We just had the biggest attendance April in our history. Usually March is our busiest month, but this year April's guest list even beat that tough record. The most popular reason people give for their visit is that they heard about us from a friend.  That's YOU, so Thank you and keep up the good work!We also just got our CFC pledge report and it too is up considerably from last year.  This is a program where government employees can have donations deducted directly from their paychecks and sent to us.  Here again it is because there are so many of you out there who are sharing the plight of cats like Hope, Lola and Shatia in this issue with their friends and family.Unfortunately our expenses have surpassed these gains as everything has become more expensive.  The cats need you more than ever.This Ezine only goes out monthly, so if you want to stay in the Big Cat loop, follow me on Twitter where you can get updates as they happen: https://twitter.com/bigcatrescue Carole Baskin, Founder 

	Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway

You and a guest could win 4 Days/ 3 Nights at the Sirata Beach Resort, a St. Pete Beach front Hotel, Airfare, Big Cat Rescue Keeper Tour, Dolphin Watch Cruise, and more!Your Keeper Tour includes walking the 45 acre sanctuary and meeting many of the 136 exotic cats who call Big Cat Rescue home. Most were formerly bred to be coats, seized by police, abandoned or abused. You will be allowed to help our Keepers make treats to hand out and will be witness to the feeding of the great cats.Spend time with the Founder on a private tour and meet Animal Planet star, Scott Lope. See more species of cats all in one place than you probably even knew existed. 16 species of wild cat currently have a forever home at the sanctuary.All you have to do is update your file with us by adding your cell number to be automatically entered here:  https://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/mlm/verify/  If the system cannot find you by name, you can use the sign up form there or at the link below.To find out more about the trip go to: https://bigcatrescue.org/trip.htm

	Hope the Baby Bobcat Goes Free!

Hope the baby bobcat was set free in April.  These success stories are only made possible by people like you and you can enable our continued work in saving bobcats in the wild by purchasing these two wild items.My Bobcat's In Rehab Tee Shirt cleverly uses the names of several of the bobcats who have been rehabbed and released in its message:  Faithful Rescuers Give Hope to Bobcats That Deserve A Second Chance.  The pictures chronicle the life of Hope as you watched her grow up on Big Cat TV.Get your Tee shirt here: https://bit.ly/JlfoGGet a limited edition, hand beaded, commemorative Hope bracelet for $20.00 https://www.bigcatrescue.biz/ or call 813.920.4130 to order.  Only 100 will be made and they are almost gone.

	Fur Ball Theme, Tickets and Sponsors

The ballroom will come alive with jungle prints, masks, "party animals" and the sounds of the DeLeon Band.  We just posted some of the wild new trips that will be auctioned off for the cats too. Meet some of our fantastic media sponsors including Cox Radio, Magic 94.9, 97X, wduv, The Eagle 107.3, The Point 101.5, The Bone 102.5, Fox 13, The Tampa Bay Business Journal and Tampa Bay Magazine. Hear the great things our guests had to say about last year's Fur Ball.Buy your ticket between now and May 31st for the 10th annual Fur Ball to be held on October 9th and you will receive a free tour pass* good for a regular day tour of Big Cat Rescue. A $25 value and time with the cats!Check out the fun and reserve your "spot" :  https://bigcatrescue.org/FurBall.htm

	Dave Matthews Band Listening Party Deadline Tonight

PLEASE RSVP, EVEN IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT!Today, May 11th is the last day, at midnight when the Dave Matthews Band will do the count and the top 100 win the chance to have their advance listening party!The most RSVPs who say they will attend wins the event, so please say you will come. No deposit required. If you come pay at the door. If we are one of the top 100 groups with the most "Attending RSVPs", we will be given an advance copy of the soon to be released Dave Matthews Band CD that will be played at a special listening event to be hosted at Skippers Smokehouse on May 23 from 1 PM - 4 PM. Even if it turns out that you cannot come, there will be plenty of local people who will show up at the door but we need your Attending RSVP to qualify for the party.Sponsored by Skipper’s Smokehouse and hosted by Polar Leasing Company’s Southeast Rep, Matthew Clark, and Big Cat Rescue's own Jamie Veronica, the party will kick off the Memorial Day weekend in a big way.  All proceeds will be donated to Big Cat Rescue!So, come on out and have a great time listening to the great new music from the Dave Matthews Band...and help the big cats!The only RSVPs that count are the ones made through Facebook, so please log in, or set up a free account. Please RSVP that you will attend here: https://bit.ly/azjgIIf you read this after May 11th please check the link anyway and try to RSVP as the DMB deadline was not clear to us, but appeared to be May 11 at midnight.

