---- Forwarded Message ----
From: "cat@wildcatsanctuary.org"
Sent: Fri, October 15, 2010 9:44:08 AM
Subject: Re: WAO Animals
We took in the bobcats not carrie and sebastian. There is video on our youtube page and photos on our blog on our web site you can pull. I did read your blog and am quite dissapointed how you inaccurately portray the sanctuaries helping these animals.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:29:36 -0700 (PDT)********************************************************
To: cat@wildcatsanctuary.org
Subject: WAO Animals
Greetings Tammy:
Could you send me some pictures of Zeus, Ekaterina, Sierra, Carrie, and Sebastian enjoying their new habitats? I'd love to wrap up this case with success story pictures, so I know this case was worth all the heartache for the last 4.5 years.
Many thanks in advance -
My response to Tammy's email:
To: cat@wildcatsanctuary.org******************************************************************
Sent: Fri, October 15, 2010 9:44:45 AM
Subject: Re: WAO Animals
What blog are you speaking of?
I also followed up with this:
To: cat@wildcatsanctuary.org
Sent: Fri, October 15, 2010 9:53:52 AM
Subject: Re: WAO Animals
Tammy:
I was able to find pictures of the tigers, but none on the bobcats, Harley, Salem and Lakota. Could you please send me current photos of the bobcats so I may write a positive story about the animals in my personal blog regarding their relocation, (MY blog is not on-line and accessible to the public yet).
Thank you -
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I guess Tammy was referring to this on-line news article comment, for this is the only one I mention her facility directly:
http://www.sacurrent.com/blog/default.asp?perm=70517#disqus_thread (comments)
Goodbye WAO 1 month ago
Well, the media circus has begun – already the media cameras are lining up to cover the relocation of the WAO animals and the animal fundraising machines are gearing up to make a lot of money resulting from the WAO closure. It is absolutely heartbreaking that the WAO animals have to leave their homes of many years to be transported throughout the United States when monies should have been raised to help keep the WAO animals in San Antonio.
Three animal sanctuaries, Wildcat Haven, Wildcat Sanctuary, and Safe Haven Wildlife, announced on their website they need to raise money to build the displaced WAO animals’ enclosures. According to their websites, over $100k needs to be raised in order to build enclosures for 7 big cats. It is unknown how long the big cats going to Wildcat Haven and Wildcat Sanctuary will live in transporter cages until their new homes are finally build. I’m just wondering if the cagaes will they be completed before the sanctuaries receive their first flurries of snow?
Safe Haven Wildlife announced on its Facebook page that the Discovery Channel is funding two WAO animals’ transport costs to its facility, which may be featured on-air in 2011. WAO lions, Kovu and IFAW, will have an enclosure waiting for them at Safe Haven, but it will be at the expense of tigers, waiting for their new home, whom were supposed to move into what now will be the lions’ new enclosure. No doubt the lions are receiving this special treatment so the local and national media (such as the Discovery Channel) can see the lions “enjoying” their new environment.
If every sanctuary accepting the big cats has to raise money to build enclosures, the amount required to properly house the 55+ big cats comes to a staggering $770+k. Just think what the WAO could have done with that kind of money! Needless to say, this doesn’t even include relocating the primates and other WAO animals throughout the US.
So now the media circus has begun and instead of the Texas wild animal sanctuary, known as the WAO, receiving financial support from the general public, which is sorely needed to care for its remaining animals, other sanctuaries will receive the spotlight and the monies needed to support their own animals.
http://wildcathaven.org/tigers.html
http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/whatsnew/new.html
http://safehavenwildlife.com/
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I see nothing wrong with my personal comment regarding the situation as I knew it at the time I wrote the article. Everyone has been very "secretive" as to where the animals were going and how the sanctuaries proposed to care for their existing animals, plus their new charges. Perhaps if there was more transparency regarding this case, which was what I have been fighting for all along, then I'd be more inclined to have a positive attitude regarding animals sanctuaries as a whole.
