Victory! Tiger Truck Stop's Permit Revoked

On Wednesday, Judge Michael Caldwell of the East Baton Rouge District Court ruled in favor of a motion filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to free Tony, a siberian-bengal tiger, from his concrete prison at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, LA, where he exists as an attraction for his owner Michael Sandlin.

The ruling will force the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to revoke the permit that has allowed Sandlin to keep Tony for all these years. Not only will the current permit be revoked, but the LDWF will also be prohibited from issuing the Tiger Truck Stop any new permits to keep tigers.

Tony has lived at the Tiger Truck Stop since 2000, he’s been alone there since 2003. His plight has garnered the attention of travelers, animal lovers and celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Kristin Bauer who have been fighting for years to have him freed from the cage where he’s been stuck surrounded by the constant sound and smell of trucks and diesel engines.

Last May, Caldwell issued a similar ruling granting the ALDF’s request for a permanent injunction against the LDWF, preventing them from renewing Sandlin’s annual permit as of December on the grounds that it was illegal for them to issue one in the first place, but the Louisiana Court of Appeals overturned the ruling on the basis that Sandlin should have been part of the lawsuit, which led to a new trial.

“We are thrilled that the court made the right decision,” said ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “We will continue to do everything we can to make sure Tony’s next home is a reputable, accredited sanctuary that can give Tony the life he deserves.”

Related Stories:

Truck Stop Tiger Ruling Overturned

Victory! ALDF Wins Freedom for Tony the Truck Stop Tiger

Lawsuit Filed to Free Truck Stop Tiger

Photo credit: arnybo via flickr

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

federico b.

12:46PM PDT on Apr 28, 2012

TONY libero!

send a green star

Sandi C.

6:37AM PDT on Apr 28, 2012

POOR TONY!

Suzana M.

6:32AM PDT on Apr 28, 2012

My goodness to defend someone who keeps Tony in a cage for the past 12 years boggles the mind. Why do we want to be treated with respect and compassion and yet deny the basic needs of our fellow animal brothers and sisters? My God is a God of compassion. He would never in a million years condone imprisonment of any animal for our selfish purposes.

Elizabeth C.

3:04PM PDT on Apr 7, 2012

Sounds interesting that he can scratch his back on the roof of his house, that sounds like a lot of room for him (not). What about trees to climb and grass to roll around in that's more for a tiger.

Kati T.

7:03PM PDT on Mar 27, 2012

And I know a lot because I've been there and know people who have been there. It isn't some giant conspiracy. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean that they are frauds.

6:26PM PDT on Mar 27, 2012

Anne, actually no, but he is a trucker and he was there last night. I haven't been there in a couple of years but when I was last there he seemed happy to me. How many of you have actually been there to check out these claims for yourselves or do you always believe what you've read on the internet? Of course, I'm just someone who's writing on the internet, so don't take my word for it, go there and see Tony, his condition, his home and then tell me how bad things are for him.

If the air isn't fit for an animal to breathe in, wouldn't our time be better spent keeping humans from breathing it? Just saying...

9:39PM PDT on Mar 26, 2012

Kati joins just today, in time to defend the truck stop owner. And she seems to know a lot about the situation. Just sayin.

9:33PM PDT on Mar 26, 2012

Kati, is your boyfriend the one who owns the truck stop? Can't think of any other reason you would think the tiger's life was ok.

9:30PM PDT on Mar 26, 2012

Have you ever even been there? It's four times the legal limit for tiger enclosures in that state. I haven't been terribly recently, but as of last night my boyfriend says he seems pretty happy.

9:28PM PDT on Mar 26, 2012

Er, life