	Lions on the Menu

Would you be shocked to know that you can pick up your phone, call a 1-800 number and order a lion steak for dinner?Unfortunately, it is legal in the United States to raise lions for human consumption. Several restaurants have included lion meat on their menus, much to the dismay of big cat lovers and animal activists alike.We must work together to ask our elected officials to take steps to stop this horrible practice! We must also let the providers of lion meat know that this practice is simply not acceptable.Let's urge Congress to direct the United States Department of Agriculture to end the practices that result in exotic cats ending up on menus by ending the breeding and private possession of these animals. Also, let's ask the provider of lion meat to the United States to take if off the menu. We make it easy for you to do here:https://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=13109561

	Lola the Leopard is Getting Old

We don't know how much longer Lola the leopard has on this earth.  She is 17 and her health is declining rapidly.  She has taken on that "old cat" look where muscle tone and body fat is lost.  Lola moved to Big Cat Rescue on 3/15/95. Her previous owner used to play with her, but had to move and could not take her or his three cougars, so they all came here together. This is just another example of why exotic pets like this are such a bad idea.People buy a cub, play with him until he is grown, buy another one, play with her until she is grown, over and over and over.  As each cat reaches 2 or 3 years of age they are relegated to tiny back yard cells until the person discovers they have a bunch of big cats they can't play with anymore and they try desperately to get rid of the cats.  Luckily, space was found for Lola and the others here at Big Cat Rescue.  Most are not this lucky.  We still have to turn away dozens of big cats each year due to a lack of space and funding.Thanks to you Lola has had the best life possible in her latter years and will get the best in medical care until she lets us know that she is ready to pass on.  We will do all we can to insure that she never has to suffer.  Your support makes that possible for her and for others to come. The greatest way to help is to set up a monthly, quarterly or annual donation plan so that we know how much we can count on each year.  This helps us plan better for cats like Lola so that we make the most of your donation.  We make it easy to set up and easy to cancel anytime:  https://bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm

	Losing Shatia the Canada Lynx

DOB 5/17/93-4/14/09Shatia came to Big Cat Rescue from a game farm in Ohio. She had Cardio-Myopathy, a heart condition, so she was never be as big and healthy as the other Canadian Lynxes, but she had a lovely disposition. She had lived with Dances with Wolves and Sasquatch but a fight had resulted in them being housed separately.  Many years after Sasquatch died we tried introducing them back together, thanks to a generous donation by Patricia Webber to join their cat-a-tats, but they didn't get along and we had to separate them again. They seem to like each other best as neighbors rather than room mates.Shatia died in her sleep at the age of 16.If you would like to be a Forever Sponsor for Shatia, you can help preserve her memory and support the remaining cats by making a $1000 donation and having your name on a permanent 8x8" granite plaque in our memorial area with Shatia's photo. You can read the touching tributes by our staff and volunteers and order the grave stone here:https://bigcatrescue.org/foreverremembered.htm

	Father's Day Gifts to Make Him Roar

$14: Multi-Tool with wooden handle laser engraved with BCR logo. Stainless steel tool has 11 functions; long nose pliers, standard pliers, wire cutter, #1 phillips screwdriver, 2 1/2" knife blade, bottle opener, can opener, serrated knife blade, nail file, 1/4" slotted screwdriver, 1/8" slotted screwdriver and comes with nylon belt pouch.$15: BCR photo coffee mug with two Jaguar Coffee Samplers. Mug is wrapped with photos including; Tiger, White Tiger, Lion, Lioness, Cougar, Black Leopard, Gold Leopard, Snow Leopard and BCR logo. Mug comes with two 2 oz ground coffee samplers; Lion blend and Cheetah blend.  Prices do not include tax or shipping.See them here: https://bigcatrescue.org/gift/fathersday.htm

	June Florida Wildlife Commission Meeting

In most states citizens can turn to their legislators and ask for laws that protect wild animals from abuse, but in FL the only way to protect wild animals is to seek the approval of the Florida Wildlife Commissioners, who are all hunters.  People who find pleasure in killing animals shouldn't be in charge of protecting them, but in FL that is the status quo.  The FWC is considering changes to the rules but most of the people who attend these meetings and speak up are breeders, dealers and animal abusers.  Good people who care about animals rarely even know these meetings are being held.  There is a public hearing before the Commissioners on June 17-18, 2009 8:30 - 5:00 PM at at the Plantation Inn 9301 West Fort Island Trail Crystal River, FL 34429We don't think there is much of a chance that the FWC will vote for rules to protect the animals and the citizens who have to live next door to lions, tigers and bears, but we have to show that they knew how the public felt before we can take it to Gov. Crist and ask him to appoint non-hunters to the commission or to override their lame rules. Join us there and speak up for the animals.Keep checking here for their agenda to be posted to see what days & times they will be discussing Captive Wildlife Rules:https://www.myfwc.com/COMMISSION/Comm_2009.htm

	Sweet 16 Kiss Aspen Echo the Cougar

Big Cat Rescue was founded sixteen years ago in 1992 and so we are celebrating the sixteen species of wild cat that reside at the sanctuary.This month you can "kiss" Aspen Echo the Cougar.November honored Windsong the Bobcat who started Big Cat Rescue and December's cat - Hercules the Snow Leopard. February's cat - Genie the Sandcat.  March's cat - Nik the Tiger. Last month you could "kiss" Rambo the Jungle Cat."Kiss" Aspen Echo today or "Kiss" them all:https://www.bigcatrescue.biz/