I am also worried about the sanctuaries taking in animals when they clearly advertise on the Internet they do not have the funds to either transport their new charges to their new homes, feed them, or even provide adequate enclosures. For example, one place mention above indicated that:
We really need your help! We haven't received enough funds to even cover our transport costs yet!
If you cannot even raise enough money to transport the animal, then how can you expect to house and feed the tiger for life? And what about medical care, enrichment items, and so forth?
How will the new arrivals impact the sanctuaries' current residents if not enough money is raised to support the new arrivals?
Another santuary posted on its site that they have no experience in caring for tigers, so they are going to:
...take a deep breath, close our eyes and jump.
So yes, I have the right to raise the alarm because I do not want the WAO animals placed into sanctuaries that may end up just like the WAO.
How ironic that the very person who raised the alarm and relentlessly stayed on the WAO case for years without support from any animal sanctuary or animal rescue organization is now the very person now viewed as the "enemy." I guess I learned a very valuable lesson regarding animal sanctuaries and I now believe that at some level many of them are just like the WAO. Sad, because I had hoped for better from the sanctuaries taking the WAO animals.
I guess this means I won't be receiving an success pictures from this sanctuary as thus far Tammy has ignored my follow-up emails. If she does follow-up, I'll be sure to post the email response and any pictures sent to me. I guess I will just close my eyes, take a deep breath and ...
_______________________________________________
Later: I have to admit, I am surprised she even wrote back. I still don't think I'll get any bobcat pictures from her and oh, I never found the refenced bobcat video supposedly posted to her Youtube page.
From: "cat@wildcatsanctuary.org" cat@wildcatsanctuary.orgSent: Fri, October 15, 2010 2:54:10 PMSubject: RE: WAO Animals
What you state here could not be farther from the truth.
http://disqus.com/guest/b8a66a51f0ab15bc7dfc98e0675cb56f/
Tammy ThiesDirectorPO Box 314Sandstone, MN 55072(320) 245-6871
Please become a sponsor today and help enrich the life of an animal in need. http://wildcatsanctuary.org/adopt/Sponsorship_form.pdf
Click on the link below to see the latest Wildcat TV video: Sponsor a Wildcat
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My response:
To: cat@wildcatsanctuary.orgSent: Fri, October 15, 2010 3:35:01 PMSubject: Re: WAO Animals
Tammy:
First off - this was not a blog entry, but rather an old comment which I made right after I found out third hand that the WAO animals were being relocated. Needless to say, my thoughts and opinions regarding various sanctuaries offering to take the animals have changed based on new information either discovered or received. My thoughts and opinions change from time to time—I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. The SA Current comment was posted in a semi-permanent point in time and as such my thoughts and opinions expressed within that article may not the same, nor even similar, to those I hold today.
I spent 4.5 years trying to remove the past and present directors so that the animals could stay in place since many were either ill or up in age. Instead, I had to hear a rumor from a former board member that the sanctuary was closing and the animals were being dispersed to the four winds. In talking to several people regarding the animals' future homes, I became alarmed. Many of the big cats were thin and were not ready for a move to colder climates and I was concerned they may not make it through a difficult winter and there was a lot of discussion regarding whether or not enough funds could be raised to even transport, feed, and build new enclosures for the animals.
At that time, I was angry that no animal organization would help the WAO animals prior to the WAO closing as I had reached out to a lot of sanctuaries and AR/AW organizations. And then suddenly, after the WAO closure announcement was made, everyone wanted to jump on the band wagon to help save the WAO animals! Wouldn't you be upset as well?
You cannot imagine how much time, effort, and money I spent trying to save the WAO animals. And you have to keep in mind, one of the web appeal stories I saw on the Internet regarding the WAO animals were very similar in style to the ones Carol Asvestas sent out to her newsletter members regardig new animal "rescues"--which alarmed me greatly.
Now you may not like my comments made over a month ago, but since writing the comment, I have come to see that many of the WAO animals have gone to really good homes, and for that I am grateful. Seeing the bears living in the 25-acre new enclosure was amazing; see the Capuchins living in their new enclosures was awe-inspiring; seeing Mac & Shirely enjoying their new home brought tears to my eyes -- and all of these amazing videos and pictures have been placed on my personal blog with glowing comments -- a blog that I have been writing since 2007. I would like for my blog to end on a positive note, which is why I am reaching out to you now to secure photographs/videos of the WAO animals enjoying their new homes.
