Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club will Not Use Tigers & Help to Revoke The Culpepper and Merriweather Circus’s license

Shut Down Cruel Circus.

Target: Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary

Petition: Click here to do your part!

Goal: Revoke The Culpepper and Merriweather Circus’s license for multiple alleged animal cruelty violations.

The Culpepper and Merriweather (C&M) Circus has a long list of citations from the USDA regarding unethical animal treatment. Alleged examples include not having a veterinarian on-site and not providing their animals with protection from the elements. Additionally, there was an instance of sibling tigers reportedly breeding, which subsequently led to the mother tiger rejecting the cubs. Two allegedly died, and the third was confiscated. When it comes to the health and safety of animals, long lists of grievances are not acceptable.

Throughout its 30 years of existence, The C&M Circus has reportedly experienced almost yearly mishaps and USDA citations, the heftiest punishment being a six-month license suspension. Despite this, the company claims transparency and invites guests to take tours of the animal compounds. However, opponents point out that there are larger issues at hand. Animal trainers allegedly use painful tools such as electric rods, hooks, and whips in order to force the animals to perform unnatural tricks. There is also the concern of travel standards–animals are reportedly forced to travel thousands of miles in cramped cages, without temperature control or waste elimination.

While the larger battle is defeating the circus industry altogether, a good start is boycotting individual companies, especially ones with extensive lists of injustices. Sign the petition below to tell the USDA that you do not support The C&M Circus’s cruel practices and believe their license should be revoked.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Vilsack,

I am writing to you in regards to the Culpepper and Merriweather (C&M) Circus and their alleged unethical treatment of animals. Their long list of grievances, including reportedly allowing siblings to breed and allegedly not properly caring for a tiger cub, reflects negligence and irresponsibility. In a domain that is already considered inhumane by many, I simply cannot stand by and let their company continue to violate animal welfare guidelines.

The fact that animals are forced to perform unnatural stunts and behaviors is cruel in and of itself. Circus animals deserve to be free from abusive training methods such as electric rods, hooks, and whips, which are common in circus training. Additional abuse in the form of long, cramped travels is also unacceptable. When combined with their long list of USDA citations and license suspension, it becomes clear that The C&M Circus does not deserve to be operational.

We must not allow The C&M Circus’s captive animals to suffer any longer. Please take steps to revoke their license, which will give these wild animals the life they deserve.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: DirkJan Ranzijn

UPDATE regarding the Demand that Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club Retire their Tiger to a Sanctuary!
Demand that Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club Retire their Tiger to a Sanctuary!

Update #3 6 hours ago

Clarification: Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club does NOT own the tiger it used in its live performances, and never has. The club has agreed to stop using the tiger. There's no longer a need to direct calls or emails to the club. Thank you for your support!

Update #2 yesterday

UPDATE: While Tatiana Nightclub will no longer use this tiger in its shows, the tiger will return to live at a facility/preserve that rents out exotic animals for live performances. Please be on the lookout for another campaign to stop the use of this tiger and others in live performances - I'll update you when a new campaign is ready!

Update #1 2 days ago

Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of compassionate individuals from around the WORLD who signed this petition! I was so shocked and awed with the response it received. Thanks to the pressure that we put on Tatiana's, they have stopped using the tiger in their shows! Link to article in the paper:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article41732346.html

Again, thanks for all your help!!

About This Petition

Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club is known for its Russian-style entertainment and cabaret shows. It is also known for the depressed-looking tiger that has been reported to be kept in a cage inside the restaurant, or being hauled on stage to the audio effects of tigers roaring. The actual cage (pictured above, taken from Yelp) is just large enough for the tiger to fit into, andnot large enough for it to move around! Many reviews on Yelp specifically comment on the fact that they they are made very uncomfortable by the tiger's presense, as he looks very "sad" and "kept licking himself". One reviewer on Yelp reported that he was told that the tiger is driven in from Orlando to perform in the shows.

Please sign this petition to urge Tatiana Restaurant and Night Club to retire its tiger to a sanctuary!

As someone who cares about animals, it is obvious that this tiger has no place inside of a nightclub, and deserves to be retired to a sanctuary where he can be adequately cared for and live a natural life. Please sign this petition to show the owners of the nightclub that the public does not support this kind of blatant animal cruelty. The only kind of entertainment I want to see is the kind where all performers are willing participants!
Also please feel free to review this place on Yelp and Facebook and let them know that the public won't stand for this kind of animal abuse!