Many of life's failures...


"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize
how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Edison


WILL YOU SAVE ME

Tony VERY Skinny

Tony VERY Skinny

4.08.2011

Tony The Truck Stop Tiger ~ The fight for Tony's life...



Tony the Tiger

Picture
 Tony is a nine year old Siberian/Bengal tiger who has lived his whole life at a truck stop in Grosse Tete Louisiana.
His home is one of concrete and steel, amid the deafening noise and noxious fumes of cars and trucks 24 hours a day.
It is angering as well as sad to see this majestic cat pacing back and forth in his steel prison with people staring at and taunting him constantly.
A sign is even posted to remind people not to throw things at him.
Clearly this is a blatant case of animal abuse, neglect and exploitation, as well as it being illegal.
A 1993 Iberville Parish County ordinance prohibits the display of wild exotic animals, and wild or exotic animals as pets, but this law was never enforced and unfortunately was amended at the last council meeting on March 17th 2009.
{Which was not made public so that we could be present}

Wednesday, March 18, 2009


Truck stop tiger approved, with some conditions


Truck stop tiger approved, with some conditions

PLAQUEMINE — Tony, the tiger on display as a roadside attraction at a Grosse Tete truck stop, is getting a cage makeover.

The Iberville Parish Council voted late Tuesday to require a larger pool for the 550-pound, Siberian-Bengal tiger, rubber sleeping mats for its cage and heaters for the winter.

Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso Jr. insisted on those and other improvements as a condition for allowing Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin to keep the animal.

The council had voted 11-1 at its February meeting in favor of an ordinance allowing Sandlin to continue displaying the tiger. But Ourso vetoed it because it imposed no conditions on the animal’s care.

On Tuesday, a revised version of the ordinance was presented to the council for a vote.

The revised ordinance, like the previous one, exempts Sandlin from having to comply with an old parish law that prohibits an individual from keeping any “wild, exotic, vicious animal or reptile for display or for exhibition purposes.”

Sandlin has displayed tigers for years at his truck stop, despite complaints by animal welfare advocates that the environment is unsuitable and unhealthy for the animals.

One such advocate, Sky Williamson, said allowing the tiger to remain at the truck stop is cruel and reflects poorly on Louisiana’s image.

The ordinance approved Tuesday set guidelines for the tiger’s care that weren’t in the version the council approved last month.

Among other things, Sandlin is required to make sure the cage stays clean and the animal is fed “a commercial diet approved and prescribed in writing by a licensed veterinarian” experienced with tigers.

He also is required to have staff at his truck stop trained and designated on how to deal with the tiger if it ever escapes.

The ordinance further requires Sandlin to carry liability insurance and to hold the parish harmless for any harm or damage the tiger might cause the public.

Speaking before the meeting, Sandlin said he saw no problem complying with most requirements in the amended ordinance.

However, Sandlin said he disagrees with language in both state law and the parish ordinance that prohibits him from displaying any more tigers after Tony dies or is legally transferred from Iberville Parish.

He said it is unfair to prohibit him from continuing to display tigers while no such restriction applies to LSU’s tiger mascot.

“I’m not happy with that, and we’re not going to roll over and play dead on it either,” Sandlin said.

The council’s action on Tuesday removes an obstacle that has kept Sandlin from qualifying for a state permit from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.


http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/41414492.html?showAll=y&c=y

View the ordinance at: http://tinyurl.com/yl5kaxl

It has been over seven months since the Iberville Parish Council allowed this display of animal exploitation to continue. Supposedly there were requirements in the ordinance for improvements to be made to Tony’s enclosure.
No matter what improvements are made, this is an unsuitable and unhealthy environment for Tony as well as a danger to the public.
 
Tony is displayed and exploited 24 hours a day in deplorable conditions amid the noxious fumes and deafening noise of trucks and cars. If Tony’s owner truly cared about him and the quality of his life, he would relinquish him to a big cat sanctuary where professionals would provide him with a natural habitat, medical care, a proper diet and enrichment.



Tony’s life has 10 years of concrete and steel, with people gawking at him and signs necessary to remind people not to throw things at him. The constant noise and fumes of trucks and cars are what Tony hears and smells 24 hours a day.

