Strategic Mind Behind Big Cat Rescue's Advocacy

Howard Baskin is not only a devoted advocate for wild cat conservation but also a strategic leader in ensuring the welfare of big cats across the globe. Joining Big Cat Rescue in 2003, Howard brought with him a wealth of experience in law, finance, and management consulting that he used to amplify the organization’s impact. Working side by side with Carole Baskin, Howard’s primary focus has been on eliminating the abuse and private ownership of big cats in captivity and protecting them in their natural habitats.

Championing the Big Cat Public Safety Act

Howard was instrumental in the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in December 2022. He took over the lead from Carole Baskin in pressing for this legislation in 2010. This landmark federal law bans the private ownership of big cats and ends cruel cub-petting practices in the U.S. He played a crucial role in navigating the political landscape, managing the campaign’s strategy, and fostering relationships with key lawmakers. The act is a milestone achievement, reflecting years of Howard's dedication to protecting these animals and setting an example for other nations to adopt similar laws.

Financial Acumen and Big Picture Thinking

With an MBA from Harvard Business School and a background as a management consultant, Howard’s unique approach blends business acumen with a passion for animal welfare. He developed the sanctuary’s financial and operational strategies, steering it towards sustainability and enabling it to grow as a force for global conservation. This strategic oversight has allowed Big Cat Rescue to transition from sanctuary work to a broader conservation focus that now emphasizes protecting wild cats in their natural habitats.

Guiding the Future of Big Cat Rescue

Beyond legislation, Howard is devoted to the sanctuary’s evolution from providing a home for abused big cats to advocating for their survival in the wild. He plays a key role in educating the public on why wild cats should remain wild and supports efforts to shift from keeping big cats in captivity to supporting their natural ecosystems. Howard’s visionary work lays the foundation for a future where all wild cats live free, and his influence continues to guide Big Cat Rescue in its mission to save wild cats worldwide.

More About Howard Baskin

SECRETARY, TREASURER, ADVISORY BOARD CHAIRMAN AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Howard Baskin is a retired management consultant who worked with early stage and fast growing companies in the areas of strategic planning, finance and operations.  He spent 11 years at Citicorp in various assignments, most recently as Director of Strategic Planning for the Commercial Real Estate Division.  After leaving Citicorp in 1991 he was an equity participant and general manager in three companies, one of which he co-founded.  He now devotes full time to Big Cat Rescue and serves on the Audit Committee.

Other civic activities include serving three years on the Board of Directors of the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and serving as first Chairman of its Performance Oversight and Monitoring Committee and member of it External Relations Committee.  He also is a past member of The Rotary Club of Tampa, serving as Chairman of the Community Service Committee and on the Board of Directors.

Howard received his B.S. cum laude from Union College, Schenectady, NY in 1972, his J.D. cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1978 and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1980.

Howard Baskin was quoted extensively in an excellent, in depth article by World Wildlife Fund in their Winter 2016 magazine.  The cover story, called Tigers on the Rise, explained why breeding and possession of tigers in captivity is killing them in the wild.

Howard is frequently a speaker at Taking Action for Animals and at sanctuary conferences, such as the one run by PAWS in 2016.

Listen to a radio interview with Howard Baskin done by one of the Cox Radio stations in 2012.

Howard met Carole at the launch party for No More Homeless Pets in 2002 and they married in 2004.

My Superpower is: Bringing organization and structure

Repeatedly I rescued small companies where an entrepreneur had gotten the company going but operations and finance were in disarray preventing profitability and growth. At Big Cat Rescue, cat care operations were outstanding already, but organizing the finances, administration and fundraising was the greatest challenge of my life and by far most satisfying.  The second most challenging was organizing Carole's kitchen cabinets at home. :) . - Howard Baskin

Meet the Big Cat Rescue Team. See a typical day at the sanctuary.

