{"id":30436,"date":"2011-04-15T14:46:44","date_gmt":"2011-04-15T18:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/30436\/aldf-files-suit-free-tony-truck-stop-tiger\/"},"modified":"2011-04-15T14:46:44","modified_gmt":"2011-04-15T18:46:44","slug":"aldf-files-suit-free-tony-truck-stop-tiger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/30436\/aldf-files-suit-free-tony-truck-stop-tiger\/","title":{"rendered":"ALDF Files Suit to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALDF Files Suit to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger<\/p>\n

Posted By:
\nADVOCATE FOR SAVING DOGS\u2122<\/a>
\n<\/strong>\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Phil<\/a><\/p>\n

From :
\n\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The stench of fuel. The deafening sound of diesel engines. The neverending boredom of captivity and isolation. Such are the conditions in which Tony, a 10-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger, has spent every day and night of the last decade at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana. It\u2019s no life for a tiger, or any other animal. That\u2019s why the Animal Legal Defense Fund has filed a lawsuit in Louisiana, arguing that the permit that allows Tony to languish in a roadside cage violates state law.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Tony\u2019s Tragedy<\/strong>
\nIn addition to being subjected to noise and diesel fumes 24-hours a day, Tony is also frequently harassed and taunted by visitors at the truck stop. His enclosure is devoid of adequate enrichment, such as logs, trees, or complex vegetation that would allow him to engage in natural tiger behaviors. He has no pool of water large enough to allow him to submerge himself to cool off in the blazing heat of the summer. As a result of the stress of his confinement, Tony constantly paces on the hard concrete surface of his enclosure, putting him at risk for dangerous and painful veterinary conditions. Michael Sandlin, the owner of Tony and the truck stop, has been cited by the USDA due to violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including a lack of proper sanitation and improper feeding practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Year after year of living at the Tiger Truck Stop have taken their toll on Tony\u2019s health. The ambient noise from the nearby freeway and the idling trucks, their diesel engines spewing noxious fumes directly into his enclosure, is painful and obtrusive to an animal with such sensitive hearing and an acute sense of smell, says veterinarian Jennifer Conrad, who has 16 years of experience with captive large cats and has visited Tony. \u201cBased on what I have observed of Tony\u2019s enclosure at the Tiger Truck Stop and his behavior from video and photographs, it is my professional opinion that this tiger is in poor condition and needs intervention on his behalf,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

ALDF\u2019s Argument<\/strong>
\nOn April 11, 2011, ALDF filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and its secretary Robert Barham, arguing that he violated state law in granting a permit allowing Sandlin to exhibit Tony at the Tiger Truck Stop. Joining ALDF as a co-plaintiff in the case is former Louisiana Representative Warren Triche, who authored the state\u2019s law which led to the ban on the private ownership of tigers. Two other Louisiana residents, also deeply concerned by Tony\u2019s long-time suffering, are additional co-plaintiffs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

At the heart of ALDF\u2019s position is the fact that Sandlin\u2019s current housing of Tony violates state and local laws. In 2006, the Louisiana state legislature unanimously passed Act 715, which required LDWF to control the private ownership of big cats. The department enacted regulations prohibiting citizens from keeping a tiger as a pet or exhibiting a tiger in the state. In passing these regulations, the department rightly declared that possession of big cats and certain other exotic animals poses significant hazards to public safety and health and is detrimental to the welfare of the animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The regulations provided an exception, however: individuals who legally owned big cats as of August 15, 2006, were grandfathered in. These owners would need to apply for an annual permit from the LDWF. An ordinance passed in Sandlin\u2019s parish of Iberville in 1993 made it illegal for anyone to keep a tiger or other large exotic cat on his or her premises for exhibition. In other words, Sandlin did not qualify for the exception because he was not in legal possession of Tony. In addition, Sandlin is ineligible for the state\u2019s grandfathering provision because he does not live on the premises where Tony is kept, contrary to regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the fact that Sandlin was ineligible for a grandfather permit, the LDWF nonetheless issued him one. ALDF is taking the department to court to invalidate this illegally-issued permit.\u2014and free Tony from his troubled life at the truck stop.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take Action<\/strong>
\nJoin the Animal Legal Defense Fund in urging the state of Louisiana to revoke the permit that allows Tony to be kept at the Tiger Truck Stop\u2014a permit that violates both state and local ordinances designed to protect people and wild animals like Tony.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>
\n
\nADVOCATE FOR SAVING DOGS\u2122<\/a><\/strong>
\n
\nAfSD\u2122(ADVOCATE FOR SAVING DOGS\u2122)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Advocate for Saving Dogs\u2122 on Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Please join me at Friendburst<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/i56.tinypic.com\/ra3i8w.jpg\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Advocate for Saving Dogs\u2122<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Animal Rights<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u2665We\u2665Are\u2665All\u2665Connected\u2665<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Wolfen Warriors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Free Fall \u24cb<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"heart<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ALDF Files Suit to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger Posted By: ADVOCATE FOR SAVING DOGS\u2122 Phil From : The stench of fuel. The deafening sound of diesel engines. The neverending boredom of captivity and isolation. Such are the conditions in which Tony, a 10-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger, has spent every day and night of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30436\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}