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Join the Big Cat Caucus
The Big Cat Caucus is a common sense, bi-partisan
caucus dedicated to ending the needless tragedies that occur regularly
in America due to the lack of regulation of the exotic pet industry.
Sign up with the form at lower left or E-mail the
Big Cat at BigCat@BigCatCaucus.com to
join.
Ban Big Cat Contact
In December 2007 the USDA commented favorably on Haley's Act and only cautioned that the bill should be made stronger. Read the USDA's comments HERE
The following links are from IFAW's undercover
report called Fatal Attractions. Please support them for all the
hard work that went into bringing this sad situation to light.
Captive Big Cats Killed and Maimed Their Loved Ones
A
number of facilities in the U.S. that house and exhibit big cats,
such as tigers, lions and jaguars, pose a danger to the public,
experts from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
say. IFAW conducted an 18-month undercover investigation, entitled "FATAL
ATTRACTIONS: Big Cats in the USA", to examine whether most
facilities comply with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
regulations.
After examining 42
USDA-licensed facilities in 11 states, the report indicates
that public safety and animal welfare was dangerously compromised
at almost all the facilities.
The report comes shortly after the proposal
of "Haley's
Act" (HR5909) – a
bill designed to promote public safety and improve the welfare
of captive big cats.
Online Videos by Veoh.com
New IFAW Report Uncovers Public Safety Dangers at Big Cat Facilities
(Washington D.C. - 24 August 2006) – A
new report released today by the International Fund for Animal
Welfare (IFAW) documents a pattern of public safety and animal
welfare violations at U.S. facilities that house and exhibit big
cats – such as tigers, lions, panthers and jaguars. “Fatal
Attractions,” the new IFAW report, culminates an 18-month
investigation of 42 USDA-licensed facilities in 11 states. Prompted
by over 100 big cat incidents and over a dozen fatalities in the
past decade, the report provides recommendations for changes to
federal and state policy.
More than 5,000 big cats are kept
in facilities licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and it is estimated that thousands more are kept as pets.
“We’ve seen too many tragedies that could
have been prevented,” said Gregory Wetstone, IFAW’s
U.S. director. “Against a background of dozens of dangerous
big cat incidents, the new report demonstrates that the current
USDA license system does not guarantee public safety or humane
conditions. Americans with big cat exhibitors in their communities
would be very surprised to learn that the licensing agency has
such limited legal authority to protect the public safety. Congress
should act now to give the USDA the authority it needs to keep
the public safe from big cat attacks, and we urge the USDA to improve
its standards for big cats in captivity.” The USDA's
own internal audit shows that they are not effectively enforcing
the Animal Welfare Act, especially in the Eastern Region of the
U.S. Read it HERE
The release of this critical report comes on the
heels of new legislation introduced by Congressman Jim Ryun (R-KS)
to protect the public from big cat attacks. IFAW worked closely
with Rep. Ryun to draft “Haley’s Act” (HR 5909),
named for 17-year-old Haley Hilderbrand who was fatally attacked
a year ago by a tiger at a USDA licensed facility in Kansas. Haley
went to the facility to have her senior photo taken with tiger
cubs, but when the cubs became too frisky, a 550-pound tiger was
substituted in the photo shoot. The tiger attacked and killed Haley.
In the 42 big cat facilities that IFAW visited:
- The majority of big cat facilities were structurally unsound
and some had no barriers at all.
- Direct contact between big cats and young children was common.
- Many facilities had no attendants to handle the big cats
and some allowed children to work as attendants.
- Some animals were fed rotten meat and housed in cages with
dead animals, filthy water buckets and sewage.
There
are nearly 700 USDA big cat licensees in the U.S. with the highest
number of facilities in Florida, Texas and California. From 1990-2006
there have been 788
incidents involving captive big cats, including 68 human
deaths, more than 238 human maulings, and
209 exotic cat
escapes. For a complete and updated list click HERE.
About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)
Founded in 1969, IFAW works around the globe to protect animals
and their habitats and to create a better world for animals and
people. Please support www.ifaw.org. Media
clips provided by IFAW through TheNewsMarket.com
Please help us pass Haley's Act with an easy to click
and send letter at CatLaws.com
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