The Animal Legal Defense Fund says Tony the Tiger is languishing and in declining health. Complaints from the public and a private investigator have led the animal group to submit a letter to the US Department of Agriculture asking for an inspection of the 16-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger. The letter is urging the USDA to investigate Animal Welfare Act violations and determine whether Tony’s medical condition requires immediate independent veterinary care and treatment. Videos of Tony’s current health status were sent to me by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (above) showing Tony appearing to be limping and lethargic.
Tony has lived in the caged enclosure at Grosse Tete’s Tiger Truck Stop/gas station near Baton Rouge, Louisiana since 2001. According to the ALDF, Tony is deteriorating in this roadside crate. He is ill, in pain and he is stuck there. The ALDF has been battling the owner of the Tiger Truck Stop Michael Sandlin, for years to free Tony. They want to see the most controversial tiger to live in a reputable sanctuary.
Michael Sandlin
Tony has been observed experiencing diarrhea, potentially suppressed appetite and lethargic behavior. A veterinarian with expertise treating exotic animals like Tony has reviewed recent photos and video and concluded he is suffering from at least two issues, including a kyphosis (or abnormal rounding) of the T-L spine and an impairment causing him to limp. The ALDF is not aware of any evidence that Tony is receiving the adequate veterinary care he is guaranteed under the Animal Welfare Act.
“Tony should have been transferred to a sanctuary years ago, but now that his health is potentially failing, the cruelty of confining him in a gas station parking lot is compounded,” says ALDF Director Stephen Wells. “It’s the USDA’s responsibility to step in and enforce the federal Animal Welfare Act.”
There have been numerous petitions and lawsuits to free Tony. Activists say forcing him to live amidst diesel fumes and the adjacent highway is no place for an exotic to live. They argue that he needs to be moved to a sanctuary to live out his life in an environment conducive for his well-being and health. The USDA licenses the Truck Stop under the federal Animal Welfare Act. Captive tigers have a life expectancy of 16-20 years.
Sandlin denies that Tony is suffering. The truck stop, located 15 miles from Baton Rouge, proclaims Tiger sees a veterinarian on a regular basis and says the aging tiger has arthritis which causes him to limp. The ALDF claims Tony has diarrhea but Sandlin states Tony only has loose stools after he gets anti-worm medicine.
“He is not sick. He’s simply an old man with some arthritis,” Sandlin said. “He wakes up a bit stiff and loosens up during the day. He lives in a cage with a grassy area, a large water tank to swim in, a hanging tire and other toys. We just want to make him as comfortable as we can and we don’t want him to be in pain. That’s what the medication is for,” he said.
Sandlin says he asked his vet to check on Tony in light of the latest concerns about his health for which he said he has no problem. When it’s “a concern about the animal welfare…but when they (animal rights people) talk about animal liberation and equal rights for animals, I do stand opposed to that.”
Sandlin has been able to maintain captivity of Tony despite a state law banning private possession of big cats, because Sandlin successfully lobbied Louisiana to pass Act 697, a law exempting Sandlin – and only Sandlin – from the big cat ban. The ALDF argues that this “one man exemption” violates the state constitution, which prohibits “special laws” designed to benefit a specific private individual or interest.
In August 2011, the ALDF sued the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries after it unlawfully granted Sandlin an exhibition permit for Tony. The court ruled in the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s favor and ordered the department to revoke Sandlin’s permit. The Louisiana Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 2013, but Tony remains in captivity at the Tiger Truck Stop because of Act 697.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says they will look into the complaint but says this doesn’t mean there is an open investigation.
Sandlin created this video to share his side about Tony. Do you believe Tony is being abused? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Roadside zoos are as bad and cruel as regular zoos. The animals don’t get to live life freely. They’re confined to a tiny space for their entire lives. I don’t think Michael Sandlin is necessarily cruel to Tony; however, his actions don’t negate the fact Tony is living a lonely life and has never experienced the real life of a tiger. He doesn’t have a lot of time remaining and it would seem cruel to take him away from the only life he has known.
Doesn’t sound like the USDA is going to investigate. It’s surprising that lawmakers made a law especially for him. What’s wrong with that picture?
It doesn’t sound promising from what they said but I’m not giving up hope yet. With pressure from the ALDF, we still can have hope Tony will be checked and be taken care of properly. Thank you for your thoughts.
Is anyone checking on Tony the Tiger? Instead of avoiding it, all someone has to do is to have a vet not associated with the ALDF or the owner check him out. Simple enough. Right? Thought so.