Howie Elected to the Board of the Chamber

 

Yesterday Howie was elected to the board of Tampa’s oldest and most prestigious Rotary Clubs.  He also serves on the Chamber of Commerce’s Board as detailed below.  I am so proud of him.

 

Howard,  Thanks a million for just being you.  Your loyalty to the chamber and community is phenomenal.  Your wisdom is much appreciated but your patience is absolutely incredible.  We have some growing pains to deal with as we move forward with this whole governance process and I think we can all see that this will mean real progress in terms of our overall professionalism.  The ‘bad’ news is that we have lots of areas in which to improve.  The good news is that we have an excellent foundation, solid staff and a great board so nothing is totally ‘broke’ just leaky.  Mike and I marvel at your ability to slog through this with good humor and always with your eye firmly focused on the goal of making things a little bit better as a result of your effort.  Happy Thanksgiving to you Carol and all your kitty’s!!!  - Jerry Custin  President/CEO  Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce

 

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.

Tribute to Shadow the Cougar

8/1/93 -  10/2/2008  Shadow came to Big Cat Rescue with his companion, Sugar. He was a product of the pet trade and came here on 8/2/98. Their owner had become ill and, when Shadow and Sugar knocked out a window of his mobile home in an attempt to escape, he decided that he could no longer care for them. Shadow is the most talkative cat at Big Cat Rescue and will enthusiastically call back to Keepers that talk to him with a raspy RWOW! Shadow has been neutered so that he can remain with his mate Sugar.

 

Even if you have never visited Big Cat Rescue, you probably knew Shadow, the chatty cougar who inspired our blog and video series called " The Shadow Knows."  He was our largest cougar and certainly the most vocal.  If you called out to him from any where on the property, you would get an immediate “Raaaaah!” back.  He never seemed to tire of talking either and as long as you would talk to him, he would cheerfully chirp back.  His cage mate, Sugar, would just watch in her gentle, bemused way.

 

Now she watches, and waits, with longing looks down the path where she last saw Shadow leave.  The volunteers take turns sitting with her, talking with her and trying to ease her transition.  She has had Shadow at her side for the past 12 years and even though cougars are solitary in the wild, captivity changes things.  It is extremely rare that adult cats can be introduced to each other without injury but sometimes, when they have been raised together, they seem to take pleasure in having someone to snuggle with in their den.

 

Most of our cats live into their teens and early twenties, and our oldest cat was just shy of 30 when he died.  Shadow was only 15 and appeared to be the picture of health when a brain tumor sent him into a massive seizure.  He was immediately rushed to the vet for diagnostics and had to be anesthetized in the process.  The anesthesia relieved his convulsions, but when he started to awaken he would regress back into paddling, screaming seizures.

 

When it became apparent that he would never have another peaceful moment we decided that euthanasia would be the only humane thing to do.  That is never an easy decision, but when a cat is old, wasting away and suffering, that is an easier choice to make.  When the cat looks on the outside to be vibrant and healthy it is much harder.  We had to be sure that his brain disease was beyond repair and when we were, needle in hand, we tearfully began to say our goodbyes.

 

One injection and he would pass from the fitful, drug induced sleep he was already experiencing, to crossing over the Rainbow Bridge.  It would be quick, painless and silent.  He would never know what happened.  Before we gave him the shot, however, he drew his own last breath and died.  For his entire life, Shadow never had a choice.  A greedy backyard breeder sold him into the pet trade.  He was kept cooped up in a trailer until we rescued him and Sugar in 1998.  He never got to choose his own path, his own home or even his own dinner.  He was forced to take the lousy hand life had dealt, but he did it with a happiness that was contagious.  Only in his very last moment was he able to make the decision to walk out of life on his own terms.

 

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

Howie’s request from the Universe was for Peace of Mind

Happiness, dear Carole, is what greases the wheels of life. It's also what opens the floodgates, marshals the forces, commands the elements, raises the sun, aligns the stars, beats your heart, heals what hurts, turns the page, makes new friends, finds true love, calls the shots, waves the wand, connects the dots, feeds your mind, frees your soul, rocks the world, and pays compound interest.  Yeah, so easy to forget.  Wild on,  The Universe

 

Howie’s request from the Universe was for Peace of Mind.

 

 

Photo is Howie and I at a free game / event for Big Cat Rescue held at the Yankee’s Stadium in Tampa. 

