25 January 2005

by Anai Rhoads Ford

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AnaiRhoads.org - Authorities raided the Weinhart's Tiger Rescue in April 2003 after complaints streamed in that the owners were abusing the animals. What police found at the Glen Avon, California property was astounding.

They discovered two alligators in a bathtub, barely big enough for them to move around in; a total of 58 dead tiger cubs crammed into freezers; 30 adult tigers, dead; and countless undernourished leopard and tiger cubs.

The operators, 49 year-old Marla Jean Smith and her partner 62 year-old John Weinhart, were each charged with 17 felony counts and 46 misdemeanour counts. Both were also charged with animal cruelty and illegal breeding of wild and exotic animals.

In addition to those charges, Smith pleaded guilty for endangering her 8 year-old's life by allowing him free and unsupervised access to the animals that were mostly kept in their backyard. According to her legal council, Regina Filippone, Smith pleaded guilty to child endangerment prior to the trial so that her son couldn't testify against her in court as a prosecution witness.

Smith will only get 120 days in jail and three years probation for her crime.

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