Tigers ARE NOT PETS or “part of the family” as his owner Mr. Sandlin erroneously believes. Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are apex predators. In the wild their territory can range from 10 to 30 square miles while the Siberian tiger’s range may be as large as 120 square miles.

It is very hard for me to believe that individuals see nothing wrong with having a tiger as a pet or roadside attraction. It is inhumane, disgraceful and clearly shows the greed and extent people will go to at the expense of an animal.
There has been an ongoing movement by those of us who care about Tony and want to see him removed from the truck stop and placed in a sanctuary. Those of us who support the removal of Tony from the truck stop want nothing more than for this beautiful majestic cat to have a peaceful, clean, safe home in a natural habitat while being cared for with respect and professionalism.
 
This is NO LIFE for any animal, and his owner obviously does not care.I have been fighting forTony's life because it is deeply disturbing and angers and saddens me to see the appalling conditions in which Tony is living in.
Tigers are the most beautiful animals on earth and when I see them being mistreated, abused, neglected and exploited it truly saddens me. The tiger is a fierce, beautiful, and powerful cat. They are not attractions or gimmicks.

Until people respect the tiger, and better laws are passed banning private ownership, we will unfortunately continue to see such situations as Tony’s.

LDW&F Grants Permit To Tiger Truck Stop 12.29.2009

All of the articles found on the web so far concerning the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ decision to grant the permit to the Tiger Truck Stop are listed here. The permit was granted on December 14th 2009. Please take the time to visit the actual links to these articles and post comments where there is an option to do so.
I have also written/emailed the reporters of these articles as well as those at the LDWF namely Maria Davidson and Fred Kimmel; Governor Jindal, Louisiana Senators Vitter and Landrieu, Secretary Robert Barham.

Continue to be a voice for Tony by broadcasting his story, supporting efforts to give Tony the home, care and respect he deserves, and letting those individuals involved in making this decision know of our outrage and objection.

We cannot give up on Tony.

  • Tony the Tiger can stay
State officials give truck stop owner a permit

Tyler Gamble, Reporter
December 29, 2009 – 4:14pm
GROSSE TETE, La. (AP) –

The Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete has received a permit from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to keep Tony the tiger.
Maria Davidson, the department’s large carnivore program manager, says the permit was needed after a 2006 legislative action gave regulatory authority over private ownership of potentially dangerous animals, such as primates, wolves, bears and big cats, to the agency.

Davidson said the legislation prohibited private ownership of the animals, but allowed people who already owned the animals before 2006 to be “grandfathered” as long as they went through a permit process to keep their current animals.

The permit has been controversial with animal rights and welfare activists and others who object to the tiger being kept at a truck stop joining the debate.
http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/tony-tiger-can-stay
  • Tiger Truck Stop wins permit
By Nathan Stubbs
Tuesday, December 29, 2009

After over a year-long struggle that raised the ire of national animal rights activists, Michael Sandlin, owner of the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tette, has officially been awarded a permit from the state to keep his 9 year-old, 550-pound Siberian-Bengal tiger, Tony. The Advocate reports that Sandlin has been granted a “Possession of Potentially Dangerous Wild Quadrapeds, Big Exotic Cats and Non-Human Primates” permit by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Sandlin was grandfathered into a state law that prevents ownership of wild, exotic cats, making him the only permitted private tiger owner in the state.

From The Advocate:
Sandlin said he was prepared to take the issue all the way through the court system in order to keep the tiger. But he said it’s not right that once the tiger is gone, he can’t get another one or get the tiger a companion.

The tiger is 9 years old and Sandlin said tigers can live more than 20 years in captivity. “Once Tony’s gone, it’s all over with,” Sandlin said. “After 22 years of exhibiting tigers and owning tigers, there’s certainly an emotional attachment.”

'EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT'- USDA VIOLATIONS:
http://www.911animalabuse.com/images/USDAViolations/2008Tiger_Truck_Stop_Factsheet.pdf





  • Tony the truck stop tiger there to stay
Posted: Dec 30, 2009 3:57 PM EST
Updated: Dec 30, 2009 3:57 PM EST

Link To Video: http://www.nbc-2.com/global/Category.asp?c=170893&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4422744&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

“Tony” the tiger can officially call a truck stop home thanks to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Tony probably has no idea how much controversy his life at the “Tiger Truck Stop” has caused, and now his owner is hoping he never will.
“I think it’s a victory that Tony won’t be going anywhere, which is what I started off saying in the beginning,” says owner Michael Sandlin.
Wildlife and Fisheries gave Sandlin a permit to house the nine-year-old tiger.
Normally, state law bans the private ownership of potentially dangerous animals.

