Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Board Meeting
12.2.2010
Hello my name is Mary Haik. I’m a Louisiana resident and come before you today to
speak for people across the world who are fighting for the welfare of Tony, the tiger on
exhibit at a truck stop in Grosse Tete, LA.
Many of you are already aware that this tiger is the most talked about tiger in the
world. There have been many allegations of noncompliance. I am sure that the
Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF) has some sort of explanation or
rebuttal to the allegations of noncompliance for example, algae in Tony’s water bowl, or
the tiger never having had a complete medical exam which includes blood and other lab
work. But, the record demonstrates unarguably that The Truck Stop has been in a non
compliant situation with the Iberville Parish Ordinance 3-91, from 2000 until November
4, 2010, and with LAC Title 76, Part V, Section 115 from 2006 – November 4, 2010. I
will discuss briefly the facts of this case which cannot be argued away or
grandfathered away and are indisputably supported in black and white:
First
The Iberville Parish Ordinance of 1993 stipulated that “no person shall keep or permit to
be kept on his premises any wild, exotic, vicious animal or reptile for display or for
exhibition purposes whether gratuitously or for a fee.” The Department has already
acknowledged this noncompliance in letters to Mr. Sandlin, Tony’s owner. In a letter
from the LDWF dated October 17, 2008, Mr. Sandlin was advised that his permit was
put on hold pending confirmation that the Truck Stop was in compliance with the
ordinance within 30 days of the date of the letter. THEN-- In a letter from the LDWF
dated November 17, 2008, Mr. Barham denied Mr. Sandlin’s permit and ordered the
tiger be removed within 30 days. Yet the tiger was not removed in 30 days or ever, for
that matter.
Secondly
It seemed that Louisiana was ready to create a new image in April 2006, with the
amendment to Title 76, Part V, Chapter 1, Wild Quadrupeds, which made ownership of
tigers illegal in Louisiana unless exempted. The revised statute allowed an exemption to
own wild animals like tigers if they were legally owned on August 15, 2006.
In March 2009, the Iberville Parish Ordinance was amended with a grandfather clause
exempting Mr. Sandlin retroactively to August 15, 2006, the date specified in the Title
76 exempting those who LEGALLY OWNED a tiger on that date.
How could a tiger be grandfathered in the Iberville Parish Ordinance 3-91, written in
1993 when he was born July 2000 and was already illegally owned since the year 2000-after the law was established prohibiting the exhibition and legal ownership of this
tiger?
To the entire rest of the world this is an obvious attempt to circumvent the
law. Period. I am saddened to say, and with no disrespect to this Commission or to
the people of our great state, that this is one of those times when the whole world
looks at Louisiana and thinks that we reek of corruption and idiocy.
Finally without dispute :
The record demonstrates unarguably that since March 2009, when the Iberville Parish
ordinance was amended to legitimize this tiger, Mr. Sandlin was carrying only $100K in
liability coverage and not the required $500K. In my conversation with Maria Davidson,
October 21, 2010, she stated that she was unaware of this last December when the permit
was issued, and had since found out. Yet the Department took no action. Even though
the Iberville Parish Ordinance states that if any of the conditions are not met “the tiger
shall be immediately removed”, when Mr. Ourso, the Iberville Parish President was
approached on October 29, 2010, the tiger was NOT immediately removed; instead Mr.
Sandlin was given 2 weeks to comply. The record shows that the insurance condition had
not been met since the inception of both the Iberville Parish permit and the LDWF
permit, until November 5, 2010.
So, I come to you today to ask:
If these indisputable incidents of non compliance year after year are not enough to
deny a permit, then what is? and
2. If laws are written to protect these endangered species, and then the laws are not
enforced as written, then why write them, in the first place?
1.
Thank you all for the time to present on behalf of Tony and the Free Tony The Tiger
Campaign.