Chris Hawes of Baynews 9 Slams Us Based On Animal Exploiter’s Lie

More than meets the eye?

Thursday, March 16, 2006 by Chris Hawes

 

Bay News 9 combed through hundreds of pages of documents to uncover this story.  The mission of Big Cat Rescue in Citrus Park is to make you care about animals.

 

The first page of its web site mentions how it provides a home to "abused" and "abandoned" cats. However, former volunteers say many of the cats living there weren't in need of being rescued, and that they were bought from breeders to be bred.  At least 30 of the 150 cats that live at the facility were not rescued, and were actually born at the facility. Former volunteers say stories about what the facility does are, at best, exaggerated.

 

"If it's not a rescue, it shouldn't be tagged as a rescue," said former Big Cat Rescue board member and volunteer Jim Moore, who worked for almost five years there and even lived on the property for a while.  Moore and others intimately familiar with Big Cat Rescue say it's time they spoke publicly to set the record straight about the non-profit facility and its founder and CEO, Carole Baskin.

 

"She wanted to one day have the largest private collection of exotic cats in the world," said Debra Sandlin, who volunteered at the facility from 1997 - 2000.

 

The former volunteers point to examples like Fluffy the serval cat as one of many possibly misleading stories on the web site. The web site says many of Big Cat Rescue's servals were purchased at auctions where uncaring owners dumped them. Halfway down the page, it says Fluffy "came as a result of the pet trade." Fluffy's seller, Sandra Flaherty, said she raised the serval on baby food and would have only sold her to a good home.  "She was sold as a pet and possible breeder," said Flaherty.

 

Another serval cat is described on the web site as coming to Big Cat Rescue after a pet shop owner was afraid she would bite children who taunted her.  "Not a word of it's true," said the cat's former owner, who said she parted with the serval because she was paid a thousand dollars.

 

One of the most convincing pieces of evidence for many of Baskin's critics is a video of the tiger cub Shere Khan. Big Cat Rescue's web site says he was "unwanted and uncared for," and "could not walk."  However, a home video with Baskin on it tells a different story.  "This is Shere Khan," Baskin said in the video. "He was bottle raised in a loving and nurturing home."  "I see a normal tiger cub," said Sandlin.

 

Baskin discussed the allegations with Bay News 9 and agreed with the perception that the majority of cats at her facility came from abusive situations. She stood by her web site's story of Shere Khan's abuse, despite the video showing him standing on his hind legs.  "He could lift himself, but just barely," said Baskin.

 

The tiger is just one of the stories the former volunteers mention. They're also troubled by claims that many animals on the site were born into the pet trade.  "The majority of the animals that are listed on the web site where it says born into the pet trade were actually born there (Big Cat Rescue)," said Sandlin.

 

"That's because back prior to 1997 that's what we were, pet owners," said Baskin. "We were the pet trade."  One of the few points that Baskin and her critics agree on is that Baskin and her husband sold and bred cats.  "We went through a whole range of beliefs," said Baskin. "He was set on breeding virtually every cat here."  Baskin says she's up front about that history. The extent of that breeding, however, is described nowhere on the web site, although one statement says no exotic cats have been bred there since 1997.

 

Baskin is the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue.  Volunteers who worked there, however, say that's simply not true.  "There were some binturongs born," said Judy Watson, a Big Cat Rescue volunteer from 1997-2000.  Binturongs are more commonly known as bear cats. Former volunteer Jim Moore, who worked at the fa

My Mother’s Hands 

 

I don’t know who wrote this, but I think it was shared with me by my mother to illustrate a point.   It was 8 days after her birthday, so maybe I had read it somewhere and shared it with her, like I did this Ann Landers letter.  

 

Mama, some ninety plus years, sat feebly in her chair. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was ok. Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked, "Are you alright, Mama?" She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," in a clear strong voice.

 

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Mama, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,"

 

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked me softly. "I mean really looked at your hands?"

