619-659-8078

The holiday season is often characterized by a spirit of generosity, when people look for meaningful ways to give back and support causes they believe in. While financial contributions are absolutely vital to the mission of wildlife rescue organizations, becoming a true exotic animal advocate requires a deeper commitment - one that transforms your daily choices and actions into animal protection strategies.

The crisis facing exotic animals is immense, rooted in decades of private ownership, animal abuse and neglect, and illegal wildlife trafficking on a global scale. For big cats, bears, and other wild species, their suffering manifests in countless, heartbreaking forms of animal abuse and neglect: tiny enclosures, lack of specialized medical care, malnutrition, and lifelong trauma.

Lions Tigers & Bears, a trusted nonprofit organization in San Diego, California, works every day to combat this cruelty. As a certified 501c3 nonprofit and accredited animal sanctuary, the team is dedicated to providing lifelong, gold-standard animal welfare to its residents. But we can’t stop the suffering alone. If you feel passionate about animal protection and want to extend your influence beyond a simple donation, here are seven crucial ways you can become a powerful advocate for exotic animals starting today.

1. Master the Art of Wildlife Trafficking Reporting

The illegal wildlife trade is a massive criminal network, valued at up to $20 billion annually. It affects thousands of species globally, tearing animals from their natural homes or breeding them into horrific captive conditions. Becoming an exotic animal advocate means knowing how to identify and report suspicious activity.

If you suspect wildlife trafficking reporting or see an animal in immediate distress:

• Contact the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Tips Line at 1-844-FWS-TIPS (1-844-397-8477) or [email protected].
• Contact Lions Tigers & Bears directly at 619-659-8078 or [email protected].
  

Every report helps law enforcement and sanctuaries like LTB intervene and rescue victims from exploitation.

2. Become a Vigilant Ethical Consumer and Traveler

The demand for exotic animal interactions, such as cub petting, photo opportunities, or exotic animal "walks" is a primary driver of cruelty to animals. Many roadside zoos and unaccredited animal attractions profit from the suffering of animals who are often declawed and taken from their mothers prematurely.

The power is in your pocket. As an ethical consumer and traveler, you should be aware of, and reject any business that promotes:

• Hands-on public contact with wild animals.
• Shows, performances, or tricks involving big cats or bears.
• Photo ops that put animals in unnatural, stressful situations.
  

If you are traveling, research the facility’s accreditation status before you buy a ticket. If they are not accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) or the American Sanctuary Association (ASA), they are not a true sanctuary.

3. Advocate for Stronger Wildlife Laws and Enforcement

Strong legislation is the long-term solution that reduces the need for rescue work. Rescue organizations step in because past laws weren’t strong enough to prevent exploitation in the first place. So, when thousands of passionate animal advocates speak up, lawmakers have a mandate to take the necessary actions to change the status quo.

The passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) in 2022 was a monumental victory that banned the sale and possession of big cats for private ownership and restricted cub petting operations. However, full implementation and effective enforcement remain a challenge.

The next step is advocating for stronger exotic animal laws at the state and local levels, demanding that the federal, state, and local authorities have the resources they need to enforce federal acts like the BCPSA. You can contact your elected representatives to urge them to support animal protection legislation—a simple email or call can make a profound difference.

4. Direct Your Support to Accredited Animal Sanctuaries

When you choose to support an accredited animal sanctuary like Lions Tigers & Bears, you are choosing transparency, trust, and verified animal welfare standards.

Accreditation, particularly from the GFAS, is the gold standard because it mandates:

• No Breeding: Sanctuaries provide refuge for existing animals in need, while not further adding to the population of captive animals.
• Lifelong Care: Every animal is a permanent resident, never to be traded, sold, or used for profit.
• No Contact: Public contact is strictly prohibited to protect the animals from stress and preserve their dignity.
  

Lions Tigers & Bears meets and exceeds these standards, ensuring that every dollar goes directly toward the care, medical attention, and enrichment for animals who have known only suffering, before they found sanctuary.

5. Prioritize Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Protection

While LTB focuses on rescuing animals from captivity, a major component of being an exotic animal advocate is ensuring their wild counterparts thrive. The survival of species like the tiger (of which only six subspecies remain, all critically endangered) depends on strong wildlife conservation efforts.

You can support habitat protection by supporting land conservation groups, choosing responsibly sourced products that don't contribute to deforestation, and educating yourself on global conservation issues. The health of our planet's ecosystems and the plight of the captive animals are two sides of the same coin: both require a deeper respect for nature.

6. Use Your Voice: Spread Awareness and Educational Resources

The most cost-effective and powerful way to fight animal abuse and neglect is by sharing knowledge. If you learn about the severe consequences of declawing exotic cats from Kallie’s story, we encourage you to share it. If you learn about the forms of animal abuse and neglect tied to unaccredited facilities, talk about it with your family, friends, and coworkers.

You can act like an animal rights activist simply by sharing articles from the LTB blog (which provides essential and extensive educational resources), volunteering your time, or even hosting small educational events in your community. Every happy roar heard at the sanctuary is a reminder of what this kind of collective awareness helps make possible.

7. Support the Mission: Donations and Wishlist Giving

While the goal of this list is to highlight actions beyond money, donations remain the lifeblood of a true accredited animal sanctuary. Unlike the commercial facilities they rescue animals from, a nonprofit organization relies on generosity to cover immense operational costs, and all of this comes from private donations from the general public.

Every gift, no matter how small, helps provide:

• Nutritious meals (a single tiger can eat more than 75 pounds of food in one meal!).
• Expert veterinary care and rehabilitation.
• The space and enrichment needed for these animals to heal and thrive.
  

This holiday season, consider sending a gift from our wishlist or making a recurring monthly sponsorship. It is an investment in animal protection that ensures a safe, peaceful forever home for rescued animals in San Diego, California.

By embracing these seven actions, you transform from a casual supporter into a dedicated exotic animal advocate, ensuring a better future for those animals who now depend on our collective kindness. So, we thank you for your support and dedication to animal welfare advocacy.