 

 

Windowlusions:  (Window Illusions) A shadow box installed over each window of a room that displays the live feed from a real location.

 

The need:  People pay ridiculous amounts of money for a sliver of a view, but with Windowlusions they have the best view money can buy.  Being programable they could be in Paris for breakfast, switch to a mountain cabin for the day and watch the sun set at the beach that night.  In the evening they could tune into the Northern Lights.

 

Used as a mood setting tool, it could be tuned into Club Med for dinner parties, a mega church for worship, or even enable real time feed back from shark divers, jungle explorers, archaeological digs;   the possibilities are endless.

 

The concept:  It could come in several styles and price ranges.  One is just prerecorded days of pretty scenes with a long loop.  One could be a fantasty world for children where the world outside their window could be computer generated.  The third, my favorite, would be from live cams so that you really get a feel for the change in weather.

 

The benefits:  As an exterior mount box (to give the illusion of looking out a window into this world) it would decrease heating and cooling costs by providing a superior barrier to outside temperatures.  In cases where windows have to be able to open for safety reasons, this could be make to look like shutters on the outside, but when closed provides a video screen.

 

No more burglar bars as these would be mounted just as securely as the bars could be and no visibility from outsiders to tempt them.  Superior protection from home invasion by people or flying missiles, such as trees during hurricanes.  Could lower insurance premiums as a result.

 

In appropriate applications the exterior could be covered in solar collecting film to power the Windowlusion.

 

The patent issues:  Design of the exterior mounted box with solar capacity and smaller, cheaper inside wall hanging styled screens to cover the wide range of affordability.  The wall hanging style would be similar to a computer screen, but with access to the paid programming of Windowlusions.

 

The exterior mount box would come in several standard sizes so that it could fully cover most standard windows, but would also be built to request.  It isn’t much more than a box holding a computer type screen that is affixed to the outside wall of a home or office.  The box would be larger than the window opening to give the feel of looking out a window into the imagery.  The screen would be curved or enhanced over the traditional computer screen style to help create this effect.

 

The programs feeds would be wireless to each window’s receiver.  There would be several channels that could play simultaneously so that the kids can be living in their fantasy world, while the parents are relaxing in front of a quiet sunset.

 

The feeds could travel through FIOS or satellite to the user’s home and each channel used would be a separate billable unit to the user.  The feed sources would pay to provide feeds from their locations as they can use this as unparalleled marketing of their club, resort, school, etc. Their logo and contact info would be at the bottom of the screen.  This gives them an incentive to always keep the web cams up, working, clean and pointing to the best action or

My Parent’s Recollection of The Old Days at WEDU

 

Today the preacher used the analogy of Handel's Messiah to illustrate how such profound beauty could come from the most unlikely sources; a man known to curse like a sailor in three languages.  It stirred a memory in my father that he relayed as we walked to our cars.

 

It was 1958 and he was the cameraman at WEDU in the era before video tape.  An enormous choir had come to Tampa to sing Handel's Messiah live from WEDU but all the singers couldn't fit in the building, so they carried everything into the parking lot for the big moment.

 

The choir was assembled, the conductor was perched with his baton held high, the cameras were rolling and right on time it all appeared on TV screens throughout the area:  an enormous number of people, dressed in robes, standing in a parking lot, lips moving and nothing but the ear piercing sound of screaming jets overhead for the duration of the show.

 

WEDU was in the direct flight path of MacDill Airforce base and in the cold war era drills at the base included B-52's, with their earth shaking launch rockets splitting the air from a low altitude without a moment's notice.

 

You've come a long way baby!  Makes HD look like a minor improvement.

 

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 Darling Husband Continues to Defend Me 

 

and enable me to devote my time and energy to ending the trade in exotic cats.  His letter to the Better Business Bureau:  Bennett, on the logo, we never received the original email sent in October.  Below is an email trail where I wrote to Julie in December asking if they had come out.  She forwarded a zip file with the logos, but we did not get the content you refer to with the measurements, just the email below with the zip folder, which I then passed on to Carole.  Absent any other information, I assumed that the image that was in the zip file labelled with "ltr" in the name was sized to the specifications you wanted and used it thinking I was being very diligent in making sure NOT to change it.

 

Aside from no instructions, it was my recollection that the former logo had been sent in a series of specific sizes and I remember Carole cautioning me that we were not supposed to change it, just use one of those sizes.  Whether I understood or recall that correctly from the prior logo or not I am not sure, but with that frame of reference in mind and seeing nothing to the contrary I assumed the logo in the zip file was the approved size.  We will of course adjust it and also move it on the letterhead.  We also checked the website and while the logo is correct in most places, we found one location that was off, so are correcting that.

