5-Minute Interview: Howard Baskin, chairman, Big Cat rescue

“Initially she thought they could make good pets and believed the breeders who said they were breeding to ‘preserve the species,’ says Howard Baskin, Carole’s current husband and chairman of Tampa, Fla.-based Big Cat Rescue, which Carole founded.

“A few cats of other species were purchased in those early days, and there was a limited amount of breeding,” Baskin explains. “But as Carole gained experience with the animals and learned more about what their typical life was like in captivity, the philosophy of the sanctuary changed dramatically and has continued to evolve. After the initial cats arrived, people began calling asking her to take cats of various species.”