Vegetarian Star

Tippi Hedren has been honored with the first ever “Whomanitarian Award” at Universal Studios for her work to protect big cats and take care of them at the Shambala Preserve. Hedren was presented with the award from several dozens of children, Whoville characters from “Whorton Hears A Who” and the infamous Grinch.

Hedren has helped bring two bills to the federal limelight in an attempt to protect big cats. “The Captive Wildlife Safety Act,” signed by Bush in 2003, stops the interstate trafficking of big cats sold as pets. There’s also the “A Federal Bill to Ban the Breeding of the Exotic Feline for Personal Possession,” which is designed to end the breeding of these animals in captivity. Hedren said the only thing standing in the way of her second bill is companies who use big cats for entertainment

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Lily Tomlin will be a guest speaker at the screening of the film, “Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy” at the Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood on January 20, 2011, as part of the “Kat Kramer’s Films That Change the World” series.

The film, produced by Melya Kaplan and directed by Jacek Kropinski, chronicles the history of elephants in captivity for entertainment and film purposes and offers solutions to combating the problem today, when animal welfare activists are still fighting for causes such as “Billy The Elephant,” a large creature held at the Los Angeles Zoo that many want released to a sanctuary.

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Katie Cleary is a Chicago raised, former “Deal or No Deal” model who went on to snag spots in “Entourage,” “CSI: NY” and her latest film, Iron Man 2.

When you’re a contestant on Deal or No Deal with two cases left and they’re both worth under $5, you’ve made a bad deal turning down $100,000 two commercials ago.

Cleary thinks getting a dog from a puppy mill is a really bad deal, and she told Bleacher Report about more of her activism, which includes volunteering at the Shambala Preserve for big cats ran by actress Tippi Hedren.

“I was the award presenter three years in a row for the Genesis Awards to support animals causes in the media. I recently showed my support for various causes by protesting with some of the crew from the TV Show “Whale Wars” and got the restaurant “The Hump” shut down because they were illegally serving whale meat and turtle blood. Really disgusting people! I have also protested against most of the pet stores in LA that buy their puppies from puppy-mills where the dogs are sick and malnourished. This will soon be illegal and myself and a bunch of volunteers fight to educate the owners to go humane or shut down in our “Adopt – don’t buy” campaigns.”

Cleary runs her own amateur sanctuary at home, with two rescue dogs, two rescue cats, one rescue parrot and three rescue turtles!

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Tippi Hedren, founder of the sanctuary to 61 lions, tigers and other big cats, was recently on “The View From The Bay” to discuss the Shambala Preserve for cats and animal rights.

Tippi lives on the site of the sanctuary, and although tours are given once a month for a small donation, Tippi insists the animals aren’t there just to be watched and entertain, but it’s there “home.”

“I, along with millions of people are fascinated by the exotic feline,” the mother of actress Melanie Griffith says.

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Tippi Hedren went from starring in Birds to caring for cats.

The actress founded the Shambala Preserve, a home to tigers, lions and other big kitties that include Michael Jackson‘s Thriller and Sabu tigers.

Hedren’s life with big cats started in the 80s when she produced and starred in the film with African Lions, Roar, inciting her interest in the giant creatures.

Hedren was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Humane Society’s Genesis Awards.

“It’s such a gift to have a mission that you feel really strongly about,” Hedren says in the video.

More information on the Shambala Preserve can be found on its website.

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Tippi Hedren will be presented the Humane Society of the United State’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s 24th annual Genesis Awards.

“She started speaking out against the commercial breeding and private ownership of big cats years before it became a widely recognized problem,” said Beverly Kaskey, a senior director from the Humane Society of the United States and executive producer of the awards gala.

Hedren, the star from the Alfred Hitchcock classics “The Birds” and “Marnie” established the Shambala Preserve, a sanctuary for big cats such as lions and tigers rescued from circuses and zoos.

She also co-authored the Captive Wildlife Safety Act.

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This just in from TMZ.

The Shambala Preserve, where Michael Jackson’s old tigers Thriller and Sabu are housed, is close to where the California wildfires are taking place.

However, despite mandatory evacuations, sanctuary officials are not going anywhere.

“We house 64 big cats and it would be a logistical nightmare to bring all these cats down the road and get in the firefighters way of doing their job,” Tippi Hedren, owner of the sanctuary said.

The sanctuary staff plans to stay on the grounds with the tigers and ride the fire out.

What do you think?

Should there have been more emergency plans on part of the sanctuary in case of a situation like this?

Hard to move 64 tigers, but when you have a sanctuary in a place where you know disasters like these happens…kind of like buying ocean front property without flood insurance.

We hope things turn out okay.

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Actress and animal rights activist Tippi Hedren  volunteered to take in Michael Jackson’s tigers, Thriller and Sabu, after the singer could no longer keep them at his Neverland Ranch a few years ago.

The tigers live at the Roar Foundation Shambala Preserve.

“We have so suddenly lost one of the most beautiful and enchanting entertainers on our planet,” Hedren said.

“Michael Jackson was not only loved by the people of the world, for his incomparable talent, he was loved by the magnificent wild animals for which he provided the most beautiful home at his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA. We were thrilled to have Michael’s beloved tigers, Thriller and Sabu, join our pride here at Shambala when Michael needed a good home for them. Thriller and Sabu will always remind us of Michael.”

Shambala’s website offers pictures of the big cat friends to Thriller and Sabu, and offers a virtual tour of the preserve.

via Greendaily.com

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