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PERFORMING ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY
Rescue. Advocacy. Sanctuary. For Life.
Since 1984
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Rescued tigers Rosemary and Morris in their habitat at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary.
| Big Cat Public Safety Act Update | |
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Thanks to everyone who took action and contacted their elected officials, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted on December 20, 2022. The Act bans the private ownership of big cats as pets and prohibits public contact with big cats, including those used in cub petting operations.
For PAWS, this is personal. We care for eight tigers, and all except one were once subjected to the misery of cub petting operations where babies are torn from their mothers soon after birth, held in impoverished conditions, and constantly handled by paying customers. This includes tigers such as Wilhelm (above), Rosemary, Herman, and Morris.
Today, all of our tigers are cared for and treated with respect and dignity, with large and stimulating natural habitats to roam and explore, shady trees to stretch and scratch on, and pools for a cool dip.
So what does passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act mean for big cats in the U.S. and the sanctuaries that often rescue them? And what can you do to help ensure this law is enforced? Read on!
Private ownership
The Act makes it illegal to own specified big cat species (see below). Those already holding big cats may keep their animals, but they cannot sell, breed, or buy more cats. To legally keep their cats, owners must register them with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) by June 18, 2023. Failure to comply can result in forfeiture of the cats.
What you can do: Once the registration date passes, it may take time for the FWS to identify and contact non-compliant owners. The public can then help by reporting people who possess big cat “pets” to LawEnforcement@fws.gov. Please let us know if you have filed a report; send an email to cdoyle@pawsweb.org.
Public contact with big cats
The law prohibits direct contact between the public and specified big cats (see below) of any age, including young cubs. This aspect of the law is in place now.
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What you can do: If a facility is offering cub petting with prohibited species (see below), you can report it to LawEnforcement@fws.gov. Please let us know if you have filed a report; send an email to cdoyle@pawsweb.org.
Big cats prohibited under the Act
Included are the following species and hybrids of these species: lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, jaguar, cheetah, and cougar.
How does the Act affect sanctuaries holding big cats?
We have high hopes for the law, but it’s too soon to tell how quickly things may change or how vigorously the law will be enforced. Like other sanctuaries, we look forward to the day when we will be out of business because wild animals are no longer exploited. But we’re not there yet.
Unfortunately, animal exploiters do not give up easily. Private owners may illegally acquire big cat cubs smuggled into the country. And exhibitors are already testing ways to get around the cub petting prohibition or turning to smaller species of wild cats such as servals and caracals. Until this can be stopped, cubs will be bred and exploited for profit, only to be dumped when no longer useful.
Sanctuaries will continue to play an important role in rescuing and advocating on behalf of these suffering animals used for public contact. We all need to remain vigilant and continue the necessary work to shut down those who use and abuse captive wild animals for entertainment.
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PAWS Collaborates to
Protect Captive Wild Animals
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PAWS often works with other animal protection organizations on key issues concerning captive wildlife. Recently, we collaborated with the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and 13 other sanctuaries to submit comments in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans for a new rule on the public handling of wild and exotic animals, training for handlers, and environmental enrichment for animals.
Our comments firmly oppose the public handling of wild animals. We also recognize the USDA’s limited resources which prevent the agency from effectively monitoring the large volume of facilities offering public contact with wild animals. These animal interactions are not only inhumane, they present serious threats to public health and safety.
By pooling our knowledge and experience with that of other sanctuaries and organizations, PAWS can more effectively advocate on behalf of captive wildlife and work to end the exploitation of these animals.
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Above: Photographs showing stone-rubbing behaviour in a subadult brown bear (Ursus arctos). The animal picked up a rock from the sea floor and manipulated it (Panels A and B). It then retrieved a second rock, manipulated it, and rubbed it repeatedly against its neck and muzzle (Panels C-E) before dropping it (Panel F). The entire sequence was repeated with another rock (not shown). Volker B. Deecke, 2012 (see full reference below) | Bears Are Amazing Animals: Tool Use | |
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As part of our Year of the Bear campaign, PAWS is drawing attention to an animal that deserves more of our respect and protection in the wild and in captivity. Each month, we provide often little-known facts about bears – their intelligence, agility, and complex behaviors. Despite these important characteristics, bears continued to be exploited in circus-like shows, for cub petting, and in decrepit roadside zoos.
