A few miles south of Bridgeport, Texas is “CARE”, the Center for Animal Research & Education.
Set on 20 acres, CARE is home to tigers, lions, leopards, and mountain lions. It is a safe habitat for big cats who have been abandoned and abused, and a place where they can grow old in dignity and comfort.
All photos by L.C. Clifton / Country Sunshine, who retains the copyright.
 |
The Center for Animal Research & Education was founded in 2002 by Center Director Heidi Berry. After seeing so many sick, neglected and abandoned big cats, she felt a need not only to save them, but to educate the public.
CARE is a non-profit facility that looks to interns, volunteers and animal lovers to keep it running. It is funded by corporate sponsors, adoption and sponsorship programs, fund-raising events, tours, and private donations.
CARE is home to a variety of big cats. It currently houses a snow leopard, several mountain lions (cougars), black and spotted leopards, African lions, and 32 tigers. All of these big cats were formerly held in captivity and are unable to live in the wild.
 Lioness |  Lounging tiger |  Mountain Lion |  Snow Leopard |
Unlike other sanctuaries that feed ground meat and grains to their big cats, CARE feeds their animals whole animals. The majority of these animals are donated livestock from area ranchers. These donated cows and horses are either old, sick, or injured. No livestock that can be cured are accepted by CARE.
The big cats are also fed deer, which is a special treat. Many local hunters donate their kills during deer season.
When no other meat is available, CARE purchases frozen chicken parts from area supermarkets.
In December of 2011, CARE was asked to take over the care of adult lemurs. Lemurs are small primates that are native to Madagascar. They have long, ringed tails, and feed on fruits and berries. After several months at CARE, much to the surprise of the staff, all the adult females born children! There are now 10 lemurs at CARE, and are quite a delight with which to interact!
In order to raise money for the care of the animals, and also to educate the public about the big cats, CARE offers tours of the facility. Tours are available Monday through Friday by appointment. On the weekends, tours are available between the hours of 11:00 am and 5:00 pm, and start on the hour. Call 940-683-5034 to set up your tour.
For adults, the minimum donation is $15.00. For children, the donation is $10.00. Children must be at least 7 years of age or older. Younger children must have pre-approval by the Center to visit.
One of the fun things to do on a tour is feed chicken to the tigers. You may also get a chance to play tug-of-war!
For a special occasion, family gathering, or business meeting, CARE will arrange a special dinner for you and up to 7 guests. Before the meal, your group will receive a VIP tour of the grounds & facilities, in addition to an outdoor wine tasting.
As dusk approaches, you’ll enjoy a 4 star, candlelit meal on the grounds of the facility, accompanied by the roars and night calls of the big cats as the moon rises.
Help the Center for Animal Research and Education (CARE) by "adopting" one of these big cats, or even a lemur! For a monthly donation of $100.00 for a big cat, or $50.00 for a lemur, you get:
Your gift is 100% tax deductible, so not only will you be helping the animals, but you'll get a tax break as well!
If the adoption price is a bit steep for your wallet, you can sponsor one of the big cats or lemurs. There are 3 options for sponsorship:
For these sponsorships you'll receive:
Like the adoption, your donation is 100% tax deductible. Everyone wins!
If you'd like to make a one-time donation to help with the animals of CARE, you can give funds by PayPal or by check. There are 3 funds that need your help!
When you make a donation, you can specify which fund you'd like your donation to go to. If you prefer, just write a note with your donation to have the funds go where they are needed the most!
All donations are 100% tax deductible!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2012-2015. L.C. Clifton / Country Sunshine.
All Rights Reserved.
Originally published December 10, 2012 on Zujava.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A month ago I shaved my head to support cancer patients and raise money for R...
The ‘Ice Bucket Challenge” – How Do You Know A Charity Is Legi...The Ice Bucket Challenge is raising lots of money for ALS, but how do you kno...
We Were Soldiers Once and Young. The Battle at Ia Drang, Vietnam - A Book Reviewon 07/06/2017
How to Split Firewoodon 07/01/2017
Suffering From Writers Block? | Unique Ideas To Get You Writing Againon 07/01/2017
How to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Petson 12/20/2016
Do you support big cats?
It is a wonderful place to visit. The staff are so caring, and it's obvious they take good care of their "cats". I am grateful that so many people in my community support this organization!
I admire people and organizations who care for animals that normally would have had to be destroyed. And places like this help educate people about wildlife.