TIGER’S EYE PRODUCTIONS

LAWSUIT UPDATE: ARFF WON’T BE MUZZLED!
ARFF’s peaceful attempts to persuade Westgate Resorts to stop hiring animal abusers have been met with a lawsuit to suppress our right to free speech. ARFF is defending allegations of slander with evidence of the truth: Westgate Resorts supports animal abuse. In spite of the lawsuit, ARFF members will continue protesting the use of battered and abused animals for “entertainment.” Read the full story below!

David McMillan’s Tiger’s Eye Productions is a “school” for animal trainers in Oviedo, Florida. It also provides trained animal acts for hire.

An investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals uncovered physical abuse and other possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act involving the animals at Tiger's Eye Productions. In the undercover investigation, animal "trainer" David McMillan of Tiger’s Eye Productions was videotaped hitting tigers in the face with PVC pipes, jabbing a lion with wooden sticks, and dragging animals by the neck with chains to make them “behave” and “perform.” Other possible violations involved improper transportation, and poor veterinary care. Evidence from that investigation convinced both Exxon and Disney to stop using trained animal acts from Tiger’s Eye Productions.

WESTGATE RESORTS HIRES TIGER’S EYE PRODUCTIONS

Westgate Resorts is a timeshare community in Kissimmee, Florida. Westgate Resorts has hired Tiger’s Eye Productions for a twice-weekly performance at the resort, presumably to bring in new potential timeshare purchasers. ARFF has repeatedly appealed to Westgate owner David Siegel to cancel his deal with Tiger’s Eye Productions, and we’ve shown him the videotaped evidence.

CRUELTY ENDORSED BY WESTGATE RESORT

Though David Siegel and Westgate Resorts were sent incontrovertible video evidence of Tiger’s Eye Productions’ heinous abuse, Westgate Resorts has failed to demonstrate an iota of compassion. Mr. Siegel has seen video of Tiger's Eye Productions’ owner David McMillan, along with several of McMillan’s employees, hit tigers and lions in the face with axe handles, PVC pipes, and wooden sticks. He has seen them drag leopards across the ground with chains across their necks. He has seen them refuse to feed traumatized animals until they performed. And despite all of this, Siegel has turned a blind eye to Tiger’s Eye.

ARFF RESPONDS

Since October 2001, ARFF has been conducting demonstrations at the Westgate Resorts, replacing Westgate customer’s views of the resort with disturbing images of tiger beatings and torture. Customers of Westgate will have trouble focusing on timeshare investments after learning just what these animals are forced to endure to get them to perform. We intend to be there on a regular basis to make sure Westgate and their customers don’t forget the pain and torture behind McMillan’s show. ARFF will be a constant thorn in the side of Westgate until the resort agrees animal cruelty is not an appropriate sales pitch and puts an end to all Tiger’s Eye Productions performances.

ARFF will continue not only encouraging Siegel to take action, but his neighbors as well. Recently, ARFF sent letters to Siegel’s neighbors urging them to pressure him to stop. We urge David Siegel to take action that sheds a positive light on Westgate and himself with his neighbors, the community and society. Siegel has a unique opportunity to help stop animal abuse.

Although Westgate has been provided video evidence of Tiger’s Eye Productions’ violent tiger training tactics, they have thus far refused to stop sponsoring animal cruelty and continue to use beaten and battered animals as a means to entice new customers.

LAWSUIT WON’T DETER ARFF!

ARFF’s peaceful attempts to persuade David Siegel and Westgate Resorts not to support animal abuse have been met with a lawsuit likely designed to chill demonstrators’ rights to free speech. But, ARFF is defending allegations of slander with evidence of Siegel’s willingness to support Tiger’s Eye Productions’ animal abuse. In spite of the lawsuit filed by Westgate Resorts and its president, David Siegel, ARFF members on August 28, 2002 converged outside the gates of Siegel’s upscale neighborhood, the Isleworth Residential Community, Conroy Windemere Road, Windemere, Florida to continue protesting his use of battered and abused animals to attract potential customers to his timeshare resort. ARFF’s message: “scare tactics don’t work, try compassion.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Write to David Siegel, Westgate Resorts, at 10,000 Turkey Lake Road, Kissimmee, Florida, 34747, and call him at 407-363-1292. Urge him to reconsider his deal with Tiger’s Eye Productions, and to not hire any more animal acts in the future.

View the video footage of Siegel’s animal abuser associates in action. Visit www.petatv.com/circ.html and select the link for Tiger’s Eye Productions. Then urge your friends and relatives to do the same.

Never attend circuses, swap shops, nightclubs, or any other venues or events that have animal acts. Educate your friends and neighbors to avoid the same.

If you do come across animal acts anywhere, take photos and video, if possible. Try to find out what company is providing the animal acts. If the event is in Florida, share all of this information with ARFF so we may take further action.

Contact government officials and urge them to ban animal acts in your community.

Write letters to the editor of your local newspapers, to educate your neighbors and shame establishments that use performing animal acts - like Westgate Resorts.

If you see a performing animal in distress, immediately contact the police department, animal control, and your local humane society.

Become a member of ARFF, so we can fight together to end animal exploitation and abuse.