Friday, May 28, 2010

2010-05-28 - Anthony Marr's CARE-7 tour blog #19 - Louisiana & Florida

2010-05-28

Anthony Marr's CARE-7 tour blog #19

S.E. Louisiana and N.W. Florida



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Earlier today, I posted "Tony The Tiger may have saved Anthony Marr from the FBI, the Louisiana sheriff and the New Orleans police" on various sites. Now it is time for the explanation.

Before going into the incident, I'd like to say that as a Canadian visitor I bear no ill will towards American law enforcement agencies and officers in their quest to safeguard Americans from potential foreign terroristic threats, and these include the FBI and the CIA. I recall that in the summer of 2001, months, weeks and days before September 11, CIA's Richard Clarke persistently warned the then President George W. Bush through the PDBs (President's Daily Briefs), and directly the then National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, that a catastrophic attack by Al Qaeda on American soil was imminent, likely using airliners as missiles, and likely in the New York area, and likewise the then Attorney General John Ashcroft by FBI's Tom Pickard. Bush, Rice and Ashcroft summarily and repeatedly disregarded the warnings, leaving America wide open to the 9/11 attack. And even afterward, they launched their "War On Terror" against Iraq rather than Al Qaeda. The almost incomprehensible idiocy of the then top American leadership was directly responsible for the loss of more than 3,000 lives. The only thing that was even harder to understand was that Bush and gang was put back into office for a second term. My question about its wisdom, or lack thereof, I have nowhere else to put but to the American people.

Bearing this in mind, I do not take personal offense to the incident on May 26 near New Orleans, which took up 2 unpleasant hours of my time, though I do feel that the 2-hours-X-5 of one New Orleans policeman, two Iberville Parish sheriffs, and two FBI agents could have been better spent.

It was a no-event day, and I took the opportunity to go to Venice southeast of New Orleans to check out the oil spill situation for myself. Being a camera nut, I snapped away at anything and everything that caught my attention, including a cemetery with above-ground graves in the city,

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an F-18 jet-fighter mounted outside the Naval Air Reserve,

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an elephant statue,

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and, along Hwy 23, a Chevron oil refinery and a Conoco oil refinery.

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Shortly after the Conoco refinery, just past noon, I saw flashing blue lights behind me, said "uh oh" to myself, and pulled off the road. The police car's loud speaker began blaring away, saying, "DRIVER, GET OUT OF THE CAR WITH ARMS EXTENDED, AND STAND NEXT TO THE REAR OF YOUR VEHICLE!" While I was doing so, the policeman remained in his cruiser behind tinted windshield and windows, and not until I was in place did he emerge. He was civil enough, and asked me to produce my driver's license and vehicle registration. I went back to the car to get the documents, and was watched with eagle eyes.

After I had produced the documents, he said that I was seen taking pictures of the refineries and that I had to delete them on the spot. I did so, with him standing behind me, looking at the LCD screen. I said back to him pointedly, "Do you want me to delete the pictures of the cemetery and the F-18 and the elephant statue as well? Are they too a matter of national security?" He said no, and told me that I could get back into my car to chill. "It's too hot to stand around outside," he said, and went back into his.

Well, chill or not, three quarters of an hour of waiting could cause anyone to lose his cool, though I managed to maintain mine, just. Meanwhile, I called Catherine to brief her on this. Finally, the police car door opened, and the policeman came to my car, this time asking for my middle name and my passport. He said, "Just a check. Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes," then walked back to his car and closed the door. Half an hour past, and I called Catherine again, speculating that the cop was probably waiting for a tow truck to show up to tow the Green Hornet away. Soon, instead of a tow truck, a sheriff car showed up, and pulled alongside the police car. The sheriff got out and entered the passenger side of the police vehicle. Both officers were black. I called Catherine again to let her know about this new development. Minutes later, another two sheriff cars showed up and parked behind the other two. A white female officer emerged from one of them, and another black sheriff from the other, and the four talked through an open window of the police car. I called Catherine again to update her, and this time, she called Anthony Damiano to ask for his input. I told Catherine to tell Anthony not to call me, since that would show his phone number in my cell phone. Soon, the female sheriff departed, but before long a civilian car pulled up, and a big bald white man looking like a pro-wrestler got out and the policeman and the sheriff got out of the cop car to join him. Moments later, another civilian car arrived, and a younger but equally beefy white man got out to join the four.

