Please Help Stop This Sort of Abuse
Click HERE for a streaming media version that is higher quality. In the video clip above and the photos below you can see an operation called Rick Kirkland's Animal Attractions that sets up all over the place, from beside busy roads to state fairs. Big Cat Rescue was successful in having them removed from the roadside. There are hundreds more like him including Doc Antle, T.I.G.E.R.S., Horseshoe Creek's Darryll Atkinson, and Thunderhawk's Big Cat Rescue (that is anything but a rescue). Considering that only a handful of our state's 1500 tigers are in accredited sanctuaries or zoos there is an awful lot of this sort of shameful activity right out in the open.
Can I Have a Big Cat at My Party?
Most people who ask this really love animals and just don't know how abusive it is to the cat nor how dangerous it is to the public. USDA prohibits public contact with big cat babies under the age of 8 weeks and over the age of 12 weeks. If you see someone using a cub who is too young or too old, please photograph the event and report the exhibitor's name, location and what you saw to stop this abuse. There is only a one month window in which exhibitors are allowed to use the cubs. There is a pending bill to ban all contact with big cats and their babies. Before you pay to have your photo made with a big cat, check with your regional USDA office to make sure you are not breaking the Federal laws. This is an important law that will protect big cats from being bred for this purpose. More...
Animal Abuser Check Point
Type in a name in the box below to see if there are any online reports at 911AnimalAbuse.com which is a community effort to expose animal abuse. If you have facts, photos or video that expose animal abuse you can post them there anonymously and for free. Although we find this to be a valuable resource, Big Cat Rescue is not responsible for other's collaborative efforts at 911 Animal Abuse. If you know of abuse, you should post it there and contact the proper authorities here:
Report to USDA Report to State Government Report to the Press
Stop this sort of abuse now. Speak out for the animals.
