IFAW's Home for the Holidays E-Appeal...Ahhhh

NC tiger sanctuary accepts 6 big cats

BY MATT EHLERS - Staff Writer

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/11/12/797359/sanctuary-accepts-6-big-cats.html

A group of lions and tigers from Texas is scheduled to arrive at Carolina Tiger Rescue today, after money problems forced their former home to close.

Three tigers - Bali, Titan and Java - and three lions - Tarzan, Sheba and Sebastian - are moving to the 55-acre sanctuary in Pittsboro. They are part of a group of more than 300 exotic animals that needed to relocate from Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio.

"We've managed our rescues carefully enough that we had room to take them," said Pam Fulk, director of Carolina Tiger Rescue. The sanctuary, a nonprofit, welcomes large, hard-to-place animals.

Before the new additions, the sanctuary housed about 75 animals, including tigers, ocelots and binturongs, tree-dwelling carnivorous mammals from Southeast Asia.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare supported the Wild Animal Orphanage before its closure earlier this year and has since worked to find homes for the animals, said IFAW spokesman Michael Booth. The Texas park cared for a wide variety of creatures, including chimpanzees, cougars and bears. The animals have been shipped all over the country.

"We still have a number of animals needing permanent homes," Booth said. Carolina Tiger Rescue has started a fundraising campaign to pay for the lions' trip and other necessities for all six cats. Fulk estimated that it costs about $5,000 a year to care for a big cat.

matt.ehlers@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4889

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Finally!  Someone reported that the lions, Sebastian, Sheba, and Tarzan departed San Antonio, with the three tigers, bound for North Carolina.

Even the sanctaury's Facebook reported the truth:

http://www.facebook.com/CarolinaTigerRescue 
Lions AND tigers arrive today!

So why didn't IFAW report the truth about how many cats actually left the WAO and traveled to North Carlina?  To answer that question, we must first let's look at their e-appeal sent out to their members on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 (24 hours before the animals left the San Antonio area) via email: 

 

Did you catch it?  Email sent on Wednesday afternoon and the tigers left San Antonio Thursday afternoon...

Did the e-appeal mention that the animals were already scheduled and ready to leave the WAO 24-hours after IFAW sent out the e-appeal?  No?  Shocking!  I love this comment in the e-appeal "We're already reserving the trucks [already arrived in San Antonio], and have a staff of experts [conveniently all wearing blue IFAW t-shirts for the IFAW and media cameras] on stand-by [at the WAO]. 

Or how about this:  "As part of our Homes for the Holidays campaign, your gift will help us safely move these beautiful tigers, and help us provide safe homes and lifesaving care for helpless animals everywhere."  Ahhhhh.... 

Okay, reality check.  By the time folks donate towards this cause, the WAO tigers will already be eating their first meal at the Carolina Tiger Rescue.  IFAW can get away with this statement only because of the ending "and help us provide safe homes and lifesaving care for helpless animals everywhere."  Bingo!  Money goes into the "General Fund" and not towards the WAO animals. 

Don't believe me, then read the very small print on page 3:  "Your gift represents a vital contribution to IFAW's entire mission of saving the world's animals from cruelty and exploitation and will be used where most needed to help ease their suffering."  I told you it was very small.  So let me expand the text so you can see it:  "Your gift represents a vital contribution to IFAW's entire mission of saving the world's animals from cruelty and exploitation and will be used where most needed to help ease their suffering."

This is simply shameful exploitation of the WAO tigers.  But why not mention the lions going to the WAO?  Well, you'd have to ask IFAW for an explanation. 

My guess, and this is simply a guess, based on what I've seen the Asvestas do before in their mailing campaign, is this:  IFAW wanted to focus on just one species, the tigers, because of IFAW's impending participation of the Tiger Summit to be held in Russia soon.  I'm willing to bet this so-called rescue, will be used by IFAW as an example of how exotic pet ownership is evil and the WAO sanctuary collapsed because it took in too many ex-pets.  There will be no mention of the WAO's board of directors mismanagement of funds or even misappropriation of funds plus several violations of the Animal Welfare Act.  Nope - this event will be exploited to boast IFAW's agenda.

This is why I will never volunteer or be a board member with another animals sanctuary ever again.  All the lies, the manipulations, and  all the money that goes towards false causes advertised by sanctuaries and animal rights groups is dishonest and I can no longer be a part of this "system." 

I tell you now, you must do your homework, research the issue, and come to your own conclusions on this topic.  Can you really trust e-appeals from IFAW, HSUS, or PETA, when these organizations twist around the facts?  American donors should demand honesty.  Transparency.  And above all else accountability from their sponsored animal group or sanctuary.  Shame on you IFAW for acting just like the Asvestas' and their former board of directors by exploiting the animals for your personal gain or agenda.