Should Truck Stop Tiger Go To Sanctuary?

Michael Sandlin

Tony the Truck Stop Tiger Now Exhibited Without a Permit|Big Cat Rescue

Tony the Truck Stop Tiger Now Exhibited Without a Permit|Big Cat Rescue

Group files another truck-stop tiger lawsuit « STOP ANIMAL ABUSE

Group files another truck-stop tiger lawsuit « STOP ANIMAL ABUSE

BC-LA--Louisiana-News Digest,Advisory, LA | nola.com

BC-LA--Louisiana-News Digest,Advisory, LA | nola.com

Animals do have a voice.

“Animals do have a voice. If you ignore their suffering,

I will remind you of it. If you don't understand them,

I will translate. If you don't hear them,

I will be their voice. You may silence them but

you cannot silence me as long as I live.”

Update For Tony

Update For Tony Via Animal Legal Defense Fund 1.30.2012  

Update
January 30, 2012: Last Monday, Judge Caldwell denied a motion brought by Michael Sandlin and the Tiger Truck Stop (TTS) that sought to suspend Judge Caldwell’s order while Sandlin and TTS appealed. In other words, Tony would have stayed put at the truck stop until after the appeal ran its course, which could take months. Instead, Judge Caldwell’s order instructing the Department to revoke the permit will go into effect right away. Sadly, this does not necessarily mean Tony is leaving the truck stop soon. Sandlin has filed his own lawsuit against the Department, which has been temporarily restrained from taking any action to remove Tony. Our attorneys are doing everything they can to resolve these conflicting orders to make sure Tony makes his way to a humane, accredited sanctuary as soon as possible.

http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1859

From ALDF: Win Justice for Animals This Holiday Season

  

Posted by Stephen Wells, ALDF’s Executive Director on December 6th, 2011
For more than a decade, Tony, a Siberian-Bengal tiger, has spent every day and night at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana. He paces on the hard concrete surface of his cage, unable to escape the stench of fuel and the deafening sound of diesel engines.
But Tony’s fate is about to change. Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit to free Tony – and we won! On November 2, East Baton Rouge District Court Judge Michael Caldwell ordered the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to revoke the current permit that allowed Tony to be kept at Tiger Truck Stop, and prohibited the agency from issuing any new permits to the truck stop.
It is because of your voice, your dedication, and your support that Tony will soon be free from the miserable, lonely conditions he’s endured day and night for the past decade. You made Tony’s freedom possible — and with your support, we can win victories for more exploited, neglected, and abused animals.

We would like nothing more than for Tony to live out his life in the comfort of an accredited sanctuary that is far better equipped to meet his basic needs and to give him the kind of life he deserves. ALDF continues to do everything we can to get Tony out of the truck stop as soon as possible, and make sure Tony’s next home is one where he can live out his life in a peaceful, natural environment, free of the fumes, toxins, and noise that have plagued his life to date.
ALDF is a relentless advocate for our clients like Tony, and we will not rest as long as any animal is being abused, neglected, or exploited. We’re able to do this because you stand by us and because you understand the role the law can play in the fight against animal cruelty.
Your support today will help ALDF win justice for more animals like Tony.
Thank you for all that you do for animals.

Posted by Animal Legal Defense Fund on December 6th, 2011

ALDF is well-aware of the allegations of horrendous conditions at G.W. Exotic Animal Park. Our attorneys are researching various legal strategies for ensuring that Tony goes to a reputable sanctuary, not a roadside zoo.
http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1891

New Orleans, LA on msnbc.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45165645/ns/local_news-new_orleans_la/t/judge-rules-remove-tiger-grosse-tete-truck-stop/

Judge Rules To Remove Tiger From Grosse Tete Truck Stop

Owner: Every American Should Have The Right To Own Exotic Animals       

WDSU.com

updated 11/4/2011 3:16:48 PM ET2011-11-04T19:16:48

GROSSE TETE, La. — WDSU .com

The debate over whether a tiger can remain as an attraction at a Grosse Tete truck stop has been clawed at for years. A state judge ruled that the Tiger Truck Stop owner could no longer keep his tiger, Tony, at the gas station. Michael Sandlin, Tony’s owner, said thousands have come to marvel at the exotic animal on display at the truck stop. “We're from Florida and we were on our way to Texas and it was kind of amazing to see a big cat here,” said Jody McGahan, a Tiger Truck Stop customer. “He's beautiful” “Every American should have the right to own an exotic animal of their choice if they're financially and morally capable of taking care of that animal,” Sandlin said. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries gave Sandlin a permit to keep the tiger, but a nonprofit group, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the agency in a bid to have the cat moved to a more natural setting.

