Your Continued Support For Tony Is Needed!!

Update July 18, 2011: The July 22, 2011 hearing is postponed. More info when it becomes available.

Update on ALDF website: A hearing is now scheduled for July 22.

It’s unfortunate and disappointing that The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was granted a postponement of the hearing scheduled on June 14th, 2011. The Animal Legal Defense Fund sought a mandatory injunction which would require the LDWF to revoke the current permit and seize Tony so he would not have to wait until December 2011 for relocation. Why does the LDWF want the hearing postponed? Shouldn’t their concern be for Tony and his health and welfare? No further permits can be granted to Mr. Sandlin from the LDWF – why should Tony have to languish at the truck stop until December? The LDWF needs to exercise its authority and do what is best for Tony – revoke the current permit so he can have the life and care he deserves at a humane accredited big cat sanctuary that can provide all of his needs.

 In a recent article a spokesman for LDWF stated that: “The Department receives e-mails and U.S. Mail concerning Tony on a regular basis.” and “Public input favors revocation.” Source: http://www.examiner.com/animal-policy-in-national/public-input-favors-revocation-of-truck-stop-s-permit-to-keep-tiger-says-louisi

It’s important for us to continue advocating for Tony and for his release before December 2011.

 

Please take action on the following so the LDWF remains aware of our concerns for Tony:

• Sign and share Tony’s petitions.

ALDF Sponsorsed Petitions:

1. http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5154/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6207 (34K plus signatures)

2. http://www.change.org/petitions/speak-out-for-tony-the-truck-stop-tiger (6,200 plus signatures)

Care2 Sponsored Petition

3. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/129/272/008/

Petition Notes:

ALDF has asked for ongoing support of Tony’s petition(s) From: The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Facebook page: Our hearing to argue for Tony’s immediate release has been postponed due to a request by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. We will keep you posted once a new date has been scheduled. Please continue to sign ALDF’s petition to help free Tony!

 Care2 recently stated a petition for Tony though the text in the overview is misleading:

“This May, thanks to efforts by Care2 members and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agreed that Tony should be set free.”

 The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries never agreed that Tony should be set free. On May 6, 2011 Judge R. Michael Caldwell issued a permanent injunction barring the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from issuing any further permits to Tony’s owner Michael Sandlin. See The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s post: http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1700 and more information at: http://www.aldf.org/tony   

It’s very important that all correspondence for Tony be done in a respectable focused manner. While we are all very passionate and concerned about Tony, his health and welfare, please remember polite and focused letters have a better chance of being addressed and our concerns taken seriously. When you advocate for Tony, you are representing him – he deserves the utmost respect as do the individual(s) we are writing to. A recent reply from Secretary Barham was received. You can use the text of the ALDF petitions listed above as references to construct your letter.

• Voice your concerns for Tony, for the current permit to be revoked and for Tony to be relocated to a reputable, established, humane accredited big cat sanctuary that will meet all of his needs to:

Secretary Robert J. Barham
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
P.O. Box 98000
Baton Rouge, LA70898

Phone: (225) 765-2623
Fax: (225) 765-2607

You can also try these e-mail addresses for Mr. Barham; recent correspondence has not bounced back:

sfalcon@wlf.la.gov

rbarham@wlf.la.gov

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Online e-mail contact form for the LDWF: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/contact

Maria Davidson
Large Carnivore Program Manager
Louisiana Department Wildlife and Fisheries
5652 Highway 182
Opelousas LA 70570

Phone: (337) 948-0255
Fax: (337) 948-0213

e-mail: mdavidson@wlf.la.gov

Fred Kimmel (Ms. Davidson’s supervisor)
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Phone: (225) 765-2355

e-mail: fkimmel@wlf.la.gov

Main Office:
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Phone: (225) 765-2800

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

Office of The Governor
P. O. Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004
Phone: (225) 342-7015
Fax: (225) 342-7099

web e-mail form: http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=form&tmp=email_governor

• Please continue to share Tony’s ALDF link http://www.aldf.org/tony and the petition links with friends, family, and on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, etc.

Thanks to everyone for their dedication and support of Tony, with ‘freedom” so close for Tony, we must press on. Stay Strong Tony.