 

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making. Mama smiled and related this story:

 

"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shaky and now weak and cramped with arthritis have been the means I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.  They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.

 

They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. Then held my books and wiped my tears when I went off to school. They shook as I first learned to play the piano then became stronger and more sure as I became better and practiced more.  They have entertained many for years as well as entertaining myself during moments of memory. They have been dirty and clean, scraped and raw, swollen and hurting. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.

 

They were clumsy and uneasy when I tended to my first born child but got stronger and surer with each one after that. They wrote the letters and trembled and shook that I sent off to my sons in the wars but hugged each one tightly when they came home. They cooked, cleaned and planted gardens. They sewed buttons, hemmed skirts and made quilts. And counted pennies to make ends meet.

 

They have decorated Christmas trees and welcomed guests into my home. They trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse or saw my daughters walk down the aisle.

 

Yet, they were strong and sure when I cuddled and fed my grand children. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.  They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and cracked.

 

And to this day when not much of anything else of me works very well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life.

 

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ ."

 

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my Mama's hands and led her home.  When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and grand children I think of Mama. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.  And I want my hands to feel the same.

 

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

Nini Tiger Dies

Yesterday I show up for an appointment with a writer for Cat Fancy magazine and am met at the gate by Jamie and Scott telling me that Nini, our 22 years old tigress, didn’t eat yesterday nor today.  The vet has been summoned and Nini is looking vacantly into space.

 

While Scott waits at the gate for Dr. Wynn, Jamie and I take the golf cart out to talk to Nini. We knew this day was coming but had been leaving the date of departure up to Nini.  As long as she was eating well and enjoying her days of napping in the sun by her pool we would try to not cry as we saw her disappearing before our eyes a little more each day.

 

Despite eating well she had been losing weight for the past couple of months.  We suspected a tumor in her stomach, but at her advanced age there was no point in subjecting her to surgery, chemo or even in anesthetizing her to run a battery of tests.  The knock down alone would have killed her and even if didn’t her options would have only meant pain and having to spend her last days in a hospital rather than in her lakefront cat-a-tat where volunteers had lovingly transported her fish friends when she had moved to this new enclosure last year.  All of the other tigers had eaten the fish that the volunteers had put in their pools, but Nini had made pets of hers.

 

I prayed for a sign to know what would be the best thing for Nini.  I stooped down to look in Nini’s cave and instead of the familiar look of recognition, as if happy to see me, she looked scared.  She seemed to say with her eyes that she know the time to depart was here, and like most of us, she was coming to terms with trying to face the unknown.

 

Here was a magnificent creature who had always had to be so brave.  As a smaller female, in an industry dominated by much larger, more powerful males, she could never show fear or she would be killed or mauled.  She had tolerated being stripped of all dignity by being made to perform for crowds of people who were too stupid to understand that the ticket they bought to watch her do tricks was what kept her confined to a circus wagon for the first 17 years of her life.

 

With tears streaming down my face; I wondered “Why?”  Why did she put up with that when most tigers don’t after they reach adulthood?  After retiring here in 2002 Nini became the most beloved of the circus cats.  She captivated the staff and volunteers with her graciousness, but even more remarkable was her effect on guests.  How many people came to me and said “I looked in her eyes and saw God!”  I am not sure what any of them meant by that, but it was obviously a spiritual experience for them.  Even more had confided that she spoke to them just as clearly as if out loud and in their own language.  I knew they were telling the truth, because she had told me she didn’t belong in a cage and that none of them did.  Nini had the rare ability to cross the species communication border and her message was always the same, “We are all ONE.”

 

Dr. Wynn arrives and concurs that Nini is never going to get better and that euthanasia is the most compassionate thing to do.  Moments seem like hours as I finally manage to speak the unspeakable and say that it’s time to end her life.  Who am I do decide that?  I can hardly write the words now, just as I could barely speak them then.  Jamie was silently crying and Scott was trying so hard to be stoic through this.  We have to face this over and over again, but it never gets any easier.