“They want to yank him from the only home he's known for the past 10 years and the people that he's known and send him to another cage somewhere where he won't have that,” Sandlin said.

The paddock the animal is kept in appears larger than some zoo exhibits with a grassy area, a tank for the tiger to swim in, toys, shade and an air conditioned room for Tony. The barred cage is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence and the truck stop is staffed 24 hours, Sandlin said. Regardless, a judge will have to decide if the attraction will be allowed to stay. “He’s beautiful. I would miss him,” McGahan said. Sandlin hasn’t filed an appeal yet, but his attorney said he plans to do so. The Animal Legal Defense Fund said it will “continue to do everything we can to make sure Tony's next home is a reputable, accredited sanctuary that can give Tony the life he deserves.”

Tony, the truck stop tiger, to make his exit

Tony, the Siberian tiger who has spent the last 11 years as a tourist attraction at a truck stop outside Baton Rouge — either suffering or living the cushy life, depending on your point of view – will likely be leaving Louisiana.
Judge Michael Caldwell has ruled in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund in its lawsuit to free Tony from the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete.
Judge Caldwell agreed with ALDF’s argument that the permit that allows the truck stop to keep Tony was unlawfully issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. (Perhaps that fiasco in Ohio was in the back of his head, too.)
The judge ordered the department to revoke the current permit and prohibited it from issuing any new permits to the truck stop.
“We are thrilled that the court made the right decision,” said ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “We will continue to do everything we can to make sure Tony’s next home is a reputable, accredited sanctuary that can give Tony the life he deserves.”
Of course, not everybody sees it that way, including Michael Sandlin, owner of the Tiger Truck Stop, whose point of view is seen in the video above, and probably a lot more Louisianians, who take their tigers — the species being the LSU mascot — pretty seriously.
The ALDF — you can find its article on Tony here — says the tiger was subjected to highway noise and diesel fumes 24-hours a day, frequently harassed and taunted by visitors at the truck stop, and spends his days pacing, a sign of stress.
The court originally granted ALDF’s original request for a permanent injunction in May 2011, but in August, the Louisiana Court of Appeals ruled that Sandlin and the Tiger Truck Stop must be named as defendants in the lawsuit and ordered a new trial, vacating the trial court’s earlier decision.
Since ALDF filed its original lawsuit in April 2011, it has argued that the wildlife department violated state law in granting the permit to Michael Sandlin. In yesterday’s hearing, the ALDF argued that Sandlin’s permit to own and display Tony should be invalidated, and that Tony should be released into the custody of ALDF or an accredited animal sanctuary where he can receive care and treatment and live out his life in a more natural environment.
Tony has been on exhibit at the Tiger Truck Stop since 2000. Other tigers were there when he arrived, but since 2003, he has been the only one.
ALDF’s lawsuit to free Tony has drawn the support of celebrity advocates like Leonardo DiCaprio and True Blood’s Kristin Bauer, seen in the ALDF video below.




http://www.ohmidog.com/2011/11/04/tony-the-truck-stop-tiger-to-make-his-exit/

Tiger Truck Stop may lose live tiger

Tony, a Siberian-Bengal mix, paces in his play area at Tiger Truck Stop on Sunday. The truck stop owners plan to appeal a judge’s decision to revoke their permit. MORGAN SEARLES / The Daily Reveille

State district judge revoked permit

By Morgan Searles
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, November 6, 2011
Updated: Sunday, November 6, 2011 23:11

After 24 years of hosting a live tiger at its business, Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La., may lose its namesake, a Siberian-Bengal mix named Tony.

State District Judge Mike Caldwell ruled Nov. 2 to revoke the permit that allows Tiger Truck Stop to keep the exotic animal. Caldwell said the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, who issued the truck stop's permit, violated its own rule by allowing a corporation to own the tiger.

