I saw an appalling sight on the Local TV News just now. Our friend Darryl Atkinson, who runs a Big Cat Sanctuary in over in Polk County, was under arrest and wearing handcuffs.
Recently the Florida Fish & Game decided that all cage sizes must be doubled and Mr. Atkinson, depending primarily on donations, doesn't have the means to comply.
The TV man made it clear that there were no charges of animal abuse, in fact they all appeared to be fat and healthy. He also pointed out that the cats that can't find a home will be euthanized.
Why does PETA leap to Carol Buckley's defense, no questions asked, yet turn it's back on a situation like this?
Don't big cats have Rights? Or is the Cash Cow in Tennessee? |
20 comments:
I would say this is impossible to believe, but not these days. Any kind of animal work seems to draw destructive interference from the worst kinds of people. If Atkinson's animals are this healthy, he has to be doing something right. There is no excuse or explanation for this insanity he faces, and none for those handcuffs.
I've never seen a flyer from an animal rights group that doesn't direct you to their website where you can buy a AR t-shirt or AR bumper sticker.
The money comes pouring in to pay for the said flyers, the attornies and the lobbyists in Washington, DC.
Not a penny goes to medical or nutrional needs of animals in shelters, where an estimated 10 million animals are KILLED (to be politcally correct: euthanized) every year.
This is unreal. Taking perfectly healthy animals and killing them because of cage size. Just how sick can these people be? The USDA will let them get away with this injustice! Elephants can kill a human being in TENN and nothing is done. Not even a fine. Something rotten is going on here. I would not put it past buckley haveing something to do with this. We sure need a JC to the rescue fast. Handcuffs???? Why did buckley and scott get away with what they did and a circus performer gets handcuffs???
Just who or what animal has peta ever helped? They will probably be the ones with the needles to put these beautiful cats down. How insane that the state will kill these beautyful animals just because of the cage size. God help us all if it has come to this.
Yes, there are suggestions. First, after the initial outrage, everyone has to settle down. They already put this man, whom I don't know, in jail--no one else needs this. OK, what are the charges--cages too small? Who decided this is a jailable offense? Who wrongfully ratted the man out, and why? Is it that someone else needs to be charged with filing a false report? Is someone there who knows what they are doing to continue care for these animals? The arresting authorities sure as hell don't. Who decided on cage sizes? And it comes back to who filed this report, and why was he taken to jail? If Carol Buckley didn't, someday I may apologize, even if to myself, but this reeks with the stench of her reputation. Suggestion: Get to the basics and find out who brought it to this.
The principal villian in this event is the idiot who acquires a lion cub, keeps it his garage until it presents a problem then dumps it off wherever he can.
The State of Florida, rather than try to help the sanctuary that inherits this problem, introduces more rules and regulations.
Once it was acknowledged that there was no way Mr. Atkinson could comply they should have simply shut the place down.
Instead the Fish & Game people found the potential for a good photo-op and paraded him around in hand cuffs as tho they had just apprehended the John Benet Ramsey slayer.
RICK RUNION/THE LEDGER (2005)
Darryl Atkinson shares a look with Roman, a cougar, whose cage is also too small, according to state guidelines.
RELATED ARTICLES
Inadequate Cages Bring Legal Woes to the Cash-Strapped Animal Refuge
Nov 25, 05
Published Thursday, September 7, 2006
Wildlife Group Founder Jailed Over Tiger Cage
By Gabrielle Finley
The Ledger
DAVENPORT -- Wildlife caretaker Darryl Atkinson is in hot water with the law -- again.
On Tuesday, the 50-year-old founder of the Horseshoe Creek Wildlife Foundation was arrested on charges of keeping a Bengal tiger in a cage that is too small, said a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrest report.
Atkinson also was charged with keeping the tiger in an unsafe cage, the report said.
Since 2003, Atkinson has been cited more than 20 times for not having large enough cages for animals kept on the animal farm west of Davenport.
He was cited an additional four times in December 2005 on the same charges, the wildlife commission said.
The citations usually result in a fine, but Atkinson faces 11 first-degree misdemeanors because of the numerous previous charges he has racked up over the years.
He could face a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each charge.
Atkinson is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Friday, said Chip Thullbery, spokesman for the State Attorney's Office in Bartow.
Last year, supporters of the foundation donated $5,000 for bigger and better cages, according to a December 2005 Ledger article.
A fundraiser also was held in January to support the organization.
Kody Atkinson, Darryl Atkinson's nephew and vice president of the foundation, said Wednesday the money was used to get better cages and build new tiger yards, where the animals have space to run.
For 23 years, his uncle has supervised the foundation, which cares for about 80 mostly injured exotic and domestic animals on five acres of land, Kody Atkinson said.
The foundation cares for lions, tigers, bears, leopards and even a retired circus pony.
Tuesday's arrest stems from charges that the Bengal tiger was kept in a cage that was too small and that the structure of the cage was unsafe, two sides of which were made from 111/2 gauge wire, which was not strong enough.
Under Florida law, the tiger's cage should have been larger and made of stronger 91/2 gauge wire, wrote Lt. Steve Delacure in the commission's arrest report.
But Kody Atkinson said the Bengal tiger has a broken leg, so it wouldn't have been much of a danger to anyone.
"Having a broken leg would've made it pretty hard for the tiger to get away," Kody Atkinson said.
Darryl Atkinson remained in the Polk County Jail on Wednesday on $1,000 bail.
Gabrielle Finley can be reached at gabrielle.finley@theledger.com or 863-802-7590.
