UPDATE: Closing Statement

I had a meeting with the University of Missouri early evening last night. It was positive and the tone was upbeat. They were empathetic with our cause, and remained committed to looking into this matter closely for situations to come. However, they have unfortunately decided to take Mr. Owenhouse's side and continue with the show. I suggested many solutions which could be considered win-win-win. All were denied. I know exactly how you may feel right now. I feel the same way too. But please do not feel disappointed, as our fight was not in vain – I will continue to move forward to influence city ordinance to ban shows such as Mr. Owenhouse’s from the city of Columbia, and we now have the University of Missouri's ears. You will hear from me again, and with your support, together we will stop those shows from happening. With your help, I learned a lot in this process: about animal causes, about negotiations, about doing what's right. I also learned that for each passionate supporter, one will call you a fanatic and try to discredit you in the media. You need thick skin, which I forgot I had – good thing. My passion for these animals was always at the heart of it. I consider this victorious - we brought an issue to light which had never been given this magnitude before in the City of Columbia. Thank you immensely from the bottom of my heart for your support, for your impassioned comments, for your words of encouragement. We may not have gotten exactly what we wanted, but we got a lot. Tonight, the tigers Shekeenah and Sheenah will perform once again. Please help me wish them our best, and a happy and well deserved day of recovery tomorrow. I wish I had over 1,200 hugs to give to each and every one of you who decided to sign this petition along with me. This is a chapter in my life I will never forget. Before saying goodbye, I included a link to a short documentary about the Bengal tigers. It is heartwarming to watch these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. We'll meet again soon, Alfredo Martin. P.S.: If you feel inclined, I encourage you to join me and continue this appeal by contacting the people mentioned in this petition by emailing them directly and pleading our case.