Keep Tony at Home! Save Hand-Raised tiger from wild

4:20 am PST, Jan 6, Kelly Masters, West Virginia

3:39 pm PST, Jan 3, Name not displayed, Louisiana
Leave Tony where he is. I have lived in South Louisiana all of my life. I have seen the different tigers there. I have NEVER seen any of them mistreated or neglected. They have a great environment with people who care about them. We need to stop letting those crazy animal rights nuts push us around. They usually cause more harm than good. As an animal lover I believe in treating animals right. But this is going too far. LEAVE TONY ALONE. He is happy and well cared for.

4:43 am PST, Jan 3, Nesli Gedik, Turkey

2:28 pm PST, Dec 31, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
Common sense dictates that an animal that has never been on his own in the wild should not be taken from the life he knows and the ones who hand raised him.

2:23 pm PST, Dec 31, L. Jones, California
People that butt in where they do not understand or belong need a wake up call - I say go to there life & lifestyle and take it all away. Then they might have a change of heart. Or find one,. Maybe.

7:08 am PST, Dec 31, Name not displayed, Louisiana

9:13 pm PST, Dec 30, Jerry Hunnicutt, Tennessee

11:57 am PST, Dec 30, Name not displayed, Georgia

11:06 pm PST, Dec 29, Ronald Weikum, Wisconsin
I have known several peoplle who have hand raised cats. They all treat these animals with respect and love. they receive regular vet care and are very well adjusted pets that love to return your love and affection.

4:24 pm PST, Dec 29, Terry Burnett, Kentucky
i think that is bull **** that he has been there for 10-15 years and they have never had a problum with it untill now so they should let hem alone

5:16 pm PST, Dec 26, Joel La Rocque, South Carolina
Common sense! Any animal raised from infancy detects its care givers by scent. It knows who feed it, cared for it, nursed it and has absolutely NO fear of these people. If removed to any unfamiliar surroundings the animal will most likely regress to its wild instinctual roll, in this case a predator. To remove it from its owners would be equal to signing its death warrant. If the animal has shown no signs of predatory behavior, caused no damage to humans or property, why? would anyone move to separate the family? Some people think that all animals do better in the wild and for the most part this is true. However there are exceptions to every rule and for this animal, it IS that exception. I have worked with reptiles for going on 39 years now and they are not that far separated from this case. I have snakes here that would follow me back home if left outside. Animals need to be cared for after spending long periods of time with humans, they loose their sense of predation. True there have been cases where animals in captivity have reverted back into fierce predators and killed their owners but this is about one in over a million, and these people want to take that chance so I feel it is their decision. Who knows the animal better, some pollyanna who is on a mission to save the world or the people who cared for it all of its life? Again common sense! Leave the Cat with them.

2:46 pm PST, Dec 26, Ana Buchanan, North Carolina
This is the home that Tony knows, he's been raised with love and care. I loved seeing all the "cats" on my visit there a few years ago. Tony needs to be loved by those who have raised him. Please, Let tony stay home.

12:46 pm PST, Dec 26, Bettielou Welch, Georgia
all creation responds to love let tony stay where he thinks home is and he knows that he is loved

7:51 pm PST, Dec 25, Brian Criswell, Kentucky
I have stopped there many times & that cat is well taken care off. There is no way, in my opinion, that cat needs to be turn loose to fend for himself when when he did not go through the basic development of growing up in the wild. Sure they are born with instincts, but only through experience do they hone those instincts into skills.

9:30 am PST, Dec 25, Tarequl Islam Munna, Bangladesh
Please tell us how animals are better off with those they know when raised by hand.

7:16 am PST, Dec 25, Benjamin Wahl, Germany

5:30 am PST, Dec 25, Jessica Straub, Canada
Please tell us how animals are better off with those they know when raised by hand.