But officials decided to grandfather Tony in because Sandlin owned him before the law passed.
“I think the state would have found it very hard to take the tiger away from me.”
The decision puts an end to years of protesting from animal rights and welfare activists.

But the victory could be short lived. At 9 years old, Sandlin says Tony might only live another ten years. And the permit doesn’t cover any new tigers.
Sandlin plans on putting together a lawsuit to appeal the ordinance.
“Trying to get them to change this ridiculous, biased legislation that’s been passed.”

He says he’s passed every safety and welfare test with flying colors.
“He’s got a heater and an AC now. A little pool. There’s a lot more that we would like to do,” adds Sandlin.

And all he wants is to be able to keep a community tradition alive.
“We would like to see the death sentence lifted off this exhibit.”
http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=11748809
  • Truck stop gets permit to keep tiger
Published: Dec. 29, 2009 at 4:30 PM
GROSSE TETE, La., Dec. 29 (UPI) —

Louisiana wildlife officials said a truck stop was awarded a permit allowing it to keep the state’s only privately owned tiger.
Officials with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Michael Sandlin, owner of the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, was the only one of three big cat owners in the state to apply for “grandfather” permits following the passing of a 2006 legislative action prohibiting private ownership of potentially dangerous animals, the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate reported Tuesday.

Davidson said Sandlin’s permit was tied up due to an Iberville Parish ordinance banning ownership of large cats but the parish passed an ordinance in March allowing the tiger to stay under certain conditions. The conditions imposed by the parish include staff training, liability insurance and providing a veterinarian-approved diet for the animal.
Sandlin, who received the permit this month, said he is glad to be able to keep Tony the tiger, but disappointed he will not be able to replace the 9-year-old animal after it dies.

“Once Tony’s gone, it’s all over with,” Sandlin said. “After 22 years of exhibiting tigers and owning tigers, there’s certainly an emotional attachment.”
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/12/29/Truck-stop-gets-permit-to-keep-tiger/UPI-52471262122232/


  • Truck stop tiger stays put
Posted: Dec 30, 2009 7:38 AM EST
Updated: Dec 30, 2009 8:33 AM EST
Featured Videos
Tony the Tiger can stay at a Grosse Tete truck stop
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) –

The owner of a 9-year-old Siberian tiger named Tony has received the final permit necessary to keep the animal on display at his truck stop off Interstate 10 in Grosse Tete. Michael Sandlin, owner of Tiger Truck Stop said he’s relieved the long process is finally over.
“It’s been a real struggle,” Sandlin said. “We’re very thankful to the community, to the state, to Wildlife and Fisheries for issuing the permit. Tony won’t be going anywhere.”
In 2006, the Louisiana Legislature outlawed private citizens from obtaining large cats, but since Tony was already in captivity, he was allowed to stay. After Iberville Parish gave its blessing, it was up to Wildlife and Fisheries for final approval. A spokesman for the agency said they only issued the permit after rigorous inspections, which included mandatory upgrades to the tiger’s exhibit.

“It was a very detailed process, our wildlife biologist consulted with big game vets, zoo exhibit professionals and big game keepers,” said Bo Boehringer with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “From our standpoint, we feel like Mr. Sandlin has met the basic criteria to keep the tiger.”

Sandlin has installed higher fences and climate control, posted the proper signs and escape plans, obtained proper insurance and improved sanitary conditions at the truck stop. Tony already receives regular health checks and his diet is approved by a veterinarian.

However, some animal rights activists think the changes are still not enough. Members of the Facebook group, “Save Tony the Tiger from Michael Sandlin,” vow to keep fighting. {This page was ran by James Platt and is CLOSED thankfully}
“Tony could live maybe another 10 years,” said James Platt, the group’s moderator. “It just wouldn’t be right to drop it and forget about it. I’m not sure if there’s any or very many legal avenues to pursue, but there has to be something that can be done.”