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I called Catherine again. Finally, the first white man came to my car and asked me to get out to join them, and the half-hour interrogation began, going right back into my work history and educational background. I answered him as plainly as I could, staying just short of using the term "animal rights activist". My having a physics degree and had worked in the mining and environmental industries seemed to impress him. What he showed was skepticism as to whether I was who and what I said I was. I asked him whether it was against the law to take pictures of the oil refineries. He said no, but that my being on the FBI database made the act ominous. I told him that though I was officially retired, my current passion was saving the tiger species from extinction, and that I had been to India three times to work in three tigers reserves to this end, which made me a "wildlife conservationist", a label that even hunters claim for themselves. He showed further skepticism, saying that there was no proof to this claim. True enough, my passport had been renewed, and the old stamps from India were not there. He then said that he would have to look through my car. Nothing I could do to stop him doing that, but it clicked in my mind that in the trunk were all the AR posters from previous funeral motorcades, which were overtly animal rights, which would brand me as an AR activist, thus indeed a "domestic terrorist" in his book, the very label foremost in his mind in relation to my apparent interest in the oil refineries. I began to think about which lawyer to call.

Well, what do your know, among the stuff in my back seat were a few stapled sheets of paper given to me by Cindy Wines of Tucson, Arizona, with a photo of Tony The Tiger on the cover sheet.

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The FBI agent looked at them thoughtfully, and said, "Yeah, I just saw the tiger on TV couple of night ago. That joint is not too cool." Then, one of the cops did a double-take on me and said, "Hey, aren't you the guy being interviewed on TV?" "Yes, I was." The FBI man looked at a few other items in the car, then extended his hand and said, "Well, I'm now convinced that you are not what we suspected you might be. Sorry for the inconvenience. You are free to go. Enjoy your drive to Venice." By then, it was past 2 p.m. I pulled the car ahead a hundred feet or so, stopped the car, and took a picture of the five men, none of whom cast a single glance in my direction.

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The rest of the drive to the end of hwy #23 was pure enchantment. I looked around, but there seemed no sign of any oil contamination that I could see, at least not in this part of the Louisiana coast. Instead, there was exquisite scenery, stilted architecture and rich bird life, interspersed with remnants of Hurricane Katrina. I'll let the following pictures speak for Venice. They say at least one important thing: This is what we stand to lose if/when the oil hits this region.

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May 27 was a driving day, where I traversed four states within 13 hours - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Long, but thankfully uneventful, and from beginning to end, a feast to the eye, ending in Largo, a seaward burb of Tampa.

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Now that Tony The Tiger has rescued me from the clutches of the law, I'll visit Big Cat Rescue in Tampa tomorrow and strategize with the people there about how he could be freed.

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Anthony Marr, Founder and President
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
Global Anti-Hunting Coalition (GAHC)
Anthony-Marr@HOPE-CARE.org
www.HOPE-CARE.org
www.MySpace.com/AnthonyMarr
www.YouTube.com/AnthonyMarr
www.myspace.com/Anti-Hunting_Coalition
www.facebook.com/Anthony.Marr.001
www.facebook.com/Global_Anti-Hunting_Coalition
www.HomoSapiensSaveYourEarth.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com (search for “Anthony Marr Heal Our Planet Earth”)
www.ARConference.org

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

2010-05-25 - Anthony Marr's CARE-7 tour blog #18 - Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Grosse Tete, New Orleans

2010-05-25

Anthony Marr's CARE-7 tour blog #18

Houston TX, Dallas-Fort Worth TX, Grosse Tete LA, New Orleans LA


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These last few days have been daily long-distance driving followed by speaking and media events, which have left me insufficient time nor adequate energy to compose any blog. So, now that I finally have a "free" day, I'll devote it to catching up on emails, Facebook, Myspace, and blogging. This CARE-7 tour blog #18, therefore, promises to be long, covering 4 events in Houston TX, Dallas/Fort-Worth TX, Grosse Tete LA, and New Orleans LA.

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#1, Houston. First and foremost, my compliments to Ted, Becky, Abby, Drew, their 2 dogs and 17 cats, for their "southern hospitality", and not just very comfortable accommodation in their surprisingly immaculate home either.

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When I accidentally broke one of their beautiful porcelain bowls, Becky said comfortingly, "Not to worry, I don't like that bowl anyway," and Ted personally cleaned up the mess, and later served me tea in my room.

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Abby, the young lady who invited me to stay, and who wore a Sea Shepherd shirt at the presentation, gave me her stuffed white tiger as travel companion, a travel mug, and the key to the house - to keep!

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A pair of mocking birds in their backyard.