So if decide not to share the bobcat photographs or any of the other animals sent to your organization, then I guess that is your decision. There have been a lot of "hurt" feeling all around this case, and I've probably been bruised and "discredited" by more people and organizations than anyone else involved in this case. All I want now is to see the animals placed in really good quality homes and where they are not treated as WAO trophy animals or placed in conditions worse than from where they original came from. At this point, I think it's best to do what is right for the animals and move forward. Thank you.
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Well, I'll be darn! She did respond -
From: "cat@wildcatsanctuary.org" cat@wildcatsanctuary.orgSent: Fri, October 15, 2010 4:09:46 PMSubject: RE: WAO Animals
I am glad your opinion has changed. That is the important part. I know your frustration. No one would believe me for years when I tried to tell them the truth about Carol. And when they all figured it out, no one would help while she was still there. It’s just really hard to have people bash us when so many gave Carol the $$ over the years. Most of us work on such a smaller budget and provide a lot more for the cats. We always put the animals first and still don’t get the recognition or support. It seems the good guy always finishes last.
I have no problem sharing photos and videos since we do that for our donors and on the web as well. We are extremely busy trying to build 2 more areas for 3 more of WAO’s cats. I’ll see what the keeper’s have already taken.
Tammy ThiesDirectorPO Box 314Sandstone, MN 55072(320) 245-6871
Please become a sponsor today and help enrich the life of an animal in need. http://wildcatsanctuary.org/adopt/Sponsorship_form.pdf
Click on the link below to see the latest Wildcat TV video: Sponsor a Wildcat
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I must respectfully disagree -- the most "important part" is the animals relocating to really great homes. Oh, and no one could possibly know my "frustration" over this case, unless they review the years of evidence I tirelessly collected and all the hurdles I had to overcome with the USDA and the Texas OAG. I guess that's why I am writing this blog, so the readers can get just a "taste" of what it took to save the WAO animals and to get "insight" into the animal sanctuary world.
In any case. my opinion means nothing in the scheme of things. And like most opinions, they can be changed if new information is revealed. I just pray that my "opinion" of the sanctuaries that took in the WAO animals can stay positive. I don't want to ever read that the places the WAO animals were sent to, end up closing its doors due to AWA violations, misappropriation of funds, overcrowding, etc. Time to move on.
Or so I thought...Word does get around.
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2010 5:21 PM
Subject: WAO cats
Tammy spoke with me and said you were asking for images of Carrie and Sebastian. We have these two cats and they are doing wonderfully. We have some images on our website and blog. She also said that you spoke about us on your blog. Curious to see what you've written.--
Cheryl TullerExecutive Director/WildCat HavenPO. Box 1071 • Sherwood, OR. 97140Office: 503-625-0812 • Fax: 503-925-0155
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My response:
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2010 7:41 PMSubject: Re: WAO cats
Greetings Cheryl:
I was only able to find one close-up picture of Sebastian and one close-up picture of Carrie in their quarantine enclosure. Do you happen to have pictures of them in the permanent enclosure? If so, can you direct me to where I can find them on the website?
My blog, which I started in 2007 is not open for the public until the USDA and OAG case are finally closed and all the WAO animals have been placed in really great homes. At this rate, it probably will not be open to the public until the Spring or Summer of 2011.
I did not write up any personal observations regarding any facility that accepted the WAO animals. I only linked your videos of Mac & Shirley as part of the success story series. I wanted the readers to read that the WAO animals were placed in quality homes and asked donations be sent to organizations that accepted the WAO animals.
Thank you for posting the Mac & Shirley videos -- it was great watching them run around and explore their new surroundings. I miss them terribly, and so I am relieved they are doing well and thriving in their new home.
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Something tells me this won't be the last time we hear about these "sanctuaries." I just pray they don't turn out to be like the WAO... Meow!
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