Community Chat

[tends2dogs]

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@Ladybug724 wrote:

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

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$$$$$$$$

[Porcelain]

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@Mindy D wrote:

@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. 

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That's just weird. Animal rescues are generally not at all profitable. Complete labors of love.

So I'm not even going to go there in speculating about what else that guy might be selling or offering to be able to afford his set up. Seems like a potential blackmail factory, though. Any time you've got an illicit/illegal good being sold, the seller has something to hold over the buyer forever after the purchase.

[Porcelain]

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@Anonymous032819 wrote:

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.

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The people selling those experiences lie to their customers. They say the animals are happy and well cared for. And that's enough for most customers to feel good enough to buy the experience and take the picture.

You didn't truly know better at the time, but you do now. Even if you did suspect something wasn't quite right about the cub being away from its mother, you didn't have enough information to make an informed decsion at the time. You are not guilty of anything other than just not knowing, and taking part in a situation that seemed okay. And you've rememdied that. Famous quote I rely on all the time: when you know better, you do better.

[depglass]

I thought this would be a risque story.  

[lovesrecess]

I hope they did not euthanize the leopard. It was protecting itself from someone who invaded its space. Anyone who knows anything about cats knows they hate to have their tummies rubbed or touch; allowing it is an act of submission; cats are not submissive like dogs...the man should be charged with animal abuse for taunting it and whoever he paid to do it should be charged as well...also whoever is keeping leopards in a cage should be put in a cage....I hate zoos also! Calling the man a moron is an understatement. He is a victim only of his own stupidity, and the leopard is a victim of idiot humans. It is a heinous act to use innocent animals to make a few bucks at their expense.

[MoonieBaby]

ANIMAL ABUSE - pure and simple, not sorry for the human either. Definitely not sorry.

Very sorry for the animal.

[furbabylover]

@CrazyKittyLvr2  Granted, this place should be shut down and the owners sent to jail. BUT, maybe the leopard had some fun tearing up an idiot. After all, its instinct to pounce and attack, so maybe it got to exercise some primal cues. I just hope and pray the leopard was not hurt and did not feel in danger.

[Mindy D]

This happened too close to my area for comfort. I'm going to call the county for a list of exotic animal owners and share the list with the others in the developments that live near me. We already have 19 foot boa constrictors, monitor lizards, huge gators and possibly Florida panthers, though one has not been seen here and they are highly endangered. We need to know which homes have these animals. Nearby me there are huge estates which have acreage. The zoning there allows for horses and other farm animals,  and even helipads and  planes on the property. I'm guessing exotic animal permits are issued there too. 

[Puppy Lips]

I am not a cat person. But I do know (from experience) that some, or all? don’t like their belly rubbed. Why is that?

[Mindy D]

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@Porcelain wrote:

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@Mindy D wrote:

@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. 

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That's just weird. Animal rescues are generally not at all profitable. Complete labors of love.

So I'm not even going to go there in speculating about what else that guy might be selling or offering to be able to afford his set up. Seems like a potential blackmail factory, though. Any time you've got an illicit/illegal good being sold, the seller has something to hold over the buyer forever after the purchase.

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@Porcelain @This guy sells monkeys for big bucks. He sells marmosets and other monkeys. This is a money making operation. It's not a rescue. If you put his name on YouTube you can see all his customers with their pets. Lots of marmoset buyers. They are cute. Some other monkeys sold too. We will have to wait to see if the Town of Davie and a Broward County pull this guy's license to keep these animals. His lack of insurance coverage on his business might cause him to lose insurance on his home. If he does not own the home out right, the bank could recall his home loan. We'll see. The home might be owned by the business. The guy is an idiot to risk his entire business for $150. He's also living up in La La Land for letting anyone get in the enclosure with the leopard. How could he be so lax with the safety of another person? The leopard does not look full grown yet, b tw. Females are supposed to be smaller. She doesn't look too large. I can't see the rosette coloration under her black outer coat. Black leopards have this coloration. I wonder if the cat is a hybrid. The place calls itself an exotic animal sanctuary and animal rescue and is named Poggi's Animal House. He was given a misdemeanor citation.