When I was leaving, Becky said, "Whenever you need a place to stay, this house is yours, for as long as you want. Just enter with this key. You don't even need to call." And they gave me a care package to taken away - in a very nice fabric-covered cooler.

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The personnel of Vegan World Radio, Houston, TX.

The second thing to be said is the Vegan World Radio interview by Shirley Wilkes-Johnston, on the night of May 19 when I first arrived in Houston from San Antonio. The experience was unlike that on any other radio interview. I was treated like one of their own, instead of a guest.

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The event on May 22nd, Saturday, at the Loving Hut vegan restaurant, hosted by Kristen Lee Ohanyan, was another wonderful experience, even including the heckling by an older gentleman regarding my stand on global warming, which itself amounted to two-negatives-make-one-positive. They even made me a "Peace Cake", shared by all.

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With Shirley Wilkes-Johnston in the audience,

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and my long-time friend J.H.

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Kristen Lee Ohanyan introducing my talk.

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And the Peace Cake rounding up the very full evening.

Before leaving Houston, I should mention the two white tigers trapped in a dungeon-like restaurant display in the Aquarium. Back in 2004, while on CARE-1, I participated in a local campaign to keep the tiger "exhibit" from becoming a reality, including testifying in city council as a tiger conservation expert, but, since money talked the loudest, it was to no avail.

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Now, the tigers are still there, trapped in that medieval prison - the indoor equivalent of Tony-the-Tiger in Louisiana (see below).

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After a 7-hour drive from Houston came the next and last Texan city on this CARE-7 tour - Dallas/Fort Worth. The event organizer and accommodation host was the wonderfully genuine Shannon Morgan,

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whose beloved dog Sophie was under the life-threatening combination of being seriously ill and being hit by a car where it hurt on the very day I was giving a talk in Houston. She called me while I was on my way to the Loving Hut, in tears, asking for my prayer and blessing for both her and Sophie, which of course I sincerely volunteered. While I was in the Loving Hut, waiting for the talk to begin, I called her asking how she and Sophie were faring, and she was more than extremely grateful. She even told Catherine what a spiritual person I was, which I could be, but in that instance, it was only a matter of caring.

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The event venue was the Boys Activity Center, the alternative to the Spiral Diner, whose new owner refused to let her hold the event after-hours (5pm), for profit reasons I presume. Shannon worked hard on organizing the event, and made good her word to produce a good-sized audience, with many beautiful activists present.

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One asked me what I thought about activism in Texas, its being an ultra-conservative state. I answered that the more conservative the background, the more advanced the activism. They themselves are the proof.

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The drive to New Orleans the next morning, the 24th, was a 10-hour scenic cruise,

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Note the name of the company on the door.

including a heart-rending interlude at the "Tiger Truck Stop", where Tony-the-Tiger has languished in a small enclosure smaller than a basketball court for the 10 years since his birth.

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The Green Hornet at Tony's prison.

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Alligator heads in the souvenir shop.

Cindy Wines nd Sky Williamson took it upon themsleves to arrange media coverage for me, which brought out NBC Channel 33

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and The Advocate newspaper.

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While there, I asked the care-taker to call Michael Sandlin, the owner of the truck stop, for me to personally deliver a plea to let Tony go - to a larger and more natural-feeling big cat sanctuary to spend the rest of his days. The conversation was civil, and we mutually agreed to talk more in the coming days.

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After the truck stop, I drove on to New Orleans to deliver my speech at Leslie Brown's Manhattan-like apartment, with many refined members of the New Orleans Vegetarian Society present.

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Deloris on left, my gracious accommodation host.

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This morning, the 25th, the following article appeared in the The Advocate newspaper and its website www.2TheAdvocate.com, with 17 comments by blog time. Mission accomplished, for now.

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THE ADVOCATE,
New Orleans, Louisiana

NEWS

Activist: La. shamed by tiger’s plight

Animal rights activist Anthony Marr talks to onlookers Monday in front of the cage at Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete where Tony, a 550-pound Siberian-Bengal tiger lives. Marr said hopes to raise awareness about the tiger’s condition so the animal can be placed in a sanctuary.

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Capitol News Bureau

* By KORAN ADDO
* Advocate Westside bureau
* Published: May 25, 2010 - Page: 1B

Comments (17)

GROSSE TETE — The condition of a tiger living at a truck stop as a roadside attraction is “a blight on the face of Louisiana,” an internationally known animal rights activist said.

