Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act (H.R. 4122)

I received the following message from Born Free and thought I'd share it with you since this is a very important initiative. Thank you for supporting the Big Cats Act.

Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor H.R. 4122

Dear Friend,

We will never forget Haley Hilderbrand, the 17-year-old who was attacked and killed by a Siberian tiger during a photo opportunity for her high school senior portrait back in 2003. Although Congress passed the "Captive Wildlife Safety Act" that same year, the need to crack down on private possession and breeding of big cats by all individuals — including licensed exhibitors — remains.

Born Free USA is working on an important congressional initiative to help protect big cats and the people who come near them. Sponsored by U.S. Reps. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), the "Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act" (H.R. 4122) prohibits future possession and breeding of lions, tigers and other big cats in the exotic "pet" trade. The bill also would require all current "owners" to register their big cats with the federal government. Please ask your U.S. representative  to co-sponsor the bill today.

At Born Free USA we are passionately (and compassionately) opposed to the whole notion of exotic "pets," and our work to protect big cats includes many bold moves on behalf of tigers and African lions.The big cats trade involves tremendous suffering and grave dangers to human health and safety. This is why we remain deeply concerned that an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 big cats are held in private ownership in the United States.

This bill is long overdue. In the past 21 years, U.S. incidents involving captive big cats — tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and lion/tiger hybrids — have resulted in the deaths of 21 humans, 246 maulings, 254 escapes, 143 big cat deaths and 131 confiscations.

Contact your congressional representative today and help us pass the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act. For the animals,

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Thank you for taking the time to read and care about the Big Cats!

Animals Matter!

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