 

Once the agonizing decision was made we all wanted it to be done as quickly and painlessly as possible, but Nini still belonged to the circus and their vet wanted to be the one to put her to sleep.  She couldn’t be here until the following day.  Dr. Wynn tried to reconcile our emotions of having to make this decision with the reality that waiting until tomorrow was not going to make that much difference to Nini, who has known she was dying for a while now. I didn’t want Nini to have to experience

Humane USA Political Action Committee

 

Heather Veleanu is on the steering committee with me for the Florida chapter of the Humane USA Political Action Committee which is the nation’s largest animal protection PAC.  She makes regular trips to Tallahassee to petition for better laws for the animals and had asked if I wanted to go with her.  Being new to all of this legislative process I thought it would be a great opportunity to watch an expert in action and was thrilled at the opportunity.

 

Trying to Remotely Heal a Bobcat

 

(Photo of Jamie dated 5/4/05 It’s my favorite photo of her because she is in her element)

 

My cell phone rang and my blood ran cold.  It always does.  We have to turn away hundreds of big cats each year and every time the phone rings it makes me sick to think that it will probably be some gut wrenching situation that I will have to say “no” to.  Not one for idle chit chat I always answer, “This is Carole.”  I never screen my calls by the caller ID because if I did, I probably would just never answer calls I did not recognize just to save exposure to the pain.

 

On the other end of the line was my husband, Howie, telling me that the Sheriff’s office had just called him reporting a bobcat being struck by a car.  Howie had dispatched Jamie and Scott to the scene already and was just letting me know they had it covered.

 

I had gotten the call as I was driving to a real estate closing. There was no way I could be there for the cat.  No way to hover over the cat and focus all of the energy and prayer I could into mending his crushed and broken body.  All I could do was try from afar; sort of like remote viewing.  I only had five minutes so I put every ounce of energy into imagining the cat before me; seeing him on the side of the road.  I envisioned his broken bones mending miraculously as I prayed they would.  I know how the impact with pavement causes “road rash” to scrape away the fur and skin from bone as these animals are hit with the force of an oncoming car at 50 MPH.  I pictured the skinless side of him, that would surely now be laying in the dirt and gravel of the roadside, pulling together as if being zipped back up. I took a deep breath of my own; wishing that into his own collapsed lungs.  I could see him looking better in my mind’s eye and had to walk into the closing to pay attention to the matter at hand.

 

Jamie just called and reported that the bobcat was alive and that much to her amazement, and that of the vet, he didn’t have any broken bones and no road rash.  Just a few spots of missing hair.  I was elated.  Had this worked?  I was so happy for the bobcat…but she continued, “The weird thing was that he had just eaten a rat or something and the impact had shattered the bones of his meal which pierced all of his vital organs and he would probably bleed to death.”  Jamie went on to say that he had been given medication for the pain and put in the incubator to spend the night at Carrollwood Cats with Dr. Stacie Wadsworth.

 

I was devastated.  I never thought about an injury coming from within.  How could his meal have all of its bones crushed and not the bobcats own ribs?  I felt certain the imaging and praying had worked, but I had not thought of everything.  All I could do was try again, based on this new understanding of his situation, but picturing how his internal organs SHOULD look was much harder for me to imagine.  He died at the vet’s office.

 

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 who

2005 Annual Report

 

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:  In 2005 the IRS reported that there are 964,000 registered charities in the U.S.  Only 81 of them qualify for and display the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards seal.  Big Cat Rescue is one of them. This seal confirms that the organization meets all 23 of the Standards for Charity Accountability. We have become so well known in the area, that our volunteers complain about wearing our logos in public because everyone loves us so much they just have to stop us and tell us so. Howie Baskin helped a Girl Scout troop organize our first Golf Tournament which netted 15,000.00. Invested in undercover surveillance equipment to shed light on the dirty truth behind the exhibition and exploitation of exotic cats.

