In the United States, thousands of tigers languishing in tiny, filthy cages and are dropping off the radar daily as there is no one monitoring what happens to them next.
"Generic tigers" that are inbred, crossbred or otherwise not considered purebred, are discarded into the pet trade, warehoused in tiny, barren cells or worse; ending up on dinner menus, skinned, stuffed or disappearing into the black market trade.
Back in the 1980s the US Fish & Wildlife Service decided it was too much bother to deal with every back yard breeder who wanted a permit to breed tigers, so they created a "generic tiger" loophole. It essentially states that if you are not a legitimate American Zoological Association accredited zoo, which must conform to permitting requirements to breed purebred tigers, then you can breed, exploit and discard tigers at will and with virtually no oversight.
Please rescind the "generic tiger" loophole and require that all tiger breeding require a costly permit that insures the lifetime care of the tiger.
SOURCE:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=18701526&type=ML
Mr. Timothy J. Van Norman
Chief, Branch of Permits
Division of Management Authority
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22203
Email: tim_vannorman@fws.gov