Anthony Marr visited Tiger Truck Stop Monday to see Tony, a 550-pound, Siberian-Bengal tiger, as part of a 40-state tour.

“In India, in their natural habitat, there is one tiger for every 10 square miles. In Siberia, there is one tiger for every 100 square miles,” Marr said. “What I’m looking at is a 10 by 15 enclosure. I’m not saying dogs are inferior, but I wouldn’t treat a dog like this.”

Marr lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the animal rights community, he is known as the “Champion of the Bengal Tiger.” He was in Louisiana on the eighth stop in his six-month, 40-state Compassion for Animals Road Expedition, or CARE tour.

Standing in front of the cage where Tony paced in circles, Marr said he hopes he can garner attention from animal activists to put enough pressure on Iberville Parish, the state and the truck stop’s owner, Michael Sandlin, to have Tony placed in an animal sanctuary.

If that doesn’t work, Marr said, he will reach out to wealthy friends in the conservation community and offer to buy Tony from Sandlin.

As he snapped photographs of the tiger, Marr looked at Tony’s fenced-in enclosure with its concrete floors and a small patch of grass.

“This is probably the poorest tiger in the world,” he said. “His quality of life is zero. This is a beautiful state, but this is a blight on the face of Louisiana.”

“This tiger may give momentary pleasure to people who come see him,” Marr added. “It certainly won’t make their day, but it ruins the entire life of this poor creature.”

Sandlin, the truck stop owner, said he commends Marr for his conservation work, but disagrees that Tony is suffering.

Tony was born into captivity, raised as a pet and the truck stop is the only home he has ever known, Sandlin said.

“With the tiger’s natural habitat disappearing very quickly, I think it’s important that tigers be allowed to be kept in captivity,” he said.

Sandlin also confirmed that Marr has called him about selling the tiger, which costs Sandlin about $2,000 per month to keep.

“That’s not really something I’m considering. I’ve had tigers for 23 years,” he said.

The truck stop owner also said he takes exception to animal activists who only want to take the tiger away.

“They never offered money to help us build a swimming pool for Tony, or to expand his cage,” he said. “The only ones who offered something to benefit him was the Humane Society last year.”

Sandlin said he will consider moving Tony to an animal sanctuary only when the 10-year-old tiger gets too old or too sick to be exhibited.

But with the average life span for tigers kept in captivity being about 20 years, that will likely be several years away, Sandlin said.

Furthermore, a veterinarian examined the tiger May 19 and gave the animal a clean bill of health, he said.

“I can’t thank all the activists for any help they’ve given us, but I would like to thank them for a million dollars worth of free advertisements,” Sandlin said. “Business is better than ever.”

The tiger was at the heart of an animal-rights battle last year pitting Sandlin against activists trying to have the tiger removed.

Sandlin won permission from the parish and the state last year to keep the tiger after agreeing to guidelines specifying about how to care for the animal. As a condition of receiving that permission, Sandlin will not be allowed to have another tiger once Tony dies or is legally transferred from the parish.

Comments (17)


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jwrig22: It really is a shame. At least Mike's habitat is fairly big and nice. Tony's is worse than the Baton Rouge Zoo! - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 2:08 AM

Anonymous: Mr Sandlin is a pig ! he just proved he cares nothing for that poor tiger he only cares about how much money he can make ! we have to keep fighting for Tony's freedom!!! - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 4:40 AM

Anonymous: I like the idea of starting a fund for bigger and better place for Tony. A pool would be a good start. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Anonymous: mr. sandlin is only thinking of his own interests, not tony's. if he truly cared about tony, he would let him go to big cats rescue in florida. there he would truly be cared for and appreciated. I appreciate Anthony trying to help. this torturing of tony by making him live in such an environment, reflects terribly on the state of louisiana. you should all be very ashamed of this! i wonder if sandler would like sleeping at a truck stop with trucks roaring around constantly? so very sad and inhumane. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 6:46 AM

Anonymous: It's disgusting how Sandlin says he appreciates all the free advertisement and that business is better than ever. The man is obviously morally bankrupt! It's obvious that all he cares about is money and not how much Tony suffers, breathing in gas fumes from the trucks night and day. I'm appalled that anyone would say that Tony is better off at a truck stop than at an animal sanctuary. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 7:26 AM

Anonymous: People need to let this go unless they're willing to raise money to buy the animal. The Tiget Truck Stop gets a free plug every few months when the latest activist comes through. Congratulations Mr. Marr you just raised the tiger's value.(if buying it was even possible) - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 7:47 AM