 

Animal Care:  We added more whole prey to our cats’ weekly diets and switched over to a prepared diet created by Natural Balance that improves their health via vitamin supplements. Faith the baby bobcat was upgraded to a much larger and more challenging Cat-a-tat where she had to learn to “out-fox” her food. Later, after completing her survival training, she was released onto 17,000 acres of pristine bobcat habitat.  President Jamie Veronica, and the interns track her weekly to insure that she is thriving on her own. We had to turn away 85 big cats that were no longer wanted by their owners but we rescued Snorkle the tiger from a circus owner and brought in tigers: India, Nyla, King, Princess and Narak from the circus. Rescued three baby mountain lions who were orphaned by a hunter in Idaho.  Their names are Artemis, Ares and Orion and they were neutered and spayed this year so that they can always stay together.

 

Staff and Volunteer Training:  Jamie Veronica got licensed by the state to be able to pick up injured or escaped wildlife.  In the past it had to be brought to us by someone who was so licensed .  Cathy Mayeski and Jen Rusczcyk completed the Clicker Training Expo in CA and now have 57 of our cats in the Operant Conditioning program. Jen organized and developed the Enrichment program making it one of the best in the country.

 

Jamie Veronica took the Intern Program to the next level and manages their housing, group activities and scheduling.  The Volunteer Committee re-wrote the Volunteer Program and the Intern Program and have updated ALL of our volunteers level of certification through testing. Some of our members attended the EARS training. (Emergency Animal Rescue Service) Hired green shirt Sharon Marszal to work filling orders for the gift shop and sent her to eBay training classes.  Read books on Non Profit Marketing, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash to perfect our skills in these areas.

 

Education:  Our Education Director, Kathryn Quaas, is partnering with the Florida Aquarium to promote several joint efforts for schools and summer camps. We did legislative presentations to Stetson Law University on three occasions this year promoting a register to vote drive.  The Fur Ball CD of games, puzzles, screensavers and more were given to the 500 attendees with 300 extra being used as rewards for children who answer questions correctly during her presentations and field trips.

 

Howard began working with the Greenfund Network to create a joint venture in schools where kids turn in ink cartridges for recycling in bags that tell about Big Cat Rescue so that both their school and the sanctuary can benefit from the program.  Some kids may not care about raising money for scholarships, but they do care about saving tigers and this is a way to inspire them to keep these cartridges out of the landfills.

 

Filmed the

L-R Susan Bass, Howard Baskin, Carole Baskin and Carl Bass.

This was our annual gala called the Fur Ball.  We met Susan when she was at The Dutcher Group.  Later Howie ran into her husband Carl at the airport and arranged for us to reconnect, around 2011.  Susan had left Dutcher and was working for Lazy Days RV Center, but left them and became our PR person.

 

Ares, Artemis and Orion 

 

Ares, Artemis and Orion were only 3 weeks old when they arrived from Idaho, their mother having been shot by a hunter.  They had to be fed every four hours and Scott and Liz and Jamie had many sleepless nights caring for them.  Scott arranged for them to be flown in on Southwest Airlines in the cabin. It was wonderful publicity for Big Cat Rescue and its cause, as the captain even played "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" over the loudspeakers so that everyone could hear.  Luckily, Scott drew a lot of attention with Ares and Artemis and drew attention away from Jamie who had Orion, because Orion at the time was having diarrhea which got all over Jamie.  Artemis was Scott's favorite and Ares was Dr. Wynn's favorite and Orion was Jamie's favorite.  

 

They had a very difficult time weaning the cubs from the bottle and would often get completely covered in the milk/meat mixture they were trying to administer to get them weaned.  This went on for weeks and reflects their dedication in giving these animals the best life possible.  Scott even set up a 1/2 door so that the volunteers could come and safely see the cubs being raised.  Because of their dedication, Big Cat Rescue can continue to educate the public about how cougars are still being persecuted in the wild.  Please check your e-mail and the .me site regularly for information on what you can do to help with your voice through letters, e-mail, and other communications with the media and our lawmakers.

