Tony the Tiger: The Individual
USDC: Animal Legal Defense Fund v. USDA #17-cv-03903-PJH
The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the USDA under FOIA for its failure to expedite records relating to Tony the tiger where those records related to potential imminent risks to Tony’s physical safety.
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Reviewing Additional Legal Options
The Animal Legal Defense Fund requested that the USDA conduct an inspection of Tony the Tiger after learning that his health was in decline. We submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the inspection report and requested expedited processing, which FOIA requires when delayed disclosure “could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual.”
Our request for expedited processing was denied because the USDA asserted that Tony is not an “individual” because the term applies only to humans.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund sued because the USDA’s interpretation of “individual” as limited to humans does not comport with the common meaning of that term. Indeed, Merriam-Webster defines “individual” as “a particular being or thing as distinguished from a class, species or collection,” which applies to humans and nonhuman animals alike.
Importantly, Merriam-Webster specifically refers to tigers in its usage examples of the term, stating: “[t]he markings on tigers are unique to each individual.”
Oral arguments in the appeal took place on June 12, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Recent News
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The Animal Legal Defense Fund Applauds Long Overdue Closure of ‘Tiger King’ Zoo, Urges Animals Be Transferred to Sanctuary
The Animal Legal Defense Fund applauds the closure of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, the zoo depicted in the Netflix documentary, “Tiger King,” following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) suspension of its owner’s exhibitor license.August 20, 2020 News -
Infamous Tiger Truck Stop Demolishes Cage That Held Tony the Tiger
After multiple lawsuits filed and fought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Tiger Truck Stop has finally stopped exhibiting animals and tore down its cages. The Tiger Truck Stop, the infamous gas station in Gross Tete, Louisiana, held Tony — an endangered Siberian-Bengal tiger — from the age of 6-months until his death at the age of 17 in 2017.July 14, 2020 Press Release -
Punk Rock Legend Iggy Pop Asks Florida Senators to Protect Big Cats
Long-time Miami resident asks Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to co-sponsor the Big Cat Public Safety ActJune 2, 2020 Press Release
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