Nov25
Activists Knock the Tiger Out of Tiger Truck Stop
Posted at 10:49 AM | Permalink
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Comments (19)
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The Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, has been on PETA's most hideous radar for years. This roadside hellhole, which at one time housed four tigers, now has one, a Bengal tiger named Tony.
Complaints about the welfare of these tigers have flooded PETA's inboxes, mailboxes, and phone lines. We have filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and written to the owner of the Tiger Truck Stop offering to help pay the costs to get the animals transferred to real sanctuaries.
Now, state wildlife officials have joined the growing throng of animal rights organizations (such as the Coalition of Louisiana Animal Advocates, which has battled the truck stop for years) and compassionate people who are fed up with the owner's repeated violations of animal care standards. Violations include having an insufficient number of trained employees, keeping the tigers in unsound facilities, having no veterinary care program for the tigers, and providing improper nutrition for the animals. In a letter to the truck stop owner, officials warn that Tony must be "legally removed from the premises to a Department-approved facility or out-of-state within 30 days …." Thanks, guys. Nice!
Roadside exhibits and novelty displays are worlds away from suitable habitats for exotic animals. Not only are these frustrated animals dangerous, but they quickly become stir-crazy and display stereotypical behaviors within their cramped pens. Hopefully, now, with the state stepping in, the Tiger Truck Stop has exploited its last animal and Tony is off to a great life.
Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky
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Woot! That rocks. Free the tigers! You guys rock. Keep up the awesome work!
Posted by: Mae | November 25, 2008 01:14 PM
The other summer I was on buford highway in Atlanta, Georgia. I forget the name of the sideshow attraction because it was in Spanish but I was appalled to find two baby tigers in a dog crate in a parking lot at a burlington coat factory store. On this very humid southern day there were also two tigers in a small trailer pacing back and forth neurotically. Unattended by a trainer or anyone really there were ignorant adults and kids walking up to the caged tiger laughing. How dangerous for the both. Also were horses on the hot concrete and llamas. As I cried and tried to call 411 to find a number to call to no avail but a "I'll have someone go check it out" I had workers whistle and call at me while building a tent for this 1920's barbaric animal attraction. I find it disgusting many people have to go and get a biology degree to travel to asia to study these animals while ignorant and backwoods people get to own these wild animals like pets to exploit them for money. These endangered animals seriously need more laws and protection from humans exploitation. I fear animals like tigers and elephants will only be known about by my future grandchildren as stuffed animals not as actual living creatures.
Posted by: kimmie | November 25, 2008 01:19 PM
I can barely contain my disappointment in this place.
FIRST OF ALL; The man running the place does not seem "evil" to me, just very misguided. He probably genuinely beleives that he's doing right by his animals.
First of all, he is missing the point completely. Creating wild animals to live in captivity for our entertainment is wrong. He is breeding them left and right.
He does not want to release them into the wild; that is good, because they would never survive and would disrupt the ecosystem there.
However, he keeps breeding more and more tigers, for what. For our entertainment. For his entertainment. Wild animals belong in the wild. They do not belong in captivity, and his overflow are burdening some wild tiger sanctuary somewhere.
Tigers belong in the wild. Wild animals belong in the wild. Should I keep saying it until someone listens? Wild animals belong in the wild.
It is unfortunate that he is collecting donations; this roadside zoo is not a nonprofit; a nonprofit is something like a wild animal sancutary for discarded zoo animals or a shelter for homeless pets.
Thank you PETA so much for taking steps towards stopping this - hopefully we can educate people too, or else it will never end.
Bless you guys and have a great vegan holiday / solstice.
Posted by: Maya, C.V.T. | November 25, 2008 01:23 PM
free Tony the Tiger. He is grrrreat! ;)
Well, maybe Tony will mistake this dude for lunch one day. I'm not saying that I "hope" he does, I'm just "maybe" he might. :)
I love Tigers. They are so beautiful. And aren't they an endangered species? If so, how is it that people are allowed to keep them like this?
