GROSSE TETE, LA—Seventeen-year-old Tony the Tiger, who lived at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete was euthanized Monday from what owner Michael Sandlin says was renal failure from old age. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) based in California believes his living conditions is what caused his death and wants to stop them from getting a tiger ever again.
ALDF Senior Staff Attorney, Tony Eliseuson says, “What contributed to that or caused that I certainly have concern that it was due to the vet care he was receiving at the truck stop. I’d would like to think if Tony had gotten in a sanctuary he would still be alive and with us today.”
ALDF has requested under the Louisiana Public Records Act a copy of his necropsy from LSU, where he died.
“Keeping tigers in poor conditions solely to promote his business. USDA repeatedly cited Truck Stop and the owner Mike Sandlin, for failing to provide basic vet care, clean drinking water and for mishandling tigers among other violations. It’s simply is not an appropriate place for a tiger,” says Eliseuson.
Sandlin and other truck stop employees disagree with ALDF saying he was treated like family and under the best care. Sandlin says, “He had the best diet in veterinarian care money can buy, air-conditioning in his den, whatever Tony needed or wanted, he got.” A Tiger Truck Stop employee added, “There was about 7 of us that took care of Tony. Tony was never alone, always had someone here 24 hours a day, feeding, checking on him—We always had his sprinklers going, played with him—His living conditions was better than the zoos.”
ALDF believes they have been exploiting tigers for decades. Sandlin has owned nearly 16 tigers at this truck stop over the last 30 years. At one time he had 5 tigers in the 3200 square feet cage.
ALDF has two Tony-related lawsuits, one seeking to uphold the constitutionality of the 2006 Louisiana Big Cat Ban which prohibits the private possession of big cats—which Sandlin has challenged.
Sandlin says, “We don’t feel like that it’s right for the state to pick and choose which federally licensed facility can keep a big cat and which ones can’t. We see that as classic definition of discrimination.”
The second, is concerns the United States Department of Agriculture’s refusal to recognize Tony as an “individual.” USDA only views humans as individuals so ALDF is litigating that issue in federal court in California.
One Tiger Truck Stop customer says, “The whole thing felt wrong because the last time I was here he couldn’t stand up. There was people throwing rocks at him to get him to move. Two steps away from being a prison. I don’t think they should have a tiger or any animal in there every again.”
Despite opposing views, Sandlin says he’s going to keep fighting for his right to continue the tiger exhibit for years to come. He’s hoping to get two more tigers. One he has pending at the GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.