I see these big cats daily and do not like what I see. These beautiful animals pace back and forth all day long in their cages, walking in their own urine and feces. The manure from these cats is never removed. Kozlowski periodically spreads cedar mulch over the feces to cover it up. He has stated in public that he removes the manure from the cages. These poor animals are bored and are not provided with any outlet for this boredom. In the wild, they would be out hunting for their food, eating and then sleeping. This was written about Jeff Kozlowski/Wisconsin Big Cats Rescue and Educational Center.
Was that written by an animal rights activist just out to defame Jeff Kozlowski or is it fact? I have no idea. I do know that several of Barbara’s big cats have been sent off in Jeff Kozlowski’s care at Wisconsin Big Cats Rescue and Educational Center (WBCR). I do know that Jeff and “his” NPO have a less than spotless history, including some “accidental” births of cubs at his little “rescue” center.
It appears that Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue is currently an NPO; albeit a rather new one. Seems they last filed with the IRS in 12/2007 and didn’t get their NPO approval until 7/2008. And see: http://www.irs.gov/app/ePostcard/displayEPostcard.do;jsessionid=17ylLFQB0nQWpncVJXlYf0nlB13vTLjhnkQ85bwb2JcDJbmrR1p8!-712988336?dispatchMethod=displayInfo&ePostcardId=213599&ein=260359726&ein1=&resultsPerPage=10&isDescending=true&indexOfFirstRow=5920&dispatchMethod=search&country=All...&nameSearchTypeStarts=false&names=&nameSearchTypeAll=false&sortColumn=orgStateAbbr&state=All...&city=&ein2
It seems Jeff’s business started out as simply “Big Dad’s Big Cats” which became “Big Dad’s Big Cat Refuge and Educational Center”. It doesn’t appear either of these had the IRS NPO stamp. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone knows that we can have organizations that aren’t incorporated, right? That the NPO designation from the IRS has to do with the deductibility of donations for donors and little else. (In fact, one should be able to get NPO status in most states and through the IRS without a corporation but it’s been made quite difficult to do so in recent years.) Had Barbara Hoffman been given the chance, she too could have established an education center for her animals which, unlike Jeff's, have been HERS their entire lives.
The county had not seized the big cats and, despite the complaints, they decided to wait a month while Kozlowski worked on the current concerns and a move. “After brief discussion, the board voted unanimously to delay action a month so Olson and Kozlowski could provide a timeline for moving the cats and work on temporary safety improvements for their enclosures. The Public Health Board meets next on July 12.”
December 2006. Despite the forgoing 6 months earlier and the plan to move, to present plans for the move 5 months prior; Kozlowski is still in the same location and nobody’s seized his cats! http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com/2006/12/donor-offers-wisconsin-big-cat.html
June 2007 (and now he’s stayed on in the same location for an entire YEAR after his promise to move): “In May, Circuit Court Judge James Evenson ruled Kozlowski and the refuge were in violation of county zoning and exotic animal control ordinances. On Thursday, the county was seeking to force removal of the cats from its jurisdiction and to fine Kozlowski for past violations.” “Twenty-four lions, tigers and leopards living just east of Rock Springs must be moved to their new sanctuary in the village by July 31, a judge ruled Thursday, or Sauk County has the authority to send them elsewhere.”
October 2007: The county sued Kozlowski for zoning violations. He was fined $7,500 to be paid in installments but HE could afford that as he has received a big fat donation of $500,000. Had he faced those fines a year earlier and before he had time to drum up gifts/donations? Well, probably would have been very different. And if his cats had been SEIZED right off the bat? We're getting to see that scenario play out, aren't we?
“Big Cat Rescue. Jeff Kozlowski has turned over ownership of the big cats to his newly formed board of directors, but he is still in charge of the daily care of the cats. Kozlowski has repeatedly stated that this is a sanctuary and he did not want to breed these cats. Well, it has happened again, a new tiger cub was born recently.”
AGAIN??? Well, that caught my eye! I haven’t found confirmation of an early birth at Jeff’s center but I did find evidence of 3, count them, THREE, cubs born in August of 2008 of an “unexpected” pregnancy. That makes AT LEAST 5 cubs born from pregnancies developed at this “rescue” facility. To my mind, we’re getting into questionable territory here. I have no objection to responsible breeding but this sure doesn’t sound like responsible breeding when Jeff is claiming they don’t intend to breed but just keep “accidentally” breeding, year after year. So, what to do with the cubs? I suppose there are plenty of schools that need mascots but surely he wouldn’t…
Oh, yes, indeed he would. One of the 2008 cubs was given to the University of Memphis to be used as a live mascot! “TOM III, born Aug. 31, was donated by the Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue & Educational Center in Rock Springs, Wis., and arrived in Memphis Oct. 23. Big Cat Rescue founders Jeff Kozlowski and Jenny Meyer contacted the Highland Hundred Tiger Guard upon learning of TOM II's death last month to offer one of three new Tiger cubs following an unexpected pregnancy.”
