Victory! Time Warner Cable Store Nixes Exotic Animal Display

Paw Prints tiger

When a Time Warner Cable Store at the Independence Mall in Wilmington, N.C., planned to host Kelly’s Paw Print Productions exotic-animal show, it apparently had no idea that Paw Prints is a chronic violator of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Time Warner Cable didn’t hesitate to cancel the scheduled event with Paw Prints, however, after PETA informed the media giant about the exhibitor’s lengthy history of animal abuse.

It’s not surprising that Time Warner Cable would want nothing to do with a business that has been repeatedly cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failure to provide animals with veterinary care or appropriate and sufficient food as well as failure to handle animals so that there is minimal risk of harm to the animals and the public. In announcing the cancellation of the event, Time Warner’s Director of Media Relations Melissa Buscher stated, “The safety of our customers and the well-being of the animals are a top concern for Time Warner Cable.” You’ll find a lot of things in our factsheet on Kelly’s Paw Print Productions, but customer safety and animal welfare are two things that are noticeably lacking.

Big props to Time Warner Cable for not wanting to associate itself with Kelly’s Paw Print Productions, but the truth is that most animal exhibitors have similarly miserable records of animal care. Please thank the Time Warner Cable Store for its decision to cancel the Paw Prints event and ask Time Warner to take one more progressive step and enact a policy permanently prohibiting the display of wild animals at any of its locations.

Written by Liz Graffeo