Sandlin said he welcomes the fight, insisting he’s already won the battle. Once Tony is gone, private citizens, including Sandlin, will not be allowed to own tigers. Until then, state, parish and federal officials will make random inspections of Tony’s exhibit.
Tigers in captivity can live up to 20 years.
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11746526



Tony the tiger paces in his cage at Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete in November 2009. Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin received a permit from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on Dec. 14 which will allow him to keep the tiger.
  • Grosse Tete truck stop gets permit to keep tiger
By AMY WOLD
Advocate staff writer
Published: Dec 29, 2009

The Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete has received a permit to keep Tony the tiger, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The permit was needed after a 2006 legislative action gave regulatory authority over private ownership of potentially dangerous animals, such as primates, wolves, bears and big cats, to the agency, said Maria Davidson, the department’s large carnivore program manager.

“These are not animals that need to be in the private sector,” Davidson said.
The legislation prohibited private ownership of the animals, but allowed people who already owned the animals before 2006 to be “grandfathered” as long as they went through a permit process to keep their current animals, Davidson said.

There were three people in the state who owned big cats and two of them decided to not keep the animals, Davidson said. The animals were taken to other facilities, she said.

The third person, Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin, wanted to keep his Siberian-Bengal tiger and started work on getting the permit, Davidson said.

However, Iberville Parish officials told Wildlife and Fisheries officials during that process that there was a parish ordinance prohibiting large cat ownership, Davidson said.

Because one of the state agency’s requirements for a permit was that it had to meet local regulations, Sandlin’s permit could not be processed, she said.
Then in March, the Iberville Parish Council approved an ordinance that allowed Sandlin’s tiger to stay with conditions, such as carrying liability insurance, training staff on how to deal with any tiger escape and specifying that the tiger’s diet be approved by a licensed veterinarian.
That opened the path for Sandlin to move forward with getting a “Possession of Potentially Dangerous Wild Quadrupeds, Big Exotic Cats and Non-Human Primates” permit from the state on Dec. 14.

Sandlin said he was prepared to take the issue all the way through the court system in order to keep the tiger. But he said it’s not right that once the tiger is gone, he can’t get another one or get the tiger a companion.

The tiger is 9 years old and Sandlin said tigers can live more than 20 years in captivity.
“Once Tony’s gone, it’s all over with,” Sandlin said. “After 22 years of exhibiting tigers and owning tigers, there’s certainly an emotional attachment.”
According to an inspection letter from Wildlife and Fisheries in September, Sandlin was required to do a number of things before a permit would be granted.

Those steps included raising the perimeter fence from 7 feet to 8 feet, changing the insurance policy, updating an escape plan and installing a safety sign that says “Danger, Wild Animal on Premises.”
The permit has been controversial with animal rights and welfare activists and others who object to the tiger being kept at a truck stop joining the debate.

Davidson said her department received many e-mails from around the world asking the department not to grant the permit.

“I am very sorry to hear that the tiger will continue to live in that miserable situation,” Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue Sanctuary in Tampa, Fla., wrote in an e-mailed response to questions Monday.

However, the facility meets the department requirements, Davidson said.
Despite allegations of unsanitary conditions and of the tiger being unhealthy, Davidson said that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I stopped by there periodically just to see,” Davidson said.
The tiger is being fed a standard zoo diet, is in decent health and has an enclosure with air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter, she said.
“I know if we felt those conditions were not humane or not up to standard, then we wouldn’t have issued a permit,” Davidson said.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/80246892.html?showAll=y&c=y



  • Permitting Tony the truckstop tiger
December 30, 2009 | by: Todd Dills

After a year and more of challenges to the legality of Tony the truckstop tiger’s residence at the Gross Tete, La., Tiger Truck Stop by animal rights activists, the AP reports the owners have obtained necessary permits from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to keep the tiger. South Carolina-based hauler Kris Ewing took the opportunity of a Christmas run to Laredo to stop in and take a few pictures of Tony and the truckstop. (Photos taken on December 20th, 2009)

 

 






http://www.overdriveonline.com/permitting-tony-the-truckstop-tiger/
photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12056083@N06/sets/72157622913383219/






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