Corporations are not allowed to own a big cat under state law. But individuals were able to own the exotic animals until 2006, when the Louisiana state legislature passed an act to control ownership. Today, no individual may own a big cat unless they owned it before 2006, in which case the ownership is grandfathered into the law.

This exemption isn't extended to the Tiger Truck Stop, which has owned tigers for the past 24 years, because they have always been owned by the corporation, not an individual, according to the Associated Press.

Under Caldwell's ruling, Tiger Truck Stop will not be allowed to receive another permit from Wildlife and Fisheries to keep Tony.

Michael Sandlin, owner of Tiger Truck Stop, said he plans to file an appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of keeping Tony at the truck stop.

Sandlin said he also plans to file a discrimination lawsuit against the state because of laws forbidding individuals from owning big cats.

"We feel new state law banning private ownership discriminates against persons like myself," he said. "It's the same license LSU and the zoo has. Why are they allowed to keep animals and I'm not?"

According to Louisiana law, university mascots are exempt from the exotic big-cat ban, allowing LSU's Mike VI to legally live without an individual owner, unlike Tony.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund in Cotati, Calif., filed a lawsuit April 11 against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and its secretary Robert Barham to revoke the permit and remove the tiger from the truck stop.

The Louisiana Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in August to add Tiger Truck Stop and Sandlin as defendants.

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund web site, with the Nov. 2 ruling, the organization intends to see Tony placed in an accredited sanctuary, but Sandlin said if he were forced to relocate Tony, the tiger would go to an exotic animal park in Oklahoma.

Sandlin is promoting a petition and several Tony-related web pages, including savetony.com and a Facebook paged called "Keep Tony Where He Is," to gather support.

Tony's habitat includes a 3,600 square-foot cage with a grassy area, toys, a water tank and an air-conditioned enclosure. A 10-foot chain-link fence with barbed wire surrounds the cage.

Sandlin said the cost of keeping Tony is about $1,500 each month for feeding and veterinary care.

Sandlin said he and his brother inherited the tradition of keeping tigers at the truck stop from his father. The stop has hosted ten surviving tigers, with as many as five adult tigers in the exhibit at one time.

"We have a history of tigers living long and happy lives at the truck stop," Sandlin said. "It fits in real nice with Baton Rouge and LSU being Tiger country, and there's so many people that have gotten so much enjoyment form the tigers being here over the years. That's something I wouldn't trade for anything."

Sandlin said he's determined to find a way to keep the tiger.

"We're going to do everything we can do to keep Tony at home where he belongs," he said.

http://www.lsureveille.com/news/tiger-truck-stop-may-lose-live-tiger-1.2666022

Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism and Tony the Tiger

You may well ask what on earth does this Blog title mean!

I have on previous occasions acknowledged the splendid job that Yves Smith does in terms of publishing the blog, Naked Capitalism. I’m sure that I will have cause to mention her splendid Blog again. Frankly, I don’t know how Yves finds the time to relentlessly publish every day a whole skew of articles and lots of links to other articles that have caught her eye. So why the mention today?
Well this evening is the first of four evenings where I am running a course at our local Church Hall. It’s a new project for me and the last few days have been ‘interesting’ as I get my stuff together and fret about it all, as I am wont to do!
So it was a blessing to find that the links presented on Naked Capitalism yesterday (10th) contained some wonderful stories that seemed appropriate for all you good readers, with the bonus that it allowed me to focus on last-minute preparations for the course.
Here’s the first one that caught my eye, published on the Care2 website, not a website that I had come across before.

Victory! ALDF Wins Freedom for Tony the Truck Stop Tiger

Tony, the 10-year-old Siberian Bengal tiger who’s been at the heart of an ongoing catfight over his living conditions at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La., has had his freedom granted!
On Friday, May 6, District Judge R. Michael Caldwell of the East Baton Rouge District Court granted the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s (ALDF) request for a permanent injunction against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), preventing them from renewing the annual permit that allows Michael Sandlin to keep Tony as of this December 14.
Unbeknownst to Tony, he’s garnered the attention of people around the world who have been fighting to have him freed from the concrete cell he’s spent his entire life in for years. Unfortunately, officials have bent the rules and looked the other way when it came to the Tiger Truck Stop.

From the Care2 article, there was a link to the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the following press release.

