I have a friend who volunteers at Big Cats of Serenity Springs who wrote me that as much as she loves volunteering there, she has some concerns as to how things there are run and I'd like to know what your thoughts are.

These are her words to me...

First of all, I don't understand why it is legal to breed endangered species and sell them to one another in the United States and I don't understand why we can't get laws passed prohibiting the ownership of endangered species.  I understand CITIES listings and that not all cats are endangered but certainly most are threatened and in any event, I know your organization shares my frustrations.  So then my question is, is it legal for this breeder in Oklahoma to destroy the cubs he breeds-the one's he determines after birth that there isn't a market for?  Is it ethical for Serenity Springs to continue to take in cubs to bring money into their sanctuary for the care of the other cats and the young ones now to be cared for for the rest of their lives instead of trying to change the very system that is enabling them to have cubs?  Of course I don't want them destroyed; none of them, but when every sanctuary and rescue is filled and he's still breeding, what then?  How do we change these laws or make it more difficult for people to breed and sell across state lines or however the laws need to be written to identify the loop holes?  Is there anything that you can do or do you have knowledge of this facility and find my friend's observations to be incorrect in some way? 

As I've said, I am not an animal extremist or psycho activist who would rather them all dead than in the care of professional providers such as ourselves. I'm a concerned conservationist, biologist and animal care professional.