Tool use was once thought to be a behavior that only humans were capable of, but it has been documented in the animal kingdom. It is the use of any kind of tool to achieve a goal. While the great majority of animals do not use tools, those that do represent an interesting diversity of species, including various mammals, birds, fishes, and invertebrates (e.g. octopus).
Tool use is considered evidence for advanced intelligence, including creative problem solving, advance planning, goal-directedness, or the presence of culturally transmitted behaviors. For example, chimpanzees use stones to crack nuts. Elephants modify and use tree branches to chase away flies. Crows shape twigs into spears and hooks that they use to eat grubs. The orange-dotted tusk fish uncovers a clam in the sand, carries it to a rock, and repeatedly dashes the clam against the rock to crush it.
Bears also have been observed using tools (above). In one case, a wild brown bear (also known as a grizzly bear) repeatedly picked up barnacle-encrusted rocks found in shallow water, manipulated and re-positioned them with their paws, and used the rocks to rub their neck and muzzle. This may have helped relieve irritated skin or clean the fur. In an experiment, captive brown bears moved and manipulated a tree stump to reach a desired food hanging overhead.
These complex behaviors indicate that brown bears possess advanced thinking skills. In fact, brown bears are considered to have the largest brains relative to body size of all carnivores.
Bears possess many traits used to explain the evolution of advanced intelligence in other species: long life span, extended period of dependency on the mother (2-4 years) during which cubs obtain life skills through individual and social learning, highly seasonal environments that require the effective use of a variety of food sources across large spaces, and complex feeding strategies.
With further study, it is possible that we will learn even more fascinating information about the intelligence of bears.
References: Volker B. Deecke (2012) Tool use in the brown bear (Ursus arctos), Animal Cognition 15(4), pp. 725-730.
Washington State University, Grizzly Bears Use Tools? (2016) found at: https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/grizzly-bears-use-tools/
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Big Day of Giving is Right Around the Corner
Act Now and You Can Double Your Gift to PAWS!
Donations Will be Matched up to $31,500!
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We need your help to raise $75,000 (or more!) in 24 hours to feed and care for the elephants, tigers, bears, and other wild animals at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary. Rescued or retired from circuses, zoos, and the exotic "pet" trade, today these animals roam spacious natural habitats where they can just be wild animals again.
Big Day of Giving starts at midnight on Thursday, May 4, and runs for 24 hours. The event helps Sacramento-area non-profits, but you can give no matter where you live – and you can make an early contribution right now by clicking on the donate button below!
Double Your Donation!
Thanks to matching gifts from generous friends of PAWS, online donations made on the Big Day of Giving website will be doubled up to $31,500!
Make your Big Day of Giving gift TODAY.
Minimum donation is $15; all major credit cards accepted. Early donations will be added to the leaderboard on the Big Day of Giving website (bigdayofgiving.org) on May 4.
Two Ways to Donate:
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Click on the "Donate Now" button below, which takes you to PAWS' Big Day of Giving donation site. Your contribution there gives PAWS the chance to win financial prizes throughout the 24-hour event.
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Call PAWS' office at 209-745-2606, Mon.-Fri., between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Pacific Time) to charge your donation. Be sure to tell our staff that your donation is for Big Day of Giving.
Please encourage friends, family and colleagues to donate, and share this event widely on social media.
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PAWS thanks these special friends for their matching gifts: Kristina Wiley, D.D.S. ($1,000); Kevin and Susan McCourt ($1,000); Laura Dowling and Doug Davis ($2,000); Peg Cheng ($2,500); Sandy and Ray Monticelli ($10,000); Tigers In America ($2,500); Deb Hoffman, M.D. ($2,500); Margo Duckett, Colonel, USAF NC (ret) ($5,000); Kerr Family Foundation ($5,000).
We are still accepting matching gift opportunities. If you would like to participate, please contact Kim Gardner at kimkleingardner@yahoo.com or 1-916-539-5305 before May 4.