11:12 pm PST, Dec 24, Miss Papillon, Indonesia

8:42 pm PST, Dec 24, TONY Sandlin, Louisiana
Sandlin has over 300 signatures. I would guess that at least half of those who signed would change their mind if they knew the truth- if we could get the truth to them somehow. Some of these people could be locals. Many of these people were coming from their heart from the lies that Sandlin told them. People who come from the heart and who knew the truth would be on our side. And some of these may be locals. Is there a way to let them know the truth? Sandlin’s Petition Keep Tony at Home! Save Hand-Raised tiger from wild Target: mdavidson@wlf.louisiana.gov, oldsteel@aol.com, papatiger@aol.com Sponsored by: A Knowledgeable Friend of Tony in Louisiana My name is "Tony the Truckstop Tiger". I now have a voice that needs to be heard. Below is information about me and others like me, who Michael Sandlin gave to Tiger Haven in Tennessee in 2003. I don't know why he will not allow me the life of luxury, my own pool, land to run and roam, no more concrete under my feet. It hurts my legs and feet. I'll have fresh food, encichment, vet care and playmates and a pool. I would LOVE to have a pool. I feel like they just forget how much us tigers LOVE water. Please turn me loose - I have served my time without a trial-what did I do to have to live like this?. No one plays with me as I am too big and could really hurt someone. So please give me to a place where others like me live a normal tiger instinct life. I want fresh air, and to wake up in the morning as the sun rises and just know that I have finally gone home. Michael will miss me but I know if I get to go home to a sanctuary Michael would always carry me in his heart but will know for the rest of my life that I will get the best care ever. ******************************************************************************** SIGN TO KEEP TONY AT HOME! Tony, a tiger raised from infancy by hand, is the target of a misguided attempt to remove him from the people that raised him, love him, and take care of him daily. He has known no other life, and receives great food, and the best medical attention when needed. A petition to remove him to an unknown widlife preserve means he will be thrust into an unfamiliar life with wild animals. He has only experienced life with other hand-raised animals, and does not know how to fend for himself. The promoter of this action does not even live in the state where Tony is, and knows nothing of his real life or happiness. He is NOT ENDANGERED, NOT ABUSED and IS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT LOVE HIM AND GIVE HIM ATTENTION DAILY. Please sign to save Tony from catastrophic removal from loved ones to the wild. Looking at Sandlin’s Petition. SIGN TO KEEP TONY AT HOME! Tony, a tiger raised from infancy by hand, is the target of a misguided attempt to remove him from the people that raised him, love him, (The way Tony has been treated for the past eight years is not love.) and take care of him daily. (The kind of care Tony has been given the past eight years is not caring for him.) He has known no other life (This is very sad.) and receives great food, and the best medical attention when needed. (We have no idea if this is true.) A petition to remove him to an unknown widlife preserve means he will be thrust into an unfamiliar life with wild animals. This gives the impression that Tony will be taken out into the wild and have to fend for himself. This is supported by many comments made from those who signed his petition. These people felt bad for Tony, wanting to rescue him from such a fate. If Sandlin had told the truth- that Tony would be going to a Wildlife Sanctuary and he would be cared for, provided for, and live in a Much better place, a place that he would be much happier living in, more space, water pools etc, the majority of these people would not have signed Sandlin’s petition. This proves, in addition to what we already know, the character- or lack of- of Michael Sandlin. He simply fooled these people by not giving them the facts. “He has only experienced life with other hand-raised animals, and does not know how to fend for himself. The promoter of this action does not even live in the state where Tony is, and knows nothing of his real life or happiness. He is NOT ENDANGERED, NOT ABUSED and IS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT LOVE HIM AND GIVE HIM ATTENTION DAILY.” Please sign to save Tony from catastrophic removal from loved ones to the wild.” This is a total LIE. Tony would not being going to the Wild. He would be going to a wonderful sanctuary. But many of those who signed his petition thought that this was true, and that Tony would be helplessly roaming around in the wilds. Tony going to a Humane Sanctuary is Tony going to a heaven. The catastrophe is that Sandlin has kept a tiger in an unclean cage, living on cement, at a truck stop for over eight years. In “reading further” Sandlin writes- “We've taken a lot of heat from a few animal rights' activists that say our tigers ought to be out in the wild,” This is what he keeps pointing to- that Tony would be put out into the wild. And this is not true. And the people who signed his petition should know the truth. Sandlin- “Tony is the only tiger currently living at the Tiger Truck Stop. Seven cubs have survived birth here, which is a better record than the national average for zoos in this country.” (Sandlin owns a truck stop. What qualifications does he have for breeding and raising tigers? And the fact is, it is against Louisiana law.) Sandlin- Our beliefs about having the tigers closely follow comments made at the web site Wild Abouts Cats, a web site for general requirements for private ownership of wild animals, in their article General Requirements For Private Ownership. The article states: "Zoos are full to capacity and also have strict requirements on the animals that they acquire. Compounds have to rescue some, but there are simply not enough sanctuaries for them all. Therefore, taking into consideration that many people are determined to get a cat no matter what they are told we would rather that these people were educated properly on care and handling, rather than dictated to that what they are doing is wrong." (This is ridiculous. I could say I am determined to drive my car 100 m.ph. no matter what, so the authorities are going to give in, and educate me on being a better driver. I don’t think so!”) Sandlin- Here is some food for thought. Who is to say that a balanced diet, program of veterinary care, doubling the tiger's life span, love, and human affection are not better than the alternative. Again, he alludes to Tony being put out into the wild. When Big Cats is a sanctuary- who would give Tony everything a tiger needs and a life that is a hundred percent better than the life he has been made to live. A full grown tiger is full of instinct, hand raised or not. If Tony had a choice between staying where he is, or going to Big Cats- he would be on the first bus to Flordia!