Victory in Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Lawsuit to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger
May 6th, 2011
Baton Rouge Court Grants Permanent Injunction, Ordering Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to Stop Issuing Illegal Permit Allowing Tony to Be Kept on Display in Iberville Parish
For immediate release
Contact:
Lisa Franzetta, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Megan Backus, Animal Legal Defense Fund
BATON ROUGE, La. – This morning, a judge in East Baton Rouge District Court granted the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s (ALDF) request for a permanent injunction against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, preventing the Department from renewing the annual permit that allows Michael Sandlin, owner of Grosse Tete’s Tiger Truck Stop, to displayTony, a ten-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger. When the current permit expires in December 2011, Sandlin will no longer be able to keep Tony confined as a roadside exhibit at the truck stop where he has languished for over a decade. The court also assessed costs against the Department in the case.
In preparation for the day the current permit expires and Tony is finally free, ALDF hopes to work with the Department to find the best possible new home for him, providing recommendations for reputable sanctuaries where Tony can live out his life in a peaceful, natural environment, free from the 24-hour exposure to noise and diesel fumes that have plagued his life to date.
ALDF’s lawsuit to free Tony has drawn the support of high profile advocates like Leonardo DiCaprio and True Blood’s Kristin Bauer and has galvanized activists around the world. This week, ALDF delivered to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries over 31,000 signed petitions urging it to revoke Sandlin’s permit to keep Tony. Tony has been on exhibit at the Tiger Truck Stop since 2001; he has lived there with no other tiger companions since 2003. Joining ALDF as a co-plaintiff in the case is former Louisiana Representative Warren Triche, who authored the state’s law that led to the ban on the private ownership of big cats, including tigers. Two other Louisiana residents, also deeply concerned by Tony’s long-time suffering, are additional co-plaintiffs. The law offices of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, P.C. are providing pro bonoassistance with the lawsuit.
“Today, the law was upheld in the state of Louisiana, which has explicit regulations designed to protect tigers like Tony,” says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “It is an incredible victory for ALDF, the tens of thousands around the world who have supported this campaign, and most of all, for Tony. We eagerly look forward to the day that he leaves behind the noise and fumes of the Tiger Truck Stop for a new life of freedom that he has never known.”

Tony the Tiger

Splendid, splendid result which serendipitously led me to another aspect of tigers that I want to present to you tomorrow.

Does a Tiger Belong at a Truck Stop? Judge Rules No

Tony Stuck at Truck Stop Since 11-wk Old Cub.

A Louisiana judge ruled this week that Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin’s 550-pound Bengal-Siberian tiger can no longer be kept at the truck stop in Gross Tete, Louisiana. Judge Michael Caldwell ruled that Sandlin’s current permit to keep the cat, issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife Fisheries, was illegally issued, must be revoked, and can’t be renewed.

VIDEO: Big Cats in the Backyard! - All New season of Fatal Attractions begins Friday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m.

The ruling by Judge Caldwell favors a motion set forth by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to force the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to revoke the permit that allows Sandlin to keep the tiger at the business. Since he was 11 weeks old, Tony has been a draw for gawking motorists who patronize the truck stop, buying food, gassing up and sticking around to get a picture with him.

[STORY: Why do people collect wild, dangerous animals and what laws are in place to control them? ]

Sandlin argues that moving Tony now would be cruel and indicates that the truck stop is neatly kept, flowers blooming outside, on a quiet road away from the interstate. Tony’s cage has a grassy area, a large water tank for Tony to swim in, hanging tire and other toys — even shade and an air-conditioned den. His 3,600-square-foot cage is surrounded by a 10-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire, set back several feet.

[What's the Deal: Why do people choose to have exotic pets?]

The ALDF contends it’s dangerous holding a big tiger at a business, recalling last month’s exotic wildlife tragedy in Zanesville, Ohio

What Do You Think?
Tigers are kept as exotic pets in various parts of the nation. Some are well taken care of in beautiful sprawling sanctuaries, others not so much — as witnessed in Zanesville and other low-rent petting zoos dotting the interstates. Where should Tony go now?