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San Andreas FPD Helps Keep ARK 2000 Safe | |
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Thank you to San Andreas Fire Protection District and Chief Don Young for helping us safely clean up following months of fierce winter storms that blew down trees and limbs around the ARK 2000 sanctuary property – but fortunately did not affect animal habitats.
After PAWS’ staff finished sawing, grinding, and chipping away at the downed trees earlier this month, the fire department helped us with burn piles. It was good training for the firefighters, most of whom are volunteers, and enhances fire safety conditions at the sanctuary.
San Andreas FPD has been our first line of defense for more than 20 years and we greatly appreciate their expertise, help, and support!
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THANK YOU!
April Amazon Wish List Donors:
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Jessica Trout: one 16 oz. bag of dried blueberries. Carmen Miller: one 4 lb. bag of almonds; two bottles of CosequinDS, 132#. Julia Kliger: one 3 lb. bag of Brazil nuts; one 4 lb. bag of almonds; one 1 lb. bag of dried diced apples; one 2 lb. bag of banana chips. Jolene M. Ladyman: one box of AA batteries. Lynn Bruser: one 2 lb. bag of walnuts; two 1 lb. bags of apple chips; one 1 lb. bag of dried blueberries; one 2 lb. bag of banana chips; one 2 lb. bag of almonds. Kathy Turner: one bottle of Amcelle Tocopherol (Vitamin E), 1000 ml. Anonymous Donor: one scoop shovel. | |
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We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. We have an ongoing need for many of the products listed. Click here to review the items and donate.
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PAWS provides lifetime care to the tigers, bears, elephants, and other animals who call our sanctuary home. Your kind support provides expert daily care, necessary veterinary treatments, and specialized nutritional support, all tailored to the individual needs of each animal. Your gifts make this excellent care possible. | |
There are many ways you can help PAWS animals: | |
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Donate. Although we work closely with regulatory agencies on animal rescues, PAWS receives no government funding and must rely on your donations to continue our work. When you make a contribution for the wild animals at PAWS, it is unlike any other. How many people can say they’ve gifted elephants with spacious rolling hills and a more natural life, or made a present of a lush, tree-filled habitat for a tiger? Or given a bear a new chance at life? And you ensure we are prepared for the next wild animal in dire need of rescue. Three ways to give and every donation matters.
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PAWS is proud of its 4-star rating with Charity Navigator - the highest rating possible. We are part of an elite group of charities with an "exceptional" designation (at least four consecutive years of 4-star ratings), meaning that your gift will have the greatest impact possible. CharityWatch gives PAWS an "A" rating.
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Give to one of PAWS' ongoing MightyCause campaigns: Our "Dollars for Dirt" or "Give BIG for PAWS' Elephants" fundraisers for the elephants, like Prince (pictured), or our "Help Captive Tigers" fundraiser to benefit the rescued tigers living at our ARK 2000 sanctuary.
Adopt A PAWS Animal. If you would like to help our animals, one of the best ways is to become an "adoptive parent," or give a PAWS adoption as a gift to an animal lover in your life. PAWS adoptions are symbolic adoptions only. No animal will be sent! Learn more
PAWS Partnerships. Help us change the life of a victim of captivity by becoming a PAWS Partner. PAWS partnerships help support our sanctuary operations and the day-to-day care of the animals. Learn more
Estates/Planned Giving. You can help us make sure captive wildlife in need of shelter will always have PAWS' sanctuary to call home! Learn more
Corporate Donations and Matching Fund Programs. Learn more about what is needed.
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Purchase PAWS apparel and merchandise. Clothing for adults, kids, toddlers and infants, as well as other fun merchandise like notecards and coffee mugs - available from our CafePress online gift shop.
PAWS Amazon Wish List. We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. Many items are ongoing. The list is always current! View here.
EBAY Giving Works. Visit PAWS eBay page to view our current listings and to bid. List your items on EBAY and choose PAWS as your charity. Donate a percentage of each sale to the animals. Visit our EBAY charity listing page here. Start selling or buying!
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Shop online through IGive and raise money for PAWS! Up to 26% of your purchase - at more than 1,600 retailers - can be donated to PAWS. Learn more
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