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TIGER KING IS TIP OF THE LEGAL ICEBERG: OTHER DISTURBING FAILURES AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AT EXOTIC ANIMAL ROADSIDE ZOOS

PETA Sheds Light on Criminal Histories of Wildlife Exhibitors 

Jeff Kerr

General Counsel to PETA (His team pursued “Joe Exotic” and rescued nearly 50 animals who were in his custody)

The new number one Netflix docuseries ‘Tiger King’ is full of eccentric stories and characters, however the criminal histories from the underworld of wild and exotic animal exhibitors are far more broad-reaching and serious. The legal team at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is leading the charge against colorful, criminal, captive wildlife exploiters in the United States. Not only do many exhibitors confine animals in abusive conditions and treat them like disposable commodities, but many also have criminal records. On April 15th, General Counsel to PETA Jeff Kerr is available to discuss what is being done to keep wild animals out of confinement by exhibitors with dangerous criminal histories as well as the risk their enterprises pose to the public.

Jeff Kerr will be available to discuss:

• Recent wild animal rescues and legal victories for animals. PETA has helped rescue 73 bears, 50 tigers and other big cats, and 12 primates from lives of privation, including  tigers, bears, chimpanzees, and baboons from the roadside zoo that belonged to Joseph Maldonado-Passage (“Joe Exotic”). These animals are now thriving in reputable sanctuaries, which provide animals with life-long homes in naturalistic habitats.
• Precedent-setting court rulings, including a recent ruling forbidding wild animal exhibitors from separating vulnerable big cat cubs from their mothers, and a first of its kind federal court order finding that declawing federally protected big cats violates the Endangered Species Act.
• The disturbing histories of notorious animal exhibitors including Ringling Bros. Circus, and the criminal acts of key players from ‘Tiger King’—including posing as a charity, operating without proper licenses to possess and operate a business featuring exotic animals, as well as drug-smuggling and racketeering.

For more information please visit www.peta.org

MORE ABOUT JEFF KERR:

As general counsel to PETA and its international affiliates for nearly 25 years, Jeff Kerr built and leads the world’s largest legal team working for animal rights. His team was named Corporate Counsel magazine’s 2017 Best Legal Department, and his high-profile cases—including the 13th Amendment case Tilikum v. SeaWorld, the first three successful constitutional challenges to “ag-gag” laws, and the “Monkey Selfie” copyright case—have made headlines around the world and sparked a global conversation about the legal rights of animals. Kerr graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and George Mason University, where he was a Weber scholar, and he lectures about animal law at law schools around the country.