![]() “Later I found boys were interesting too. After treating Sheila for two weeks and seeing her jump around and play was all the reward I needed.”Īs a kid, Keahey says she was always drawn to cats - all kinds of cats. “They felt like she was going to die despite any effort I could make for her. “When Sheila, the white female lion came to me, the USDA sent me an email saying they were so sorry for bringing me such a hard case,” she says. While the challenges can be overwhelming, the experience for Keahey is not without its rewards. “Every dime we receive is spent on the cats. ![]() “The economy is so tight and I am left with begging for more and more money,” she explains. Some of Keahey’s biggest challenges these days, she says, is having to come up with enough money to provide proper housing, medical treatment and food to the cats taken in to the rescue facility. Over the years, as noted on the website, there have been over 80 big cats rescued. Not given the right food while they were growing, not given space to run and play or to exercise resulting in bone, joint and mental problems. There are many cats that have had to endure this kind of treatment and I take in the ones I can and help them become healthy and happy for as long as I can.”Ĭurrently she has lions, tigers, servals, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, bobcat and lynx at In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue & Educational Center. Most of them have been abused one way or another and not cared for properly. “I take them in when no one else wants them or when the owners can no longer take care of them. “Overall, what I do is rescue exotic cats,” says Keahey. She named the tiger Kenya, nursed her back to health and decided it was time to consider establishing a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for rescued exotic felines and sharing her experiences with others. Then, in 1998 she found herself the keeper of a three-week-old female Bengal tiger that was badly maimed and neglected. Working and learning from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department over time, Keahy eventually ended up with a second cougar in 1994 named Ranger. Keahey had grown attached to the 18-month-old cougar so she gave her a new home. The cougar was named Tahoe and after Tahoe healed no one came back for her. In 1991 a female cougar was brought into the clinic for treatment. Keahey began taking care of large cats before that time when as a veterinary technician she spent her days caring for, comforting and playing with the array of animals who visited the clinic where she worked. Keahey is the President of In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue & Educational Center in Wylie, Texas, a big cat rescue center established in March of 2000. For many folks this quote holds true, but even more so for people like Vicky Keahey. It’s a popular quote credited to Chief Seattle of the Suwamish Tribe in a letter to President Franklin Pierce. “If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. (Photo: Two of the residents of In-Sync Wildlife Exotics)
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