7:46 pm PST, Dec 24, Larry Benoit, Louisiana
Any animal is better off with the one{s} that raised,nurtured and loved it from birth,just like a human child{common sence},and anyone that want's to take a child from their loving family should be imprisoned for life.

11:35 am PST, Dec 24, Martha Leahy, Massachusetts

11:44 am PST, Dec 23, Julia Tawyea', Pennsylvania

5:56 am PST, Dec 23, Holly Chisholm, Michigan

2:23 pm PST, Dec 22, DC Buchanan, North Carolina

8:51 am PST, Dec 22, RANDY TURNER, Alabama
the people who dont want tony there can stop elsewhere

7:51 pm PST, Dec 21, Name not displayed, Louisiana
This is probably the only home that Tony knows and loves. I know they take good care of him because he always look healthy every time I visit the truck stop. He plays around in his cage, he's very energetic oppose to some tigers in a zoo that just lay around. Tony is very happy where he is and should be allowed to stay there.

6:24 pm PST, Dec 21, Aaron Cripps, Michigan

10:20 am PST, Dec 21, Daniela Brzobohata, Austria

12:06 am PST, Dec 21, Cheryl Brock, California
As a native of Louisiana now residing in California. I look forward to 'visiting' with Tony at the Tiger Truck Stop as much as I do with Mike at LSU. What's the difference between LSU keeping Mike and the truck stop keeping Tony? Both are well adjusted, very well cared for, and very loved by everyone. I have NEVER seen Tony or any of the previous tigers that were ripped away in any danger or in need of care or food. Leave him where he belongs!

2:55 pm PST, Dec 20, Tj Jones, Michigan
this tiger is better off were it is its been there for years and these assholes need to mind there own bussiness

2:29 pm PST, Dec 20, Orlana Stodgel, Ohio
that tiger has been there for years. Please leave tony alone. That is the only home it knows and it shouldnt be bothered.

7:09 am PST, Dec 20, Arnold Kemp, Michigan
They get more medical attention and better balanced meals at more frequent intervals.