 

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.

Howie Writes to Glamour Magazine

 

My wife is not a Don’t.

Ms. Cynthia Leive | Editor-In-Chief | Glamour | 4 Times Square New York, New York 10036-6593

 

Dear Ms. Leive,  When my wife Carole and I visited New York last winter we noticed a photographer on the street, but paid little attention.  However, we almost hit the floor with laughter when one of our volunteers recently showed us your September issue, where Carole is the central figure in your “Top 10 Don’ts” (see attached copy).

 

Little did your photographer know that he was only seeing the tip of the iceberg, as you can quickly gather from the enclosed photo of Carole’s closet.  Carole is the Founder of Big Cat Rescue, the world’s largest sanctuary devoted to abandoned, abused and retired big cats.  Feline attire has become part of her persona.  Our two domestic cats and I are afraid to even enter this closet for fear of being devoured.  So, I am grateful for ANY fashion advice that you can provide to Carole.

 

I do, however, feel obligated to point out that your magazine’s opinion is not universal.  Enclosed is a copy of our local “lifestyle” periodical, Tampa Bay Best Magazine.  Carole and I were recently featured in it as “people with style” (see tabbed page).  On the other hand, this was probably not based on our attire, and will also invite snickers in your big city about our small town taste, so perhaps it was best left unsaid.  The Publisher of Tampa Bay Best has offered that if you would be kind enough to send a digital copy of that page, he would be happy to run it in the magazine giving Glamour full credit.  If you would be willing to do that, his contact information is in the magazine.

 

Thanks again for providing a huge chuckle, and for the effort, as unlikely as it may be to succeed, to educate my wife on the dangers of excessive cat print attire.  Sincerely,  Howard Baskin

 

8/23/05 Howie and I are so happy.  I just can’t thank God enough for this wonderful man.  He is all I ever dreamed of.  Jamie is in Seattle for a week following the Dave Matthews Band, camping, visiting the Woodland Park Zoo and visiting with Avi.  I only wish she could find someone so wonderful as Howie.

 

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.

Gloria Noble Johnson Cougar Ridge

 

Dear Gloria Noble Johnson,  You asked me if I thought there was no reason to breed exotic cats and it sounded like your thoughts on that are evolving.  I am early on in that process and thought that sharing how this belief has come to be may aid you in the unfolding of your path.

 

I always loved cats and knew I would do something for them someday but I left home at 15 and was a street urchin for two years before marrying an auto mechanic.  The next decade was spent as most probably are:  raising a family, earning a living and being too tired at the end of the day to do anything but collapse on the couch.

 

By the time I was 23 I was divorced and still raising my daughter (two of the children had been his from a previous marriage) and earning a living.  I felt more and more that something really big and expensive was going to become my burden, but had no idea what it was, so I worked 7 days a week and reinvested every penny we didn’t have to have for food.  Being caught up in the rat race I didn’t spend any time thinking about the big picture.

 

I remarried at 30 and started the sanctuary the next year.  The evolution of the sanctuary was pretty average.  We had a pet bobcat and when we went in search of another one discovered 56 that were going to be slaughtered at a fur farm and brought all of them home.  Unable to give personal attention to 57 lynx we placed them in homes where possible.  We bought out two more fur farms and began asking everyone who had cats about how to care for them.

 

We met all the people you usually meet at that stage:  The breeders, the dealers, the users, the “educators” and the exploiters who all had very polished media sound bites that they had rehearsed for years to justify what they did.  To newbies like us, who knew nothing of the facts, it all sounded very noble.  We met Robert Baudy, Darrell Atkinson, Doc Antle, Peter Caron, Judy Watson and on and on I could go for pages.  They seemed to be the experts and there was no one else to ask.

 

Zoos wouldn’t talk to “the private sector” and most of the places calling themselves sanctuaries explained that they had to breed and sell in order to support all the cats they already had bred and not sold.  The “educators” quoted famous people by saying that “people will only save what they love” indicating that by taking animals to schools, flea markets and shopping centers we were teaching people to care about animals and that would ultimately save them.  We fell for all of it.

