Update On Tony September 10, 2009
Maria Davidson, of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, is replying to e-mails with the following "automated" response:
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries appreciates your interest in the well being of the Tiger, but now that the truck stop has a local permit we have begun the process for a state application. It is our Department policy not to comment on pending applications, but we will always consider the well being of the cat to be our top priority.
Again, thank you for your concern,
Maria Davidson
Ms. Davidson's supervisor is Fred Kimmel and his office number is:
(225) 765-2355
Legal ssues to bring up when you contact Mr. Kimmel:
Sandlin's fuel supplier is CONOCO-PHILLIPS. Contact them and ask how they feel about this specatcle of animal abuse and neglect at one of their customer's stations.
http://www.conocophillips.com/EN/utilities/contact/pages/questions_company.aspx
Contacts:
Maria Davidson
Large Carnivore Program Manager
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: (225) 765-2800
e-mail: mdavidson@wlf.louisiana.gov
I was told that Ms. Davidson can also be contacted at:
Maria Davidson
Large Carnivore Program Manager
Louisiana Department Wildlife and Fisheries
5652 Highway 182
Opelousas LA 70570
Phone: (337) 948-0255
Fax: (337) 948.0213
e-mail: mdavidson@wlf.louisiana.gov
Robert J. Barham, Secretary
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
P.O. Box 98000
Baton Rouge, LA 70898
Phone: (225) 765-2623
Fax: (225) 765-2607
e-mail: Chendrick@wlf.louisiana.gov
Governor Bobby Jindal (Louisiana Governor)
Governor Bobby Jindal
Office of The Governor
P. O. Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA70804-9004
Phone: 225-342-7015
Fax: 225-342-7099
link to e-mail form on website: http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=form&tmp=email_governor
e-mail: contact@gov.state.la.us
Websites With More Information About Tony:
http://tigerworldnews.wordpress.com/tony-the-truck-stop-tiger/
http://tigerworldnews.wordpress.com/urgent-please-help-tony/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Tony-the-Tiger-from-Michael-Sandlin/174268380315
http://savetonythetiger.blogspot.com/
http://savethetigers62.blogspot.com/search?q=tony+truck
PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE TONY'S VOICE.
OBLIVIOUS TO DEBATE...Tony, the Bengal tiger who is a roadside attraction at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, takes a nap as the debate about his future draws national and international attention on a petition website. The Iberville Parish Council will hold a public hearing on the tiger issue at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the second floor of the Courthouse.
Truck stop gets parish permit to keep tiger
By DEIDRE CRUSE, Governmental Reporter
GateHouse News Service
Mon Jul 20, 2009, 01:04 PM CDT
Village of Grosse Tete, La.
Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin has cleared the second of three hurdles required for him to keep Tony the tiger as a roadside attraction, Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso Jr. announced Monday.
The parish government issued Sandlin a permit to keep the tiger.
"He met all the obligations the parish had for him," Ourso said.
Chief Administrative Edward A. "Lucky" Songy Jr., who handled the permitting process, said the U. S. Department of Agriculture issued Sandlin a license last month, but the truck stop owner still has to get a third permit from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
"If Wildlife and Fisheries says no, the tiger has to go," Songy said. "If they say yes, he stays."
Wildlife and Fisheries set off a battle over the tiger in December when it denied Sandlin a permit because of a parish ordinance against keeping wild, exotic or vicious animals and reptiles.
Sandlin went to court and won a temporary restraining order o stop the state agency from requiring him to move the tiger to an approved facility, but the case drew interest from animal rights activists who campaigned to have the tiger sent to a wildlife refuge in Florida or Tennessee. Tony drew statewide, national and even international attention.
The Iberville Parish Council voted in February to make an exception for Tony in the parish law, but Ourso vetoed the action and insisted on standards to assure the health and welfare of the tiger, and the protection of the public.
In March, the Parish Council passed an ordinance setting out the standards. It has taken until this month for Sandlin to meet all the requirements.
One sticking point was adequate insurance on the tiger in case of his escape, the parish president said. He said Sandlin's policy had covered the animal only on the truck stop premises.
Sandlin has kept tigers at the truck stop for some years, and has never had an escape.
Ourso said the owner has an escape plan in place, and all his employees have been trained in the use of weapons to deal with the tiger if necessary. The escape plan has been sent to the Office of Emergency Preparedness and local law enforcement agencies, he said.
Iberville Animal Control is conducting a weekly inspection at the truck stop to assure the tiger is well cared for, the parish president said.
The ordinance setting out the parish requirements for the truck stop tiger also says Tony will be the last cat allowed there.
http://www.postsouth.com/homepage/x737379895/Truck-stop-gets-parish-permit-to-keep-tiger
PLEASE E-MAIL, FAX, AND POSTAL MAIL THE FOLLOWING CONTACTS AND ASK THEM NOT TO ISSUE SANDLIN A STATE PERMIT.
Maria Davidson
Large Carnivore Program Manager
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: (225) 765-2800
e-mail: mdavidson@wlf.louisiana.gov
I was told that Ms. Davidson can also be contacted at:
Maria Davidson
Large Carnivore Program Manager
Louisiana Department Wildlife and Fisheries
5652 Highway 182
Opelousas LA 70570
Phone: (337) 948-0255
Fax: (337) 948.0213
e-mail: mdavidson@wlf.louisiana.gov
Robert J. Barham, Secretary
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
P.O. Box 98000
Baton Rouge, LA 70898
Phone: (225) 765-2623
Fax: (225) 765-2607
e-mail: Chendrick@wlf.louisiana.gov
Governor Bobby Jindal (Louisiana Governor)
Governor Bobby Jindal
Office of The Governor
P. O. Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA70804-9004
Phone: 225-342-7015
Fax: 225-342-7099
link to e-mail form on website: http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=form&tmp=email_governor
e-mail: contact@gov.state.la.us
According to this article "Truck stop gets parish permit to keep tiger" http://www.postsouth.com/homepage/x737379895/Truck-stop-gets-parish-permit-to-keep-tiger :
"Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin has cleared the second of three hurdles required for him to keep Tony the tiger as a roadside attraction, Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso Jr. announced Monday.
The parish government issued Sandlin a permit to keep the tiger.
"He met all the obligations the parish had for him," Ourso said.
Chief Administrative Edward A. "Lucky" Songy Jr., who handled the permitting process, said the U. S. Department of Agriculture issued Sandlin a license last month, but the truck stop owner still has to get a third permit from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
"If Wildlife and Fisheries says no, the tiger has to go," Songy said. "If they say yes, he stays."
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