meanSpleen

Animal rights activists rejoice. They freed the tigers (BIG CATS) from captivity from a residential home in Riverside. Thats near In/Near Los Angeles for those who don't know.

excerpts from - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...4/MN295007.DTL

"On his Web site, John Weinhart bills himself as running a retirement home for big cats once used by the entertainment industry. But what officials found at his home in rural Riverside County this week was more like a mortuary.

On Tuesday, the authorities from the state Department of Fish and Game found some 30 dead animals on his property -- most of them large cats like tigers -- with 58 cubs also dead in a freezer. Among the living, they found 11 baby cats -- nine tigers and two leopards -- estimated to be just 10 to 14 days old in a crawl space and another two young tigers outside. In the bathtub were two reptiles, identified as alligators.




Dead tigers, other big cats in home
Animal sanctuary owner, wife arrested

Barbara Whitaker, New York Times Thursday, April 24, 2003

Los Angeles -- On his Web site, John Weinhart bills himself as running a retirement home for big cats once used by the entertainment industry. But what officials found at his home in rural Riverside County this week was more like a mortuary.

On Tuesday, the authorities from the state Department of Fish and Game found some 30 dead animals on his property -- most of them large cats like tigers -- with 58 cubs also dead in a freezer. Among the living, they found 11 baby cats -- nine tigers and two leopards -- estimated to be just 10 to 14 days old in a crawl space and another two young tigers outside. In the bathtub were two reptiles, identified as alligators.

"It was like walking through the a Hollywood set for a high-budget horror movie," said Charles Traisi, manager of Fund for Animals, a wildlife rehabilitation center in San Diego, which took possession of the young cats.

"There was no way to walk around the property without walking through animal feces or on the bones and remains of dead animals," Traisi said. "The filth was everywhere."

Weinhart, 60, was arrested along with his wife, Marla Smith, 47, and charged with child endangerment, said Sgt. Shelley Kennedy-Smith, a spokeswoman with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Their 8-year-old son was taken into custody by child welfare officials.

A veterinarian, Dr. Wendelin Ringel, 40, was also arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.

All three have been released on bail, Kennedy-Smith said.

It had not been determined why the animals were at Weinhart's home rather than Tiger Rescue, a nonprofit sanctuary he operates in nearby Colton, San Bernardino County. Messages left at Tiger Rescue were not returned.

But on his Web site he claims to have been rescuing cats that were used in movies, television and other entertainment productions for more than 30 years. For much of that time the animals were kept at his private residence, where the animals were found on Tuesday. But as the land around his home developed, according to the Web site, he was forced to move the animals and found a new home in Colton.

"We don't feel we've done anything wrong," said Steve Jeffries. "We have enough food, water and shelter for all the cats." "

__________________
Like TFP? Donate To Keep It Alive!!

Grondar

It's unfortunate so many animals died while in captivity, but at least they got this guy in the end.

But he did run a tiger sanctuary as well, so it is rather odd. Generally I would think people that take the incentive to run such a sanctuary have good intentions and don't want to harm the animals.

IMO these big cats don't even belong in the states. They should be in their native habitats or on a wild life preservation in their native land.

__________________
"Yes, I rather like this God fellow. He's very theatrical, you know, a pestilence here, a plague there. Omnipotence. Gotta get me some of that." -Stewie

John Henry

That's messed up. It's funny, though, how this guy gets all the blame and the article doesn't mention that the Hollywood eeps shouldn't have had the tigers in the first place and should have checked the guy's credentials first.

__________________
"No one was behaving from very Buddhist motives. Then, thought Pigsy, he was hardly a Buddha, nor was he a monkey. Presently, he was a pig spirit changed into a little girl pretending to be a little boy to be offered to a water monster. It was all very simple to a pig spirit."

alpha phi

this abuse is soooo.. sad!
there are several other shelters that take in these kind of animals, and they never have enough money to run.
it seems this guy resorted to breeding to support the rest of his opperation.
You'd think his premises would be inspected
the other big cat reserves are continously inspected by donors, zoo's, students, and animal rights groups.
how in the world did he go unnoticed for so long?

__________________

Scorpio

Why do people with the least amount of brains manage to cause the most damage??