Tony The Tiger Update

Last month I did a post on Tony, a Siberian/Bengal tiger held in captivity at a Louisiana truck stop. Tony's story is sad, he's been locked in a cage with no place to run or swim, and he's been breathing in toxic truck exhaust fumes and hearing loud diesel engine noise for ten years. He's been on display as roadside attraction, to draw people to his owner's Tiger Truck Stop store and restaurant.  Many people have been fighting for years to have Tony moved to the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, but his owner, Michael Sandlin, refuses to give him up. He even claims on his website that "unscrupulous "activists" from out of state are trying to steal Tony away from the only home he has known. Their real intention is to put him on display themselves, far away from the people that hand raised him." Just because the place that Tony has been living in for the past ten years is his home, doesn't mean that he belongs there. Tony could have a much better home at the Big Cat Rescue. He would have lots of room to run and play and swim and would have a much better quality of life.

Some good news regarding Tony has just come to light. Yesterday the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) filed a law suit against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for giving Michael Sandlin the permit to exhibit Tony. They have also started two petitions to have Sanlin's permit, to keep Tony, revoked. One is through the ALDF but is for US citizens only and the other is through Change.org and can be signed by anyone. Please sign one or, if you live in the US, both petitions and help free Tony from his horrible life of exploitation and abuse. Click here for the ALDF petition, and here for the Change.org petition. If we all stand together and fight for him, maybe we can help Tony have a better life.

For more information about Tony visit the Free Tony Tiger website and the Animal Legal Defense Fund website.

Photo Credit