 

With respect to the complaints, first let me clear up some confusion.  The name Lisa Welch came up only because of an error on the website where Gini Valbuena's information came up under the page on Lisa Welch in error.  Thanks for noting that so we could correct it.  Lisa Welch was not involved in your complaints as far as I know.  Lisa Walker, very similar name, was.

 

Before I address the language, let me give you a little additional information that came subsequent to our last communication.  I realize you are not dealing with the substance of these activities, but I provide this for background so you understand our approach.  Wednesday we got a call from George Feder, a reporter and frequent guest on America's Most Wanted. His profession is crime prevention and educating young people to steer them away from crime, but part of his time is spent on stories for the TV program.

 

He called to tell us the Gini Valbuena has visited him twice insisting that he try to make a television show about the disappearance of Carole's husband 10 years ago in a way that would imply Carole was involved, which is absurd.  He described Gini as "obsessed", "crazy" and "just plain evil" and was calling just to let us know she was out there doing this.  He delivered to us the same nonsensical materials she and her cohorts send around trying to get anyone to listen and hoping at a minimum to waste my time.  Some of these materials were sent to your organization a year or so ago.

 

Again, I understand the substance is not the issue for you, so talking to Mr. Feder would serve no purpose, but FYI I'm sure he would be willing if you were ever interested. He said when he repeatedly asked her why she was interested in this she would just start raving about Carole. He offered to testify in court if asked.  Moving on, below is the language that was on the website, corrected to reference Lisa Walker.

 

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 shar

Tribute to Kennedy the Bobcat

Kennedy and Will were playing just days before Kennedy  died of a massive seizure from his previous brain trauma.  

 

DOB 9/15/07 (est.) - 1/24/08 Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 10/5/07

 

When Kennedy was a young kitten, about six to eight weeks old, he was hit by a car while trying to cross the road. A witness to the event took the injured kitten to a nearby animal clinic that in turn contacted Big Cat Rescue. In October of 2007 Rescuers drove across the state to Merritt Island, where the clinic was located. The young Bobcat was named Kennedy, due to the proximity to the Kennedy Space Center. Kennedy suffered severe brain damage that resulted in a month of intensive care.

 

He often had seizures and had to be force fed three times a day. After many weeks of recovery, Kennedy recovered almost completely. He still has limited vision with one of his eyes. Due to the daily hands on care that Kennedy required, he became too accustomed to humans and will not be a candidate for release back into the wild. Whenever BCR rescues a native Bobcat, every effort is made to come into contact with the cat as little as possible so that release will be an option. We are saddened that Kennedy is not a candidate for release, however he will be provided a permanent home at the sanctuary. Kennedy is being raised together with Will, another bobcat similar in age. Hopefully the two will bond with one another.

 

The following was his rescue story:  Within minutes of a call coming in from a veterinarian on the Spacecoast, Jamie and I were racing cross country to save a baby bobcat. The vet explained that a man had seen a car hit the baby bobcat and he scooped up the unconscious kit and pulled into the first clinic he could find. With legs splayed in every inconceivable direction and blood pouring from the kitten’s nose, no one expected him to survive the night…

 

But he did. Barely regaining consciousness the cub showed no sign of being able to see or hear but he struggled desperately to walk. He had to catch up to his mom. She couldn’t be far ahead.

 

When he was still alive the following evening and the blood loss had slowed to a trickle from his nose, the vet called Big Cat Rescue to see if we would come get him. It would be an eight hour round trip in the middle of the night and the vet’s description of his condition didn’t sound promising, but we had to try.

 

On the long trip to Merritt Island I thought about the vet’s description of the kitten’s determination to take off walking, even though he was walking into walls and getting stuck in corners of her office. What possessed him to overcome his body shattering impact with a car and try to keep on going? She had said he was a kitten, so I figured he must have been trailing his mom at the time of the impact. She said he was emaciated and he was struck on the main road, near the bridge that connects Merritt Island to the Florida mainland.

 

Knowing that extinction rates on islands far exceeds that on larger land masses it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that with rampant development in Merritt Island there was probably not a sufficient prey base left for a mother bobcat to feed herself and her young. She and her babies were starving and her only option would have been to pack up the kids and go…but they were too big to carry and too small for this kind of daring travel.