More on exotic pets: Fatal Attractions: Watch Encounters With Big Cats | Quiz: Could You Own a Perilous Pet? | Read: Tigers, Bears Escape in Ohio | Fatal Attractions: NEW SEASON STARTS NOV. 11

http://blogs.discovery.com/animal_news/2011/11/does-a-tiger-belong-at-a-truck-stop-judge-rules-no.html

Victory! Tiger Truck Stop’s Permit Revoked

 

• by Alicia Graef
• November 3, 2011
• 9:36 pm

On Wednesday, Judge Michael Caldwell of the East Baton Rouge District Court ruled in favor of a motion filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to free Tony, a siberian-bengal tiger, from his concrete prison at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, LA, where he exists as an attraction for his owner Michael Sandlin.
The ruling will force the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to revoke the permit that has allowed Sandlin to keep Tony for all these years. Not only will the current permit be revoked, but the LDWF will also be prohibited from issuing the Tiger Truck Stop any new permits to keep tigers.
Tony has lived at the Tiger Truck Stop since 2000, he’s been alone there since 2003. His plight has garnered the attention of travelers, animal lovers and celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Kristin Bauer who have been fighting for years to have him freed from the cage where he’s been stuck surrounded by the constant sound and smell of trucks and diesel engines.
Last May, Caldwell issued a similar ruling granting the ALDF’s request for a permanent injunction against the LDWF, preventing them from renewing Sandlin’s annual permit as of December on the grounds that it was illegal for them to issue one in the first place, but the Louisiana Court of Appeals overturned the ruling on the basis that Sandlin should have been part of the lawsuit, which led to a new trial.
“We are thrilled that the court made the right decision,” said ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “We will continue to do everything we can to make sure Tony’s next home is a reputable, accredited sanctuary that can give Tony the life he deserves.”
Related Stories:
Truck Stop Tiger Ruling Overturned
Victory! ALDF Wins Freedom for Tony the Truck Stop Tiger
Lawsuit Filed to Free Truck Stop Tiger

Should people be allowed to keep tigers as pets?

Vote at this link:
http://www.care2.com/causes/victory-tiger-truck-stops-permit-revoked.html

Video from The Associated Press: Truck Stop Tiger’s Home Endangered After Ruling

Video from The Associated Press: Truck Stop Tiger’s Home Endangered After Ruling  

Video from The Associated Press: A state judge sided with an animal rights group in the fight with a Louisiana truck stop owner over whether he can keep a 550-pound tiger at his business. (Nov. 3)

THE ADVOCATE ~ Judge: Tiger must be moved

Judge: Tiger must be moved

Show caption

Bill Feig / The Advocate

Michael Sandlin, left, and Joe Schreibvogel, U.S. Zoological Association president, discuss Tony the Tiger’s living conditions at a Grosse Tete truck stop on a radio show Aug. 17. State District Judge Mike Caldwell ruled Wednesday that Louisiana law forbids the tiger from being kept at the truck stop.

Bill Lodge

Advocate staff writer

November 03, 2011

 

Tony, a 550-pound Siberian-Bengal tiger, is not permitted by Louisiana law to remain at a Grosse Tete truck stop, state District Judge Mike Caldwell ruled Wednesday in Baton Rouge.
Caldwell issued a similar ruling in May, but the state’s 1st Circuit Court of Appeal directed him to hold a second hearing that included arguments on behalf of Michael Sandlin, owner of Tiger Truck Stop Inc. near Interstate 10 in Iberville Parish.

“The intent of the law is on my side,” Sandlin insisted after the hearing.
Sandlin and his attorney, Steve LeBlanc, said Caldwell’s latest decision will be appealed.
LeBlanc said he will ask the 1st Circuit to permit a suspensive appeal, which would allow Sandlin to keep Tony at the truck stop until after an appellate decision has been rendered.
Caldwell concluded Wednesday that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries violated its own rules by exempting Sandlin and Tiger Truck Stop from permit requirements for owners of big cats.

Caldwell ordered Wildlife and Fisheries to pay all costs of the proceedings, which were initiated by a civil suit filed by the nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Frederick Whitrock, attorney for Wildlife and Fisheries, would not comment on Caldwell’s decision after the hearing.

Bo Boehringer, deputy press secretary for Wildlife and Fisheries, later said: “The judge’s decision is being reviewed right now. We don’t have a statement at this time.”
Lisa Franzetta, communications director for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said Caldwell’s ruling was in the best interest of the tiger and public safety.

“We believe Tony shouldn’t be kept there,” Franzetta said. “He shouldn’t be kept at a truck stop as a roadside show.”

