It has taken 15 years, but we have almost eliminated all of the junk. (Written 4/28/2013 to volunteers)

 

Our cats live almost twice as long as they do in the wild or in captivity any where else, so it is a ridiculous claim by those who hate us that 100 cats have died for that reason.  100 cats have died because we have rescued well over 200 cats, who were mostly older and in poor health, over a 20 year period.  We are the only facility that I know of that posts our cats' deaths and keeps a memorial garden on site and online for everyone to see.  

 

Photo is Jamie in her first rehab project for investment and rental after having installed a new kitchen and floor.

 

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.