Final signature count: 21,536

21,536 signatures toward our 30,000 goal

The desire to have a tiger as a house pet is understandable, but for most people, it’s a daydream, as it should be. The reality is that big cats are wild animals, and no matter what age you bond with them, no matter how affectionate they might be, they cannot survive as a pet¹.

Despite the obvious difficulties of trying to feed and house a tiger or lion, the majority of “owners” are unable to care for the animals through adulthood. The cost of keeping a tiger alive and healthy in captivity is upwards of $6,000 a year, and many people simply abandon the animals or neglect them to an abhorrent degree².

Currently, there are between 5,000-7,000 big cats in private captivity in the United States³. That’s more than are still alive in the wild! There are not enough sanctuaries in the US to house and care for the number of big cats abandoned each year, leading to a massive issue for humans and animals alike⁴.

Purchasing a big cat is surprisingly easy, and while sanctuaries and zoos are held to safety and cruelty standards by the Department of Agriculture⁵, each state in the country has different laws regarding exotic animals.

The Endangered Species Act does not prohibit breeding or selling endangered animals, so tracking every sale is impossible, especially across state lines⁶. Some states have blanket bans in place, and some states lack any kind of regulation at all. Worst of all, the Department of Agriculture has no regulatory power over private owners, meaning the most severely abused animals have next to no hope⁷.

The House has passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R.263), banning the selling, purchasing, and housing of big cats⁸. The next step is for the Senate to do the same with the companion bill (S.1210)⁹.

Sign now and ask the Senate to pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act!