Sanctuary seeks community donations for new tigers

ALBION, Ind. (WANE) - An exotic animal rescue site has reached out to the community for help supporting four new additions.

Two more tigers are settling in to a new home at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary.  The animals are not related but make up a pack of four to move from a rescue center in Ashland, Ohio to the Albion park.

On Sunday, tigers named Taz and Ticha joined Sammie and Delilah who were transferred from Tiger Paw Exotic Rescue Center a week before.

Denise Flores was forced to close the Ohio group when new requirements in the state added up to a financial improbability.

The state has cracked down on private ownership laws for exotic animals after an October, 2011 incident when a Zanesville, Ohio man let 56 of his animals loose before committing suicide.

Costs to meet new mandates including microchips, liability insurance and more became too much for the Flores family.

“We’re kind of, like, hoping that Black Pine is paving the road for animals in the future and by helping us in showing that not everybody is bad,” Flores said.  “There are people out there that will help if you only ask.”

Black Pine has helped with assistance from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and countless volunteers to provide a new home for the four tigers; a process that took months of organization.

Kati Speer, assistant sanctuary manager said completing the transition brought a sigh of relief for those involved. 

“We know that [the tigers] were well cared for at Tiger Paw; so, we knew going into it that this was a rescue that wasn’t going to be sad like we’ve seen before but definitely they needed our help,” Speer said.

Focus turned on Monday to raising awareness and funds to make sure the relocated tigers feel at home.

Black Pine has established an initial budget of $50,000 to feed the animals and build a bigger, permanent habitat.

Donations can be made on the sanctuary’s website.  The W.Paul Wolf family of Fort Wayne, a longtime supporter of Black Pine, has offered a matching grant for every dollar given up to $25,000.