Franzetta added the big cat should “live out his life in an accredited sanctuary.”
If he loses his appeals, Sandlin said, “Where Tony goes is up to me.”

Sandlin said he would send Tony to GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Okla.
“If I had to relocate him tomorrow, that’s where he would go,” Sandlin added.

“That’s not an accredited sanctuary,” Franzetta said. She added that the Animal Legal Defense Fund will research state laws for a means of sending Tony to such a sanctuary.

“That’s our endgame in this case,” Franzetta added.

http://theadvocate.com/news/1231711-123/judge-tiger-must-be-moved.html

Video from WBRZ on Today’s Hearings

Please see video at this link: http://www.wbrz.com/videoplayer/?video_id=9348&categories=58

Acadiana's News Leader Ruling expected on Louisiana truck stop tiger

Ruling expected on Louisiana truck stop tiger

Posted: Nov 02, 2011 3:13 AM CDTUpdated: Nov 02, 2011 11:28 AM CDT

By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A state judge in Baton Rouge has heard a new round of arguments on whether a truck stop can keep a live tiger on display as it has done for over a decade.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund had already won a ruling that said the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries could not issue a permit allowing the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La., to continue exhibiting a live tiger as a roadside attraction.

The case was before state District Judge Mike Caldwell again on Wednesday. Caldwell was expected to rule in the afternoon.

Wildlife officials say Tony is the last privately-owned big, exotic cat in the state. The defense fund wants the tiger moved to a more natural setting to live out its life.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tiger Truck Stop Loses Permit to Keep Tony the Tiger

From Change.org: Tiger Truck Stop Loses Permit to Keep Tony the Tiger by freetonythetiger Started by Animal Legal Defense Fund in Animals 12,190 Supporters | November 2011 A couple years ago, animal lovers who learned that Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, had an actual tiger on the property began to fight to free Tony to a sanctuary. People from across the country started petitions on Change.org for a boycott of Tiger Truck Stop and to ask the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries not to renew the permit that kept Tony behind bars. They gathered thousands of supporters and created Facebook and Twitter accounts to get Tony's story out in the open. It worked, attracting celebrities and animal advocates to speak out for Tony. And in fall 2010, the Animal Legal Defense Fund took a look at Tony's situation and found that the permit keeping him at Tiger Truck Stop never should have been issued because it violated local and state laws around big cat ownership. ALDF took the state of Louisiana to court. They also started a new petition on Change.org in support of their case, asking LDWF to revoke Tiger Truck Stop's permit. They quickly gained more than 12,000 signatures and, after winning in court only to be sent back to the beginning of the process with an amended complaint, on November 2, 2011, Judge Michael Caldwell ruled in favor of the ALDF and Louisiana taxpayers. LDWF now has to revoke the current permit and cannot issue any more to Tiger Truck Stop. Animal Legal Defense Fund and Tony's supporters are working to make sure Tony gets released to a reputable sanctuary. http://www.change.org/petitions/speak-out-for-tony-the-truck-stop-tiger

94,000+ Friends Have Signed Tony’s Petitions…Have You?!

Reply Reply to all Forward Reply by chat Filter messages like this Print Add Free Tony The Tiger to Contacts list Delete this message Report phishing Report not phishing Show original Show in fixed width font Show in variable width font Message text garbled? Why is this spam/nonspam? Mark as unread [New post] 94,000+ Friends Have Signed Tony’s Petitions…​Have You?! New post on Free Tony The Tiger 94,000+ Friends Have Signed Tony’s Petitions…Have You?! Thanks to everyone for supporting Tony through his petitions. Combined petition signatures as of this post are 94,366 which unquestionably indicate people do not believe this great cat ( or animal ) should be exploited as a roadside attraction at a truck stop and that Tony deserves a home at an accredited big cat sanctuary that can provide for all of his needs. Please sign all petitions if you haven't already and share the links. Your participation and dedication is important and appreciated as we keep Tony's plight active and look forward to a positive outcome on November 2nd when The Animal Legal Defense Fund goes back to court for Tony. ALDF Sponsored Petitions: 1. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5154/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6207 2. http://www.change.org/petitions/speak-out-for-tony-the-truck-stop-tiger Care2 Sponsored Petition 3. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/129/272/008/

REMEMBER..."THE WHY".....TONYS LIFE HERE IS UNACCEPTABLE.....little shrubs wont help 11 years later.....