 

Then one day we were at an exotic animal auction and I recognized a cat being sold.  I knew he was a kitten I had raised and placed in what I thought would be his forever home.  We bought him and brought him home and I began microchipping all of our cats.  Never again was I going to wonder if a cat of ours had wound up on that downward spiral.  People began asking me to take back cats we had placed and I always did.  I began to realize, that unlike me, when people committed to an animal, it only meant that they were committed as long as it was fun or at least convenient.  My husband was suffering from Alzheimer’s by now and was totally irrational.  I couldn’t stop him from breeding and selling, but I started sneaking cats to the vet and having them neutered.  He could pair up cats until the cows came home, but they weren’t having any kittens.

 

I lost him in 1997 when I was 36 and our assets were tied up in court (and obliterated I might add) over the next six years.  The cats were costing me 400,000.00 a year, but the courts would only allow 150,000.00 of my business earnings to go to the cats each year for the six years.  My daughter was 17 and graduated 2 years early so that she could help me care for the cats.  All of my time was spent trying to figure out ways to keep the cats fed.

 

Finally in 2003 it was over and my new life had begun with Howie who I just married last November.  He was a retired Harvard MBA and lived frugall

2004 Annual Report

 

 

Advances:  The biggest advance in our history was this year when we went from “Tampabay’sBest Kept Secret” to a Household Name in the local area. This was due largely to the great media exposure donated by six local Cox Radio Stations. Hillsborough County gave us big green directional signs in 5 locations to direct visitors to our door. For the first year ever, in our 12 year history, we were able to cover all of the sanctuaries expenses from its own income! Thank you everyone! Howard Baskin was able to find a reasonable CPA, Marsha Weiss, and an accountant who completed an audit for our finances for grant writing purposes. This enabled us to apply to the Combined Federal Campaign and to apply to the online version of The Better Business Bureau called Give.org. Christy Anderson launched our first E-zine that carries AdvoCat issues to 5000 subscribers and links to our electronic version of The Big Cat Times. Jamie finished a movie that was nearly five years in the making called “The Big Cat Picture“. This has been widely distributed and 2 minute clips on every species of wild cat has now been added to our website from the movie. We wrote a 20 year plan and began taking steps to reach our goal of eliminating the cause of so much suffering and abuse.

 

Animal Care:  We took in five new tigers and a lion, but had to turn away 114 big cats. We submitted our anesthesia machine parts to have one usable unit rebuilt.  We built 5 new Cat-A-Tats with pools and dens and another multi-acre enclosure with dens and a pool.  Built new dens for Esmerelda, Tobi, and Little Feather and cage enhancements for Sultan, Canyon, Genie, Maharajah, Bailey, Scratch, Baby Cakes and Hercules. Shere Khan and China Doll got a hurricane shelter and we repaired cages that were badly damaged from the four hurricanes in six weeks. The Enrichment team is growing stronger and more professional in their collaboration with others, such as Disney, to help write a comprehensive Enrichment Guide. Operant Conditioning has been led by Jennifer Ruszczyk with marvelous results.

 

The cats are learning their cues and are much easier to handle for check ups. All of the volunteers have retaken their animal care classes this year and have re certified their credentials via testing. Dr. Liz Wynn, DVM has been donating time every week as a liaison to Dr. Stacie Wadsworth, DVM. We began using Truly Nolan for regular flea spraying and for rodent control with marvelous results.

 

Staff and Volunteer Training:  Attended the USDA’s Big Cat Symposium.  Jamie Veronica attended AZA’s weeklong college course, Managing for Success. Jen, Howard and Carole attended and presented Operant Conditioning and Cage Building at The Association of Sanctuaries’ annual conference in Stone Mountain, GA. Susan Mitchell attended Karen Pryor’s Clicker Expo and spent some time with Gary Priest from the San Diego Zoo and quite a bit of time with his top trainer of cats.  Susan also completed the Safe Capture course that some of our staff attended last year. Our volunteer program was overhauled to create an administrative branch for the first time in our history. We now have red through green level requirements on both the Keeper side and the Partner (admin) side and the proud recipients of those levels of accomplishment.

