From June 27 Subject: Shadow, the black leopard Hello Ms. Thacker, My husband, our three children and I visit the Peninsula SPCA quite often, in fact we stop by every time we visit the Virginia Living Museum, which is probably five or six times a year. Our children love visiting both facilities! We teach our children about the animals at the SPCA and its mission. We are big supporters of animal rescue and the SPCA and usually have at least one foster dog in our home. We have worked with rescue groups going back about fifteen years, long before any of our children were born. I'm writing to let you know that we are the family who reached out to PETA about Shadow, the leopard. Each time we have seen Shadow, he is laying on concrete, alone, with the neighboring cages empty. We have often pondered how or why he has remained like that all of these years, in a cage, right behind a graphic that details his ideal natural habitat as being a dense rainforest. We know the Peninsula SPCA is a No-Kill shelter, and does the important rescue work of placing all of its animals in suitable homes. We are thankful for the outstanding service the SPCA provides to homeless animals. But we are confused by Shadow's seemingly permanent residence at the shelter, which by any assessment is not appropriate or adequate for such a rare and majestic animal. Homeless pets come and go, yet he has languished there all his life. I have always explained to my children that the shelters are just that - a safe place to wait. It seems the decision to keep him living in a cage is incongruous with the SPCA's overarching mission. With the goal of exploring whether a suitable alternative for Shadow was possible, I did some research and discovered there are about about thirteen reputable big cat sanctuaries in the US. Over the past weeks, I have reached out to all of them to ask about requirements for placement, and the costs associated with relocating Shadow. I am happy that each of the thirteen sanctuaries responded with a concerned and personal reply. After several exchanges with Mr. Pat Craig, the executive director of the Wildlife Sanctuary in Colorado , I found what appears to be the most viable solution. Mr. Craig not only welcomed Shadow into his well-established sanctuary, but even offered to arrange transport - including covering costs! I understand through my correspondence with PETA that you are in favor, in principle, of relocating Shadow to a suitable environment. We were so thrilled to hear that! We also understand you are planning to bring it to the Peninsula SPCA's Board of Directors for consideration. We are anxiously awaiting word as every day counts. As Shadow has been there since 1999, it may be easy to assert it is "too late" for him; but to that I would say that it is never too late to do the right thing. I have no doubt that any lover of animals would agree that Shadow deserves to feel grass under his feet, and know the company of his own kind. As the sanctuary's motto says "Saving one animal may not change the world, but for that one animal, the world will be forever changed." Shadow’s world needs to change, and I believe with minimal effort, we can make that happen. Here is a short video tour of their sanctuary: sanctuary overview footage... Basic shots from the Wild Animal Sanctuary and its rescued animals... Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. We are standing by to do anything in our power to assist this effort. Sincerely,