Community Chat

[Tessa Mendoza]

I just hope the leopard will not be "punished" for doing what a leopard does.

[Mindy D]

@Porcelain @The place is a huge private home. The owner has the permit for the animal. The owner is the bigger idiot, since he has to know that his leopard is capable of doing this. This is a case of two really stupid humans. The strangest thing about this is that the leopard's owner does not look like he's hurting for cash. You should see the house.

They call the area behind the house an animal sanctuary. The owner let his insurance lapse. The attack victim is suing the animal sanctuary owner operator. The victim's name is Dwight Turner. The attack happened on August 31. The man was attacked seconds after entering the cage. The leopard put the man's  head in its mouth. The guy's ear was left hanging by a tiny piece of skin. The man was paying to play with and rub the leopard's belly. The man signed a release but Florida Fish and Wildlife says the release that he signed is moot because the close contact with the leopard is liiegal. The owner, Michael Poggi, was cited for maintaining captive wildlife in an unsafe condition. 

[qbetzforreal]

The owner is a piece of work.  He sells exotic animals on  You Tube.  Unbelievable.  I guess the guise of running an animal sanctuary is a front.

[Anonymous032819]

I detest these places that for a fee, have the public interact with a wild animal.

These places/operators by and large, don't take proper care of the animals, and it's the animals who pay the price for our "amusement" and " entertainment ".

When I was a teen in the '80's, my parents and I were walking through a local mall, when we came across a photo booth where you could have your picture taken holding a lion cub.

All I saw was a cute lion cub, and a chance to hold one.

I begged my parents could I please have my picture taken with the cub.

My mom reluctantly said "Okay".

So I had my picture taken (Polaroid) of me holding this lion cub, and me with a big smile on my face.

At the time, I was happy.

Now, I look back on it with guilt, shame and regret, that I was a willing participant in a dirty, vile industry, where they remove the innocent cub from its mother, just so stupid people like me can have their picture taken with it.

Once the cub is no longer "cute", they are discarded, sold to circuses, private "adopters", and even canned hunts, just to name a few.

The poor cats never have a chance to live a normal happy, healthy life from birth to adulthood.

I hate the fact that I did have that "experience", but at the time, I didn't know the dirty, ugly truth behind the scenes, but I feel that somehow I should have known.

So that's why I support places like Big Cat Rescue, in Florida, where they rescue cats from places where they have been mistreated, and get the best veterinary care, get tons of enrichment, and live a life full of peace and love.

It's my small way to try and make up for the stupid thing that I did when I was a teen.

So to say that I hate, loathe and despise these places that sell "experiences" would be an understatement, because as I said, it is the animals who ultimately pay the price for our "amusement".

Even adults only see what the promoter is selling.

"Come pet a tiger!"

" Come have your picture taken with a leopard! "

And the customer gets caught up in the excitement, that they don't stop to think and ask what kind of life is the animal living, where they are constantly on display for our "entertainment" .

So, yeah, the guy should have known better, no question, but I blame the one putting the leopard on display even more, for doing that to the cat in the first place.

It's abuse in my mind.

Abuse, cruel, and mistreatment of one of G-d's most beautiful creatures.

[Flatbush]

You don't need to blame yourself. You had no idea of the implications of doing that. Now that you know better, you would never repeat that. Be more forgiving of that young teen age girl. We all make mistakes that we have regretted.

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

I am so tired of people choosing to put themselves in harm's way, getting hurt, and expecting to be paid for their stupidity by way of a lawsuit.

The owner didn't hog tie him, take $150 out of his wallet and then chuck his dumb backside in with the leopard.

It is always fun and games til someone gets hurt. 

This wasn't a cute little leopard cub. I wouldn't care what the owner told me about the cat, how reassuring he was about safety, it's a freakin leopard.

In cases like this, I will always root for the animal.

[goldensrbest]

And the cat gets killed because of stupid people,   chances are.

[Abrowneyegirl]

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@Sushismom wrote:

And now I hear that moron is suing the other moron - the owner of the cat.

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The only one with a brain here is the cat!

[chiclets]

The ONLY victim here is the Leopard.

[Ladybug724]

Why would the owner even offer this activity as an option???