What is Big Cat Rescue?
Big Cat Rescue, a non profit educational sanctuary, is devoted to rescuing
and providing a permanent home for exotic (i.e. wild, not domestic) cats
who have been abused, abandoned, bred to be pets, retired from performing
acts, or saved from being slaughtered for fur coats, and to educating the
public about these animals and the issues facing them in captivity and in
the wild.
The sanctuary is home to the most diverse population of exotic cats in the world, with 14 of the 35 species of wild cat represented among more than 100 residents. These include tigers, lions, liger, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lynx, ocelots, servals, caracals and others, many of whom are threatened, endangered, or now extinct in the wild.
The sanctuary began in 1992 when the Founder, Carole Baskin, and her then husband Don, mistakenly believing that bobcats made good pets, went looking to buy some kittens. They inadvertently ended up at a “fur farm” and bought all 56 kittens to keep them from being turned into fur coats. See How We Started.
In the early years, influenced by breeders and pet owners, they believed that the cats made suitable pets and that breeding and placing the cats in homes was a way to “preserve the species.” Gradually they saw increasing evidence that not only was this not the case, but that it was leading to a consistent pattern of suffering and abuse. See History and Evolution.
Today the sanctuary is devoted to its Vision of a world where animals are
treated with respect, and its Mission of providing the best possible home
for the animals in our care and trying to stop the flow of animals needing
sanctuary by educating the public about the plight of the animals and supporting
stronger laws to protect them. See Vision and Mission.
The sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) not profit charity. It receives no government support and relies on its educational activities, such as tours of the facility, and the generosity of donors for support of the cats. Donations are tax deductible. Because non program expenses (i.e. administration and fundraising) are funded from tour income, 100% of donations go directly to support the cats.
We hope you enjoy your visit to our web site. We believe it is the most complete resource for information on big cats in the world.
Thanks to all of you who voted for Big Cat Rescue, we won the People's Choice Award at the WEDU Be More Awards! TM banquet held 1/15/09. Big Cat Rescue won against 90 contenders for the People's Choice Award. WEDU has a viewing audience that includes 16 central Florida counties. Big Cat Rescue has won this award three years in a row, validating to us that many of your share our vision.
 |
| CFC # 10766 |
Other Credentials and Affiliations
We are proud members of:
Best in America Charities certified by the Independent Charities of America
Brandon Chamber of Commerce
Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition 2009 Taskforce
Combined Federal Campaign #10766
Florida Association for the Restoration of Ethics
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries
Greater Clearwater Chamber of Commerce
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
Hillsborough Convention and Visitors Association
International Tiger Coalition
Oldsmar/Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce
Species Survival Network
St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
Westshore Alliance
World Society for the Protection of Animals
Good sanctuaries do not breed, buy or sell their animals and they do not allow contact between potentially dangerous animals and the public. Big Cat Rescue meets or exceeds the Sanctuary Standards detailed at SanctuaryStandards.com
We are partners with Capitol Advantage for better laws and FLA USA.
We are founding members of No More Homeless Pets of Hillsborough County, a coalition of animal rescue groups committed to ending euthanasia of healthy cats and dogs as a means to dispose of unwanted pets.
Our founder was the former Chairperson of the Hillsborough County Animal Advisory Committee by appointment of the Board of County Commissioners. She is a past President of The Association of Sanctuaries and serves on the board for HumaneUSA, the largest animal related Political Action Committee that gives approximately $250,000.00 a year to the promotion of better laws to protect the animals.
Our founder, advisory chair, staff and our veterinarians are members of the American Zoological Association (AZA). Our vets are also members of the American Association of Zoo Vets (AAZV). Our keepers are members of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK.) We are supporters of the Humane Society of the United States.
We hold permits issued by U.S.D.A #58-C-0814 , Florida Fish and Game permit #ESB 70 , State Wildlife rehab permits # SC01A-2079 and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Federal rehab permits, State Charitable Solicitation permit #CH-11409 and Hillsborough County occupational license. All of our animals are registered with the International Species Information System (ISIS).
5 Minute Video About Big Cat Rescue
|