 

She would wait until dark and then bolt from brush along the road across the bridge to better hunting grounds. No doubt her heart was racing because she knew the dangers and I could imagine the tremble in her call as she urged her little ones to hurry across the road. I shuddered at what she must have witnessed when her smallest and weakest kitten disappeared under the wheels of a car. The sickening sound of the impact with his fragile little body. The horror of seeing him flattened and bleeding and even worse to see a dreaded human scoop him up and drive him away.

 

I thought abo

2007 Annual Report

 

Big Cat Rescue is more than just a place that provides permanent care for big cats.  It is a movement;  a change in the tide of human perceptions and is the combined effort of more than 74,000 supporters.  If you are one of them, you are a Big Cat Rescuer and the following is the great work YOU did!  If you haven’t helped yet, you can do so now at the top right of the screen or here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm

 

Big Cat Rescue’s Mission Statement:  To provide the best home we can for the animals in our care and to reduce the number of cats that suffer the fate of abuse, abandonment or extinction by teaching people about the plight of the cats, both in the wild and in captivity, and how they can help through their behavior and support of better laws to protect the cats.

 

Advances:  Combined Federal Campaign Best of the CFCIn late November we conquered the web site issues that have made our site inaccessible to all browsers other than Internet Explorer resulting in a 33% increase in the number of pages viewed by the 2,510,255 visitors to our bigcatrescue.org site in 2007 and 1,147,174 visitors to our www.CatLaws.com site for a total of 3,657,429 online visitors in 2007.  Big Cat Rescue is increasingly listed in world wide publications as a “must see” in Tampa.  Began the permitting process for the wall we have been raising money to build for the past 4 years.

 

Big Cat Rescue has been accepted into the federal version of the Combined Federal Campaign. Where we could only be in the local books in years past, we will be in every book that goes out to government employees as a choice for their auto deduction giving. Not only were we accepted, but we were also awarded with the Best of the CFC seal. In the local market we receive upwards of $7,500.00 in donations, so we are hopeful that we will do even better by going national. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity and thank those of you who are participating

 

For the first time in our history, Big Cat Rescue offered a reward for information. When a tiger was found shot to death along side an apartment complex and busy highway in Dallas, TX on Christmas day, we announced a $5,000.00 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of the people involved. The police and animal control authorities told us that they cannot offer such bounties and that our doing so greatly enhanced their ability to pursue the case. See the video plea http://bigcatrescue.org/video/b42008/5000reward.htm

 

Animal Care:  Rescued four tigers left to die at the now defunct Savage Kingdom.  (TJ, Bella, Modnic & Trucha) Watch this dramatic rescue here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/video/b42008/savagekingdom.htm  Built & remodeled cat-a-tats for them.

 

Rescued two lions (Joseph & Sasha) and two tigers (Nikita & Simba) from the now defunct Siberian Tiger Foundation which was nothing more than a thin guise for Pay to Play with tigers.  Read about that rescue and see the video here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/rescuelionsandtigers.htm  Built & remodeled cat-a-tats for them.

 

Rescued four native bobcats in four weeks.  (Ace, Chance, Kennedy & Will)  Read about their rescue and what is being done to send them back to the wild here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/rehabbobcats2007.htm  Built & remodeled cat-a-tats for them.

 

Rescued a Savannah cat (Diablo) who was abandoned and living in an animal shelter that was not designed for long term care of exotic cats.  Assisted in the rescue of another Serval and Bobcat and another two Tigers, finding them permanent homes in facilities that meet the guidelines set out at  http://www.sanctuarystandards.com/

 

Vernon Stairs finished all of the new safety entrances to cages.  He built tunnels on the lions cages, Precious Bobcat and The Great Pretender Bobcat, and others to enable easy shifting and introductions.  Vern doubled the size of Jumanji the leopard’s cage and added a cave and mountain.  He joined a number of cages t

My Mother’s Report on Family Trip to S. Africa

Wed., Dec. 5:  Departed Tampa 9:10 a.m.. on United #1572, on time and arrived at Dulles 11:19 a.m.  It was blowing snow lightly at first, then heavier and heavier.  We had a five-hour layover in order to insure we would be able to catch our flight on South African Airways #208 at 5:20 p.m.  We took a trolley to our gate then had to board another trolley that drove us for ten minutes to the other side.  The plane was very new, clean, could handle about 600 people and it was nearly full.  It was 30° and ice was forming on the plane so the machinery came out to de-ice which took 20 minutes.  Apparently, it was decided that wasn’t enough so they did it again causing a total of a two-hour delay before taking off and two hours late on arrival. Good food but was slow to serving us as we were on Aisle 65.  So many young people and babies on board because the whole month of December is a holiday and schools are out through January – their summer.  Naturally one baby was crying almost the entire trip.