Posted by: bbr | November 25, 2008 01:45 PM
Uh Kimmie? I'm all for not abusing Tigers and other animals, but what about Horses standing on hot concrete constitutes abuse? They burn the horseshoe onto the horse and it doesn't feel it so why would the concrete bother them?
Posted by: John | November 25, 2008 03:09 PM
John -
I'm sure while that example may not meet your standards of abuse you could at least consider this :
A place that keeps baby tigers in dog crates sitting in the sun and tigers that are neurotic from captivity...
they probably treat their horses well cause it just wouldn't be right to abuse the horses.. ya know?
Knitpicking is silly.
Posted by: Tom | November 25, 2008 03:45 PM
Kimmie, collect all the details and send it to Peta!!
info@peta.org
Posted by: kelly | November 25, 2008 05:01 PM
A hearty note of thanks is due to the Louisiana state wildlife officials who are taking action against this dangerous and perverse roadside hell-hole in order to protect the animals. I cannot help but wonder what the U.S. Department of Agriculture was doing all of this time that prevented them from responding to PETA's requests to investigate this dump....
Posted by: David | November 26, 2008 12:59 AM
just sick of the greed that pushes people to use animals for financial gain. they are so neglected, so abused! would love to see this jerk in a cage, hah, with Tony?!
Posted by: sheila | November 26, 2008 07:37 AM
WHAT?????? since when? thats evil!
Posted by: Simran | November 26, 2008 08:55 AM
If you cause are gonig to fight for a cause, at least be consistant with your pursuit. You guys are picking on the small people. They aare easy targets but they arent the real influence in the country. What about the bigger corps and rich who are doing the same.
They are protected by goverment so i guess they arent worth fighting.
Horse-Racing and dogracing owners are off scot-free for harming animals.
I see cruelty to animals everyday on TV. The off-site betting channel.
You guys should push harder to on these big-shots who get away with animal cruelty.
Posted by: Rod | November 26, 2008 12:23 PM
Kimmie do you know how most of Asia treats its animals? This roadside truckstop is nothing compared to the dog and cat killings in China and Korea etc...thats just the tip of the iceberg Asia is barbaric!!
Posted by: Matthew | November 29, 2008 02:25 PM
i saw a circus when i was 4 i had know clue why they were sad but now i know.
Posted by: brooklyn | November 30, 2008 12:28 PM
Its not that Asia is any more barbaric, its just that thats how they have lived for almost forever.
Posted by: Mitch | December 1, 2008 03:37 PM
Shame, Shame, Shame! To use animals who cannot speak out for themselves is such a cowardly deed.
Posted by: Elizabeth | December 4, 2008 07:11 PM
I cant beleive this cruel treatment these animals of God receive. He put them in the wild for a reason and not for everyone to make money on.
What is wrong with you people and how would you like to be treated like that dont you no by now that this is how we are supposed to look at things. HOW WOULD I FILL?
Quit messing with God Creatures and someday YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO HIM.
Posted by: ilovethewildlife | December 4, 2008 09:33 PM
Greed and money has put the current world into recension,when do we say enough and start thinking past today.
Posted by: Tracey Williams | December 5, 2008 06:23 PM
FREE THE TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD LET THE TIGERS TAKE A CHUNK OUT OF THESE PEOPLE HOLDING THEM,AND MAYBE THEY WILL GET THE PICTURE!!!!!!!!!
LEAVE WILD ANIMALS IN THE WILDERNESS WHERE THEY WANT TO BE, WHERE THEY BELONG!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Tucker | December 8, 2008 06:02 PM
I know Tony the tiger of Grosse Tete. I know Mike the owner and have been in his home. Your posts here are full of half truths, which are likewise half falshoods. If one objects to cages at all, then the positions here have merit. This cage is humane, the tiger is well fed and has ample veterinary care, I have seen this with my own eyes, as far as Tony is concerned and for all the previous tigers there over the past 21 years. Prove your objectivity and post this.
Posted by: Bill Clemmons | December 20, 2008 10:44 AM