This Sunday, December 2, two tiger cubs will be exhibited at Dashing Dogs grooming salon in Carrollton, Virginia, in an attempt to raise funds from unsuspecting members of the public for Bear Path Acres, a nearby zoo. This misguided fundraiser will not only put the tigers and the public at risk but also support the cruelty inherent in confining animals to zoos. Bringing nondomestic animals such as tiger cubs to a public event is a safety hazard. Many children and adults have been mauled by tigers, primates, and other animals who have been used as props in "close encounters" and photo opportunities. Such events can also be extremely stressful for the animals, who may be frightened by crowds, camera flashes, and people trying to touch them. Tigers and other exotic animals belong in the wild, not in a grooming salon or in tiny enclosures at zoos that don't come close to the jungles, deserts, and forests that are their natural homes. Many animals in zoos go insane from the stress of captivity and engage in neurotic, self-destructive behavior, such as pacing, neck-twisting, head-bobbing, and bar-biting. In addition, while zoos often claim to educate children about animals, the only thing that kids learn from watching animals pace back and forth in tiny cages is that it's acceptable to imprison animals for their entire lives so that people can gawk at them for fun. Please take a moment to call Debra Hall, owner of Dashing Dogs, at 757-371-6856 today and politely ask her to cancel this event and redirect her fundraising efforts to a humane charity such as a local open-admission animal shelter.