 

Thurs., Dec. 6:  We arrived at Johannesburg airport.  I had requested a wheelchair for Mother when I purchased the tickets so they met us, showed us exactly where to go, got our bags, took us through Customs and delivered us into the waiting arms of Carole and Ron who were quite concerned because we were almost the last ones through.  Our bags apparently were loaded first but took off last.  That night we stayed at a bed and breakfast near the airport.  The lady had six or seven rooms on the block which she rented and then she would fix any kind of breakfast you wanted.  The rooms that Mother, Jamie and I stayed in were beautifully decorated in antique.

 

Fri., Dec. 7: Jamie was the first one up and started taking pictures of the beautiful pool and garden area.  The lady threw out food for the birds so Jamie saw many unusual birds.  Africa has 2,000 bird species.  Breakfast was huge.  The coffee was served in a glass container with a plunger that you pushed down to strain out the coffee grounds.  Jamie gently was trying to push but it seemed stuck and then cracked the glass sending coffee and glass on the table, floor and particularly in Jamie’s plate so she got another serving of food.  The mess was quickly cleaned up.

 

The expensive homes have large yards that are beautifully fenced with decorated walls, lights, ornaments and curled barb wire on top to discourage uninvited guests.  The landscaping is gorgeous with soft-looking grass and many beautiful flowers and lots of fruit trees.  Johannesburg, like all large cities, is very crowded with fast-moving traffic which is very stressful but Ron maneuvered us safety through all the aggressive and crazy drivers.  The further north we traveled towards their home in Louis Trichardt, it thinned out and we enjoyed the beautiful country.

 

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn which is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the earth. It lies 23° 26′ 22″ south of the Equator and marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent.  The other circles are Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Artic Circle and Antaric Circle.  There were several interesting sites along the way where we stopped and took pictures.

 

Jamie has enough camera memory for over 1,000 pictures.  That evening we had Debonos Pizza.  In the homes, every door and window has iron bars with separate keys for each lock.  No screens – you just open the windows and let the fresh air in along with any bug or bat that wants in.  Jamie photographed a dung beetle on the kitchen floor and then scooped it up with a paper towel and gently dropped it out the window onto the ground outside.  They say mosquitoes aren’t a problem in that area but I saw a couple in the house and had several welts on my legs.  December is t

False BBB Complaint Against Big Cat Rescue

Gini used the name Carol Valbuena to file a false report about Big Cat Rescue.  It is apparent that she, Lisa Walker and Debbie Sandlin co conspired to do this together.  They have no cause to file such reports and only do so because they are angry that their neighbors were being notified that they could come speak at a public meeting.

 

I really do not understand your perception that this mentions the content of the complaint.  It simply states the reason they filed the complaint.  The complaint to BBB was that the BBB logo was on the letterhead and then goes on to make false accusations about our fundraising, falsely says we are not a sanctuary, falsely implies that our operating surplus, which is needed for capital improvements and then to build an endowment, is somehow commercial or benefitting us personally, and her favorite is falsely implying that Carole is a suspect in her husband's disappearance. She objects to our having sent the letter, but that is no basis for a complaint to BBB, it is our right.  In fact (a) the names and addresses of the owners of dangerous animals are public information available from FWCC, (b) we did NOT mention any of their names or addresses in our letter, and in fact when people called us for that we declined to provide names and referred them to FWCC (by the way, a number of people called to thank us), (c) FWCC has announced that within three months they will have the entire list on their website, and (d) the St. Petersburg Times on their website has an interactive map of our neighboring counties where you can move your cursor over a google style balloon and the names and addresses of the dangerous animal owners pop up. 

 

The notion that these dangerous animal owners are placed in danger by having their names revealed is ridiculous on its face and particularly absurd since it is required by law to be public information. And look at the other things she writes to you.  "Ordinarily I do not get into such matters" - obviously a lie.  Using a false first name, Carol instead of Gini. Another of your complainants used someone else's address.  Saying that forwarding her complaint to us would "put her life in danger" - how ridiculous is that?  As you and I continue to spend time on this, I ask you to consider the credibility, or rather lack thereof, of the source of these complaints.

