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Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine responds to ‘Tiger King’; needs help amid coronavirus pandemic

Their goal is to provide a safe haven to abused and abandoned exotic animals. They are a state and federally licensed non-profit -- no kill, no breed.

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego sanctuary responds to ‘Tiger King,’ the latest hit series on Netflix. They've also been hit hard by the coronavirus and need your help. Meanwhile, they want parents and teachers to listen up because they're doing something different to entertain children. 

Bobbi Brink is the founder of Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine. They've been around in Alpine since 2003, sitting on 94 acres.

Their goal is to provide a safe haven to abused and abandoned exotic animals. They are a state and federally licensed non-profit -- no kill, no breed.

Brink said she watched ‘Tiger King’ and says the show didn't address a major issue.

“I met Joe in 1990, I remember that day like it was yesterday because of his crazy behavior. The sad part, is that it's at the cost of the animals and the film doesn't show what the animals go through.... the abuse, the dumping and the speed breeding,” said Brink. Right now, there are 65 rescue animals, 17 species at Lions, Tigers and Bears. Brink says they're going to be holding virtual visits on Facebook and Instagram and you can join in on the fun. 

“It will be myself, volunteers or some of the students for staff and we'll be bringing the animals to you, telling you a little about them, their stories, and you can watch them from home” said Brink. 

They will go LIVE, April 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PST on Facebook and 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST on Instagram on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to provide a Behind the Scenes look at the rescued animals of Lions Tigers & Bears. They've also launched the Help us “Hang in There” campaign

We hope you all are staying safe and healthy! We have a special update from LTB Founder, Bobbi Brink. Check it out! To learn more about how to Help Us Hang in there, head to https://bit.ly/LTBhanginthere 💛🐾 ✨If 100 people donated $20 and 20 of their friends donated $20, we can hit our goal by April 30th! You can start a fundraising campaign by clicking on Become a Fundraiser here -> https://bit.ly/LTBhanginthere ✨The first $15,000 will also be matched thanks to two generous donors - which means your impact will be doubled! ✨AND, anyone who gives $100 or more will automatically be entered to win a prize package! Learn more at: https://bit.ly/LTBhanginthere OR by texting LTB to 71777! Thank you SO much for your support, we appreciate it greatly!🦁🐯🐻❤️

Posted by Lions Tigers & Bears on Monday, March 30, 2020

They're asking people to donate $20 and then encourage 20 of their friends to do the same.

Brink says she's had to let 80% of her staff go, they're closed to the public, so that takes away money from feeding the animals and getting medicine.

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