" True Blood star Kristin Bauer is sinking her teeth into a campaign to save a Siberian Bengal tiger being kept in a cage at a Louisiana truck stop. Tony the Tiger has been living for the past decade as a roadside attraction at the truck stop in Grosse Tete.
He spends his days in a concrete cage, pacing up and down as truckers and tourists stop by to take a look.
Kristin, who plays lethal vampire Pam in the hit show, has now joined forces with the non profit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to highlight the inhumane conditions they claim Tony is being kept in.
The ALDF has even filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 'issuing an illegal permit' for Tony.
Kristin, a long-time animal advocate, revealed: 'Tony has spent the last decade at the Tiger Truck Stop, where he is subjected to the stench of fuel and the deafening noise of diesel engines 24-hours a day.
'Instead of basking in the sun and hunting by night, Tony paces his cage - an indicator of extreme stress.'
But Tony's owner Michael Sandlin claims on his website that it would be 'more cruel' to take Tony away to a wildlife preserve than leave him in the concrete cage where he is currently kept.
Michael writes on his website: 'Tony, a tiger raised from infancy by hand, is the target of a misguided attempt to remove him from the people that raised him, love him, and take care of him daily.
'He has known no other life, and receives great food, and the best medical attention when needed.
'All of the tigers at Tiger Truck Stop were born in captivity, hand raised pets, that need and desire human affection.'
It is our opinion that it would be just as cruel to take our tigers away from their known environment as it would be to capture a wild tiger and put it in a cage.'
Sandlin has not responded to any emails or calls asking for a comment regarding Tony".
SOURCE