 

The reason to document their behavior is so that as they continue these efforts, people they approach can go to the website and see the nature of the source, the pattern of behavior and, importantly, the motives or reasons for the behavior.  Without explaining their motives, their behavior makes no sense.

 

I believe we complied in good faith, as we always try to do, with your request.  I need to ask you to understand that it is important to give some explanation of their behavior.  With that in mind, in deference to your request I have replaced the language with the language below.  If this is not acceptable, I would be interested to understand why and hear from you a suggestion regarding how we explain why they did this.

 

On 10/7/07 Gini used a different first name, Carol, to file a complaint against Big Cat Rescue containing false information.  Lisa Walker and Debbie Sandlin filed similar complaints and it is likely the three conspired together to do so.  They did this in response to our notifying neighbors of dangerous animal owners about public hearings to be held that affected their rights.

 

The sad part of all this, Bennett, is that one of their main motivations is to take up my mine, with total disregard to also wasting yours, because every minute I spend on their complaints is a minute not spent putting an end to the animal abuse they benefit from.  They have succeeded in that.  Respectfully yours,  Howard Baskin

 

In 2021 Mina Michelle Johnson pulled this criminal report of Carol Virginia Valbuena Hines 

 

I've been writing my story since I was able

A letter from Howie to Leonora LaPeter Anton at the St. Pete Times

 

Dear Leonora,  Carole tells me that your recent questions have been directed at getting more views on exotic pet ownership and about the numbers of cats in the wild. Thank you for taking the time to do that.

 

There is one comment in one of your emails that I would like to address.  You may well have decided at this point the structure of your story and what you are going to include, so nothing I say may matter.  But I would like to make one distinction clear in case it is not.  The distinction is between mentioning Don’s disappearance versus the mentioning the claims of Carole’s involvement.  I believe in one email you suggested Carole might not like your mentioning Don’s disappearance, and you made reference to her denying involvement.

 

Mentioning Don’s disappearance is not really something with which Carole has a problem.  I’m not sure it would be a “big case” other than for the media circus that surrounded it, and I think that media coverage was generated not by the disappearance but by the false claims of Carole’s involvement. I doubt if Don’s disappearance would appear on your radar if it were not for these false claims and the hope of the breeders/owners that you will revive them. Those claims were not made by law enforcement, they were made by individuals who had something to gain.  Law enforcement did their investigation and the result is obvious.  But, it is a true fact that he disappeared, it is part of the history of the sanctuary and of Carole’s personal history.

 

In contrast to mentioning the disappearance as part of the history, repeating ten year old lies like those groundless accusations is different.  It makes titillating reading for the masses.  But I believe it serves no journalistic purpose or public benefit.  It only serves the breeders/owners who make any effort they can to try to cause Carole pain, use up our time on their false complaints, and distract from the meaningful issues of extinction and captive animal ownership.

 

Carole mentioned to you some of the various ways in which the breeder/owners file false complaints with regulatory or accrediting bodies. This week we experienced a new one that I think is one of the best examples of what we are dealing with when it comes to the tactics and ethics of these people.  Carole received a call for “Carole Lewis” from a regulator saying Carole was behind in child support payments for her son.  Carole’s only son was a stepson for whom she was never financially responsible who died in a car accident years ago.  The regulator who called concluded she must have the wrong Carole Lewis, not that uncommon a name, and we would have thought so too except for events later in the day.  Carole got to the sanctuary to learn that our manager’s drivers license had been suspended for his allegedly failing to make child support payments.  Scott has never been married and has no children.  Think this is a coincidence?  I suspect there is some hotline where people can anonymously report child support violators and the breeders/owners used it, like their false anonymous claims to Workers’ Compensation and others.

 

I did not ask you the content of the “tip” you said put this story on your radar.  But I can tell you one thing for sure.  The sole purpose of the tip, like these other actions, is to use you to cause Carole pain, try to discredit her, and use up our time to distract us from the work of changing the laws to protect the animals.  The justifications these people use for their selfish treatment of the animals generally do not find acceptance with the public, who show increasing concern over the treatment of animals.  So instead of intelligent debate on these issues, their primary tactic basically to “fight dirty” by spreading lies to try to discredit Carole since she is prominent in this effort and being effective in the trend toward tougher laws.

 

Whether you print the lies about invo