Celebrities Endangered by Tiger Trainer With a Record

Few animal abusers are as brazenly defiant as Karl Mitchell, who continues to allow the public—including actor Michelle Rodriguez and supermodel Cara Delevingne—to pet, kiss, and take photos with tigers, even though he has been operating illegally since his license was revoked 13 years ago. Mitchell shamelessly put Rodriguez and Delevingne at serious risk by unlawfully allowing them to interact with a juvenile tiger much older than the age limit that the law allows.

Mitchell has previously duped other celebrities, including Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green, into visiting his facility unwittingly.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued Mitchell three cease-and-desist orders—all of which he ignored—and has ordered him to pay more than $100,000 in fines. PETA recently confirmed that the agency has referred Mitchell’s case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecution for his continued violations, including the unlawful exhibition of tigers for an Animal Planet production and on the set of the Bradley Cooper film Hit and Run.

PETA has asked the USDA and the U.S. Department of Justice to stop the madness and ensure that Mitchell is criminally prosecuted for his ongoing violations of federal law. Stay tuned.