U.S. News and World Report

Where Work Really Is a Zoo

By Kerry Hannon

Posted October 25, 2007

Howard Baskin admits that a few homeless cats have won his heart over the years, but saving abandoned and abused lions, lynxes, and leopards was by no means his dream, let alone his passion. When it came to giving to animal causes, he might write a modest check to the Humane Society of the United States. His world was finance and marketing.

Yet there's no denying that a stroll where he works at the 45-acre Big Cat Rescue, a nonprofit educational sanctuary in Tampa, one of the largest in the world devoted to the big cats, leaves him inspired.

This is where Bengal tigers, African lions, snow leopards, bobcats, and other exotic cats recline gracefully on tree limbs, stretch languidly in their dens, or splash playfully in ponds amid shady oaks and palmettos. In all, there are 140 feline residents with permanent homes here. "Looking at these animals and realizing that I've been able to make a difference in the quality of their lives and securing their future is wonderful," he says.

Baskin, 57, isn't one of the cats' caregivers, but he uses his financial acumen to ensure they live a healthful life. With a Harvard M.B.A. and a law degree, he spent the first 11 years of his career at Citicorp, rising to become director of strategic planning for the commercial real-estate division in New York. "Working in a small business had always been my plan, but I kept getting interesting jobs at the bank," he recalls.

Finally, in 1991, he left Citi to work as a management consultant for a succession of small companies. Eight years later, he opted for a less stressful pace, consulting part time and freeing up time for tennis and leisurely rounds of golf. But something was missing.

And in 2003, just a few years into his semiretired bachelor life, he did an about-face. Before he knew it, he had ramped up to 60-hour workweeks at the sanctuary and agreed to take charge of its finances free. Sure, Baskin is fond of the cats, but it was another love that inspired him. His wife, Carole, whom he met in 2002 and married in 2004, founded the 15-year-old sanctuary and is ceo.

"I kind of married into this transition, although it was of course my choice, not a requirement," Baskin says. "I fell in love with her. One thing that drew me to her was her passion for the mission and the excitement of working for a cause, not just living."

Take Nikita, for example. The 6-year-old lioness spent her first year living on a concrete slab, chained to a wall by a drug dealer in Nashville. She was discovered in a raid and arrived at Big Cat five years ago with sores on her elbows the size of tennis balls.

Purrfect fit. Not all of the cats were abused. Some were abandoned by owners who could no longer afford to care for them. Others were retired from circus acts, rescued from fur farms, or obtained from roadside zoos that had fallen on hard times. Baskin came well prepared to bolster the sanctuary's shaky financial underpinnings. The small firms where he used to work ran the gamut from a bridge builder to a foundry to an audiovisual firm. They were businesses where finances were in disarray when he arrived. Someone had to figure out how to get things organized and create systematic controls.

Visitors who take educational tours of Big Cat have doubled since 2003, to 26,000 last year. Revenues from contributions rose 50 percent in 2006 alone. The annual Fur Ball, the chief fundraiser, brought in an estimated $100,000 in October, up from $17,000 five years ago. Carole has had time to advocate for laws to crack down on illegal animal dealers and implement humane care standards for the cats.

Although Baskin would like to spend a bit more time on the golf course, there's little other downside. His full-time consulting income, which often topped six figures, had already been trimmed, and he had a thrifty lifestyle, enough savings, and growing retirement funds.

"I don't take a traditional salary, but, in reality, I get a double payback. I not only get to do something for the cats," he says as he watches Nikita devour her afternoon "bloodsicle" snack. "I feel like I am contributing to the world. More importantly, I get to make Carole happy. That's my No. 1 goal." Spoken like a true newlywed.

https://www.usnews.com/articles/business/careers/2007/10/25/where-work-really-is-a-zoo.html"I don't take a traditional salary, but, in reality, I get a double payback. I not only get to do something for the cats," he says as he watches Nikita devour her afternoon "bloodsicle" snack. "I feel like I am contributing to the world. More importantly, I get to make Carole happy. That's my No. 1 goal." Spoken like a true newlywed.

Transparency Notification:

In their role as a current board member this person is not independent and is a voting member in 2020.