Buckley is supposed to be an elephant sanctuary. How does she get to have a dozen dogs and cats running amoung the elephants and post a beg for dog and cat food on her site? Most states require you have a licence for that many animals. Maybe all animal rescue groups need to move to TENN where you can get away with murder. Remenber "SUE" and JOANNA"
Truly sickening.
I suppose it just goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished.
~Pat
The officials can't find the killer of a little girl, but they can find a good human being doing good for the animals! With all the bad things going on in this world, why are they attacking the good guys?
I am not a brain surgeon, but even I know you do not want an animal with a broken leg running around in a big cage. They need to heal. What kind of people are hired to check on the welfare of wild animals in Florida. Rejects from TENN?
Thank you all for your kind comments. I have now finally received my freedom for now. The whole story will be told in time, of harrasment and threats and unlawful acts committed by this wildlife officer. For now just know we will not allow animals to be destroyed at this facility and offers from good and responsible animal people to house any that may become threaten has already been put into effect. I have many legal issues to advance in this case an a great group of attorneys. Thanks again for all your support.
The general public is totally ignorant about the subject of caring for these animals and when the media takes it on, they go for the STORY, otherwise it wouldn't be on the news!
People see caged animals and don't realize that lions - for instance - (and you can back me up on this, Roger) get more exercise in the ring than they ALLOW themselves in the wild. We would "exercise" Hoovers cats in the winter by releasing them in the practice arena. They would sniff around for a while, put that "piss-grin" on their face and plop down for a nap. And tigers are solitary hunters. They lay in wait and pounce on their prey - it's not like seeing cheetahs racing through the grass on Wild Kingdom!
I know I'm preaching to the choir, here but like Karen, I just needed to let off some steam!!!
I maintain - The real story is what does PETA do with all that money???
-Cindy Potter
Right you are, Cindy. Big cats are animals that sleep 16 to 20 hours a day. As you say, we had Hoover's arena up the minute we parked the truck in Winterquarters, and the cats took turns getting out for exercise. They found a couple of smells, then hit the deck, sound asleep. One old-timer advised me to go in with a stick and chair, walk around behind the cats, and make them exercise. Hell's afire, they didn't WANT to exercise, or they would have on their own. The open space was a good offer, but one they didn't especially care for. In '76, I worked at the Lion Country in Grand Prairie, Texas, and our loudest complaints were from tourists bitching about paying money to see the lions sleeping in open fields. They wanted action of any kind, but the lions didn't care.
Now--I had a young tiger on Castle with a broken leg. A tubular cast on a wild animal is near impossible to keep in place. He healed, but close quarters was the key. We must understand, these animals have wild strength--they don't have to exercise to get strong like we do. Get underneath one to find out. The strength ratio has been described as equivalent to nine to one--like me trying to fight off a baseball team.
If Darryl's animals are safely contained, and healthy, everyone should be happy. This offending officer needs to be removed from this case, and those filing nuisance complaints should be confronted and charged.
As Cindy Potter would say, "Case Closed!"
Hey.. I know where PETA is!!
I'm planning on visiting the Carson Barnes show in Hasle, NJ this Sun.. Sept 10..and when I went to find it's location I ran across this PETA letter to the mayor.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=8926
Don't know how I can help, but thought you would want to know the latest crap they're using.
It also gives names..and phone numbers... which might come in handy.. if you know what I mean!!
I'll let you know how the
show is.
KLSDAD
A 17 Sept. 2004 article in the Osceola News-Gazette, "Wind, rain damage Davenport wildlife refuge," (still online) should be required reading for whoever ordered the arrest.
In the middle of any hurricane season is a funny time for Florida officials to start rousting exotic animals out of their homes, when so often rescues will be needed somewhere in the state.
Karen has the right idea. from my own limited involvement in virginia politics, i know the power a letter, a phone call or an e-mail can have with both elected politicians and people who are appointed by politicians. since this is a florida agency, the more letters, phone calls and e-mails from florida residents, the better. Politicians are very sensitive to people who can vote for them - or vote for their opponents. and the media can certainly help with public opinion. if there's anything i can do to help, karen, my email is hedgar9608@aol.com.
While we're all waiting for facts straight from the tape measure, let's remember --
Investigators required to answer all complaints are caught in the middle. They have careers to lose if they don't go by the book. Probably most of them never wanted to fry in the spotlight, but they can't risk a set-up.
It's hard for any state to admit flaws in regulations, so all the more reason never to paint inspectors into corners with too many tricky technicalities that obsessive twits could use in bogus complaints.
Best wishes to the innocent,
Lotliza
Good point, Lotliza. If we don't keep our heads and play it straight--which we can do, since we have it right--we can count on these others to play it very, very wrong.
Good point about officals have a set of rules they have to enforce. The rules may not fit every situation but they have to paint with a broad brush to cover everything.
As to hauling Darryl off in handcuffs publicly on TV: I guess it makes the sheriff look like he's on top of crime. We live in Polk Co. and my wife recently got a birthday card from the sheriff. She doesn't know him, never met him -- the only elected offical she knows in FL is the Mayor of Gibtown. I'm sure the sheriff cares about all his potential voters.
I agree with Buckles that the root of the problem is the people who buy cute lion and tiger cubs only to find that they go up. Breeding generic tigers and lions doesn't do anything for conservation, and highly likely won't be beneficial for the cats produced.
I know Darryl and I have been to his place. It's not like Disney but all the animals looked well cared for and I'm sure Darryl's heart is in the right place. No problems at Horseshoe Creek that money wouldn't help -- so if this multi-million dollar organization really cares,"where's PETA?"
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