“Based out of Jefferson, Texas, fourth-generation animal trainer Bob Steele has conducted the show since 1977… ‘Bears have always been my passion. I was playing with my first bear when I was 2 years old,’ he said.” Ah, yes, the good fortune and accident of birth; to be born into a well established business and fully trained long before adulthood. That does come with significant advantages over learning later in life.
Oh, my, the oozing arrogance! Of course you’ve been in “non-compliance”. You just haven’t gotten “caught” or been cited. HUGE difference between that and actual “non-compliance”. I’ve yet to see a complex law that anyone could stay in compliance with 100%. If you’ve somehow managed that miracle, it’s only partly your skill and largely a matter of good luck and fortune.
If you think you are “safe” from the current breed of animal activist, you should seriously rethink that. Just as they seized Barbara’s big cats primarily over concerns of the “coming cold” (obviously a fictitious reason given that most of the cats have been shipped off to snowy Wisconsin); they could just as easily seize your bears come August and the Texas heat and humidity. I see you know enough of these activists that you should indeed know they need no real reason, that they consider themselves above conventional law. Do not let your arrogance get the best of you and put your own animals at risk.
I see photos of your bear leaning against a “civilian” in 2005. I wonder if that was “in compliance” with 2005 regs. Would it be today? Even if it would, you know full well that the activists would scream just see that silly Jeff Kozlowski’s comments on photo ops with animals! Animal WELFARE is a wondrous and incredible thing. Like so many, you’ve been sucked into trying to straddle the fence between animal rights activism and property ownership rights. It can’t be done. Choose your side. You are either on the side of welfare and ownership or the side of activism and crushing regulation, often to the detriment of the animals.
“Since we are what is called "Old School" and find ways to survive by working and use our God given talents of using our minds to come up with ideas, rather than going 501.C and using other's tax money.” Ah, yes, another page of oozing arrogance and defensiveness too. I can read between the lines and you are indeed afraid of the hyper activists, as well you should be. Being a little less judgmental of others who are actually on the same side as you might come in useful to you as well when they do come after you as they have so many others.
You are just as entitled to your opinions as any other but you are NOT entitled to cram them down other people’s throats as law and supporting those kinds of laws impinges on the rights of all owners. You are not entitled to set the “one and only way” an animal business should be structured or run. I have no doubt there are animal laws with which you disagree so choose your side and stick to it.
4 generations ago there simply were no “rules and regs” for animal shows. Through your family, you have had the benefit of keeping up to date with the changes as they happened over the past 8 decades, of learning a family trade in youth, but the future of animal ownership and educational shows depends upon newbies being able to enter and, as you know full well, there is no “one stop” location to learn all the pertinent laws and regulations. Just as it takes your bears years to learn their trade, it takes a new owner years to get it just right and "just right" is a changing goal. Beyond that, disasters and mistakes happen that are often beyond the control or foresight of humans who should be given an opportunity to get it right without being summarily deprived of their property and livelihood without the least concern for their rights OR the welfare of the animals. You know full well that these activists know little of dogs, cats, and other common pets, less about more exotic ones. You KNOW that sudden transfer of animals to such people is NOT in the interests of the animals’ welfare.
Bob, you, ESPECIALLY you, who are in Jefferson, TX, should be loudly defending Barbara Hoffman and Fred Lulling and their opportunity to get their property and animals set up and cared for rather than summarily and Gestapo style seized. YOU should most definitely be standing behind their table at 9 AM’s hearing today and glowering (at a minimum) at Caroline Wedding, the prosecutor, and all others involved in this debacle that so negatively impacts your community.
And Bob, I’ve seen your Show several times over the years. It is quite wonderful. However, I will not be putting another penny in your pocket until you check that arrogance and get squarely on the owner’s rights and animal welfare side of the fence. (You should really rethink promoting Animal Planet on your front page. Surely you know they fund and support many of the activist seizures now going on, even going with to film them and their abuses while touting them as saviors.)