And is this yet another birth in 2009?
Rescue? SANCTUARY??? I don’t think so! Giving a live big cat to a university, probably to be cared for by a rotating group of frat boys? Hell NO, that’s not a rescue or sanctuary; that’s a promotion for one’s breeding facility. This WBCR looks more and more like a breeding facility, a business, in the guise of an NPO “rescue”.
And, back when the county was on Kozlowski’s butt he said: "It's not me who's going to suffer ... if they don't find homes ... put them down," PUT THEM DOWN? My jaw just dropped at that quote. These aren’t the words of someone who cares for these grand cats; they are the words of a callous business man. If he can’t get his way, then just kill the cats and he’ll move on to new ones or something else. That’s a callous prick bastard in my book!
It looks like Jeff/WBCR did not file their 2008 tax return and 2009’s return is soon to be due. What of the $7,500 in fines, were they actually paid? He skipped 2 payments (http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/archives/index.php?archAction=arch_read&a_from=search&a_file=/bnr/2008/08/20/301458.php&var_search=Search&keyword_field=Wisconsin%20Big%20Cat%20Rescue&pub_code_field=&from_date_field=6/1/2008&to_date_field=02/11/2010&var_start_pos=0&var_articles_per_page=10) a year after he supposedly got $500,000 from a single donor. Kozlowski currently calls himself “owner” of WBCR. Does he not even grasp the concept of an NPO? Is it a mere façade? Of course it is!
What of the USDA fines? Resolved? Still pending? How about the noncompliance issues? Is he currently in compliance? Did Marion County check on Kozlowski at all???
This is who Caroline Wedding of the Marion County Humane Society and who Marion County officials consider an appropriate person to take Barbara’s big cats? And Kozlowski took only SOME of the cats. Interestingly, he took the younger ones, the ones capable of BREEDING.
The seizure of Barbara Hoffman’s great cats was making less and less sense until: “Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue. Owner Jeff Kozlowski, the son of Jefferson residents Duan and Jack Hulett…” appeared in the Jefferson, TX newspaper. And suddenly it makes all the sense in the world.
Marion County knows that the cats may stay permanently if they give Barbara time to get her ducks lined up because that’s EXACTLY what happened with Jeff and Big Dad’s Big Cats AND they can benefit the child of local business people, the Hulett’s, by providing Jeff with breeding stock basically for FREE. And here’s the icing on the cake…
While Barbara is being charged obscene rates for the daily care of the big cats (for grossly substandard care, see next blog entry), Jeff arrived in town on Friday but didn’t leave with the cats until Tuesday. Nice long weekend with mom and dad? Yeah, at Barbara’s expense in so many ways!!!
Barbara’s cats, who have been with her since birth, loved and cared for by her their entire lives will now be (at best) permanently confined to a small cage, matched up for breeding, to be gawked at by tourists who will take their pictures. These great cats will no longer be able to perform their learned skills, to teach the public in their own special way. They will no longer have the opportunity to run and exercise in a big cage as they have always done. Jeff has less than half the years of experience that Barbara has and his skills are clearly lacking, let alone his severely limited knowledge base and immaturity which is quite clear to me after reading through all the materials by and about him available on the internet.
There are few photos available of WBCR on the net but the few there are depict flat lands, no trees or shade to speak of with few items for the cats to even crawl on (a couple of concrete culverts and huge spools). It appears to be an entirely outdoor facility with nominal winter housing (houses similar to dog houses, made of cold concrete) for the cats; so these great cats will have to instantly adjust to MUCH colder weather than they experienced even during the unusual Texas cold this year.
Will these great cats even have to tolerate nighttime visitors, itinerate campers in the “Great Cat Camping” program at WBCR? Not even permitted rest at night? Or will they be farmed out for breeding? Sold for the same?
Did Jeff pair them up boy/girl for the ride home in hopes of more “accidental” births?
“Noncompliance seems to be the way that he [Jeff Kozlowski] handles most of his issues” but Marion County, TX, sees him as better suited than Barbara Hoffman, despite his own non-compliance of some 4+ years; that the cats had to stay in their travel cages so Jeff could have a 4 day weekend with his family???
Despite Marion County’s allegations, it is certainly looking to me as though the cats have been moved to WORSE conditions and we already know of the DEATHS at Marion County’s hands. This entire case is an AFFRONT to any sense of fairness and justice, most of all the fairness and justice for the animals!!!
This case against Barbara and Fred is an OBSCENITY and we all know what is obscene when we see it. I can't believe how these cases become more outrageous takings of property with each one. It is truly amazing how many governments clearly think it's just fine to steal property now. I'm not even seeing the usual pro forma cover story on this one!
Now that you know where some of the great cats are going and what has happened to so many of the small cats and ALL of the fowl, I’ll come back to the “case” and the hearing in my next entry on this matter.