[FEL-L] RE: Zanesville family has tigers declawed for Make-A-Wish Foundation

[Bigcats10 at aol.com]

Zanesville family has tigers declawed for Make-A-Wish  Foundation
Tigers to be  handled by children with life-threatening medical conditions 
through  wish-granting program
By LIZA MARTIN 
Newark  Advocate 

NEWARK - Dr. James Underwood's most recent cat declaw procedure was a  little 
out of the ordinary.  
Actually, it was downright wild.  
The veteran veterinarian declawed three Siberian tiger cubs Monday at  his 
Underwood Animal Hospital in Heath, where the tigers' owners, Terry  and Marian 
Thompson, of Zanesville, take their tigers, lions and leopards  for care. 
Other exotic animals go elsewhere, Terry Thompson said.  "(The declawing 
procedure) is pretty much the same for a large cat as  for a regular feline," Underwood 
said.  
The 23-pound cubs, named Sophia, Sovia and Samson, were up and walking  the 
morning after their surgery, cuddling with Underwood and rubbing  against the 
legs of reporters.  
"They're pretty darn lovey," Underwood said while cradling one of the  
two-month old cubs.  
Thompson said he owns 21 tigers, including seven who have been born in  the 
past year.  
"They're a passion of mine, and I like the animals," he said.  
Thompson said the three tigers were declawed Monday so they could be  handled 
by children who have their wish granted by the Make-A-Wish  Foundation, which 
grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical  conditions.  
He said he has sent two other declawed tigers to an Akron hospital in  the 
last three months to be part of children's wishes being granted.  
"It's pretty gratifying," he said.  
Siberian tigers are an endangered species, indigenous to eastern  Russia, 
northeast China and parts of North Korea. The largest of all  living cats, males 
can grow to weigh an average of 650 pounds, while  females tip the scales at 
about 350 pounds, according to _www.tigerhomes.org_ 
(http://www.tigerhomes.org/) .  
It's estimated that there are only about 350 to 410 Siberian tigers  living 
in the wild, with another 490 managed in conservation programs.  
There are no laws in Ohio regulating the private ownership of any  exotic 
animals, unless they are used as part of a business. State law  requires only a 
permit to possess native endangered species, such as the  bobcat, according to 
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  
However, an Ohio House bill introduced in August would require people  who 
possess dangerous wild animals or exotic animals to obtain a personal  
possession permit. The bill would also establish requirements regarding  the possession 
and care of dangerous wild animals and exotic animals.  
Originally published September 13,  2006
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