A LETTER DATED NOV 18, 2010

FROM MARK BEKOFF A PROFESSOR OF Animal Behavior/ Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.
University of Colorado

Letter was addressed to Robert Barham of the Louisiana Dept of Wildlife & Fisheries. Nov 18, 2010, when the Animal Legal Defense Fund originally sent letters to them to try and get them to not re-new Tony's yearly permit.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund had asked Professor Marc Bekoff to make an assessment regarding the welfare of Tony.

quoted....
"It is my professional opinion that based on his review of Tonys enclosure and reports of his pacing along the fence in his cement cell, Tony is being kept in a manner that results in maltreatment. The circumstances of Tony's captivity at the Tiger Truck Stop demonstrate a total failure to give a tiger what he or she needs to thrive. While his enclosure may be sufficient to keep Tony alive, the quality of that life is terrible and unacceptable.
Tony's approximately 3,200 sq foot enclosure is a cement cell and a shadeless grassy yard. This space does not even begin to accomodate an individual of a species who naturally disperses over miles of terrritory. Not only is the size of Tony's enclosure inadequate for his biological needs, it is also IMPOVERISHED. His envoronment is bereft of anything he would come across and interact with in his natural habitat. There is no evidence of environmental enrichment, which is absolutely vital to the psychological health of captive wildlife. A ball is completely unnatural to a tiger and unacceptable as the only provision of enrichment.
Tony's enclosure also deprives him of the ability to make choices about how to spend his time and where. Tigers are elusive and secretive animals. They choose to spend much of their time completely concealed among dense vegetation. Tony is on constant display at Tiger Truck Stop. His only escape appears to be a concrete floored cinderblock den that is face-open to spectators snapping pictures and making noise to get his attention. Ton'ys environment also provides him inadequate water habitat. From what I understand, Tony is part Bengal Tiger. Bengal tigers live in hot climates amd are largely aquatic. Not only do they hunt and play in the water, they need to submerge in it during the heat of the day to stay cool. Tony's water trough appears to be too small for him to swim in and the sides appear to high for him to comfortable to submerge.
In summation, Tony's enclosure is completely unnatural and totally unfit for a wild animal. Tiger's do not naturally live on concrete slabs and eat ground meat, on constant display. They should not endure years of uninterrupted noise, artificial light and air pollution. In light of what is known about the behavior of habitat needs of tigers, AZA accredited zoos are working very hard to improve conditions of tigers in captivity. They are providing the opposite of what Tony is being forced to endure at the Tiger Truck Stop. Specifically, zoos are starting to limit visiting hours and now give tigers the option within their enclosures to be completely off-display. They are incorporating natural features into enclosures SUCH AS VEGETATION FOR TIGERS TO HIDE IN AND SHADE THEMSELVES AS WELL AS POOLS IN WHICH TO SWIM AND SUBMERGE. These zoos are also providing portions of intact carcasses to stimulate natural feeding behavior and implementing varying feeding times and practices to eliminate the boredom and monotony associated with a total lack of novel and unpredictable stimulation to which wild tigers are exposed. To come to the point while we sadly have tigers in captivity, there is clearly a more responsible and humane way to house these wild cats.
The manner in which Tony is being kept at Tiger Truck Stiop falls significantly below what I would consider the minimum required to ensure the psychological welfare of a tiger in captivity."
It is Mr. Bekoff's professional opinion that the manner in which Tony is being kept is negligent and does not even meet the minimum standards for accredited zoos and what he would consider marginally humane. He also states that the situation misinforms impressionalble spectators about the true nature of tigers and demonstrates an abysmal disregard for public safety. The danger is heightened in tigers who are already socially and environmentally frustrated, as demonstrated here.
Tigers are powerful, complex and unpredictable carnivores and should not be underestimated. Experienced handlers and animal behavorists, not someone whose expertise and training is the managment of a gas station, must constantly oversee their care and security. The fact that a person would even house a tiger in a chain link enclosure at a gas station demonstrates the complete failure to appreciate the danger and the needs of this animal.

Mark Bekoff is a Professor in Colorado

Ethologist for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (with Jane Goodall) www.ethologicalethics.org

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