Anonymous: Boycott his truck stop. I know the truckers may not be able to, but everyone else can. Clearly, the guy is concerned only with money. If keeping the tiger costs more than he makes off of it, then he will sell it. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 8:04 AM

Anonymous: Anthony Marr a hero. He speaks for ALL ANIMALS! Ironically I was watching the news this morning and saw a story of the oil spill and the damage to the wetlands and wildlife in Louisiana.. People are outraged about this, as am I, yet they allow this beautiful animal to live in hell.... I'm a little confused Louisiana.... Aren't ALL animals created equal????? - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 9:54 AM

Anonymous: This last comment was written by me, Toni Albanese in Idaho... I don't know why it shows as anonymous but I am a person with a name and am proud to speak on behalf of Tony... - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 9:58 AM

Anonymous: "This is probably the poorest tiger in the world" said by Anthony Marr himself. Isn't that enough? Sandlin said he will consider moving Tony to an animal sanctuary only when he gets too old or too sick to be exhibited. All of you that feel Tony would be fine with a 'nicer' enclosure are not seeing the big picture. Sandlin DOES NOT have Tony's best interest at heart as you can see by that comment, and this one “I can’t thank all the activists for any help they’ve given us, but I would like to thank them for a million dollars worth of free advertisements,” Sandlin said. “Business is better than ever.” This is a man that claims to love Tony but what he loves is the money Tony brings him. None of us who DO have Tony's best interest at heart are backing down anytime soon. Thank you Anthony Marr, for standing with us and seeing that Tony deserves so much better. He may only have 10 years left, let's make them the best 10 years Tony has ever had! Posted by ~Angie Tipler~ - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 11:04 AM

Anonymous: Yeah..... but what about Mike? Oh, it's ok for him to stay locked up because he serves a "purpose" and has a fancy smancy cage? And his purpose pertains to sports so in this city he has about a .01% chance of being sent to a more livable sanctuary with Tony. If I was Mike, I would be upset with the folks trying to free Tony and not him. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 11:16 AM

Erica: Tony needs go to a sanctuary to enjoy the rest of his life. The life he lives is NO way for any animal to live. Being a spectacle and having to breathe in exhaust fumes every day is no life for him. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 12:13 PM

Anonymous: Tony needs to be relocated--Period! - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 1:20 PM

Sera: Come on Iverville parish--get with the program! - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 1:23 PM

Maj D Bleak: I agree with the individual who suggested raising funds to buy the tiger and then relocate it to a more suitable environment. As per usual, an empty wagon makes a lot of noise. Evidently, those who are protesting the loudest aren't willing to put money, time, or effort toward resolving the issue. Typical. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 1:33 PM

Sera: But why should it be up to everyone else BESIDES Mr Sandlin to raise money for a better enclosure? He took on this responsibility when he decided he had to have tigers as an "Attraction". Besides that, where is ANY form of enrichment--it doesn't take much someitmes! So he needs to be prepared to do it right--which he is NOT! - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 2:07 PM

Loulou: Someone once told me; if you don't support it they could not keep it. Tony is most likely the truck stops money maker because people know there is a live tiger at the "Tiger Truck Stop". It is the tourist that stop off the interstate wanting to see the Tiger that keeps the exhibit going. If people stopped going they could not afford to keep up the cost of $2,000 a month cost to keep Tony in this hot box he lives in. Summer is only beginning, the tempature in my car today said 103 degrees. It has to get outrageously hot in the mid-summer. I know they say he doesnt have a pool but, does he have anything to keep him cool? True Tony was raised there and he knows of nothing better. I think if they want to keep him they should find a way to raise the money to give Tony a bigger and better place to live with lots of shade, grass and a pool of some sort and away from the noise and fumes from the trucks. Let the tourist that enjoy the attraction drop money in a box for a "Save the Tiger Fund". Well then I guess you would have to make sure it went to Tony and no one else. - Posted on May 25, 2010 at 2:41 PM

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Anthony Marr, Founder and President
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
Global Anti-Hunting Coalition (GAHC)
Anthony-Marr@HOPE-CARE.org
www.HOPE-CARE.org
www.MySpace.com/AnthonyMarr
www.YouTube.com/AnthonyMarr
www.myspace.com/Anti-Hunting_Coalition
www.facebook.com/Anthony.Marr.001
www.facebook.com/Global_Anti-Hunting_Coalition
www.HomoSapiensSaveYourEarth.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com (search for “Anthony Marr Heal Our Planet Earth”)
www.ARConference.org