 

We began our first Intern program with three interns. Cathy Mayeski has been screening applicants from around the world and by the year’s end we have had 3 successful graduates from the program and two of them moved here to stay in the volunteer program. By the year’s end we have 6 full time interns and by next year hope to have 12-15. They have come from Wales, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Peru and all across the U.S. The interns work all day, six days a week for three months in exchange for housing and the experience of a lifetime. They are a volunteer force unto themselves and now have their own Den Mother, Gale Ingham who keeps them busy and makes sure th

Jamie and Daniel have broken up

 

It is Christmas day and it is raining.  It has been raining for days.  Jamie and Daniel have broken up and she is so sad.  My heart breaks for her.  Howie is wonderful and we are going to my parents home in a few minutes to exchange gifts.  Howie sent me this letter that he wrote to a volunteer and I was so impressed with it that I include it below as a testament to who he is:

 

Below is FYI, since Diane responded to you as well, so you know what she was responding to.  Obviously not for forwarding to anyone else. But the concepts may be of some use in reinforcing your points with Daniel/Scott.  It may not hurt to point out to them (I would do in person not email) that Diane is willing to accept your promise that their behavior will change, and you will be extremely upset if you hear it has not.  It might also be worth pointing that as a general rule sarcasm and humor that pokes fun are dangerous, can easily get out of hand, and are contagious.   The culture of an organization tends to reflect the behavior of the leader(s).  If the leaders talk about people behind their backs, gossip becomes the culture.  If they discourage people from doing it, the norm drifts more in that direction.  Even if Scott and Daniel use sarcasm or poke fun in a limited way that might not cross the line, others who pick up that behavior will not necessarily do so.  Just a few thoughts for ya.

 

Howie’s email to Diane

 

I would just like to offer a couple of additional thoughts if I may.  They may not appeal to you, and that is up to you, but please understand I offer them with good intent and from caring.  What you reported to Carole really pained us both and she has made a considerable effort to act on it.  Words said and actions done can never be taken back.  So the question becomes what does one do after being hurt by someone's words or actions.

 

It is hard to know what motivates human behavior.  Sadly, we are subject to so many forces including how we were treated growing up, etc.  And many things we associate with the behavior of children, like acting out to get attention or being mean to each other, we see in adults.  And the brilliant minds that have devoted themselves to the study of psychology have come up with diametrically opposed theories about this, leaving it pretty much a mystery.

 

And if I can continue to "wax philosophical" (perhaps motivated by the holiday season), if what motivates human behavior is a mystery, then how much more lost are we in figuring out the big question of why we are here at all.  Just like psychologists differ so in explaining human behavior, so many religions offer conflicting answers.

 

Personally, I think that in some way our "journey" here as a soul is to learn and grow, and perhaps when the occasion arises to help others grow.  I think that growth could be viewed in sort of a chart with a bar for each way in which we might grow, such as career, or in a talent we have.  And among those is how we treat other people.

 

In my own case, I have found change is possible.  And sometimes the lesson comes gradually, other times from a defining moment.  For instance, as a youngster I had a very bad temper.  I recall punching a hole in my bedroom wall.  I would get mad at myself for poor performance, like in tennis.  Then one day in junior high school I played against someone who made my temper look mild.  After all kinds of antics that I could see were turning off everyone watching, he so lost it that he threw his racket wildly and while not intending to throw it at me, it whistled by my head.  It was like Scrooge seeing himself.  Watching him, I realized what I looked like when I got mad and resolved to change my behavior.

 

About 15 years later I was a junior partner in a furniture business.  I had a horrible day solving problems created by the total stupidity of two of our truck drivers, who then returned very late and backed the delivery truck right into the front o