Membership Overview
Thank you for your interest in the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA), the only professional sanctuary
organization advocating for the welfare of captive big cats.
Vision Statement
The Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance works towards the day when sanctuaries are no longer needed because exploitation of wild cats has been eliminated.
Mission
The Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance works to eliminate exploitation and private ownership of big cats, and supports members in providing quality lifetime care for wild cats in captivity.
Organization Purpose and Values
The Alliance will achieve its mission through the following activities:
- Advocacy
- National collaboration with other groups to improve the lives of wild cats in captivity
- Assist sanctuaries toward achieving professional, high-quality care
Values:
- Participation: All of our members are involved and valued partners in our work. Our members are also our leaders. We share passion for and dedication to our work and have fun in the process.
- Excellence: Our members strive for best practices in safety, animal care, and education. We support our members in adopting and exceeding these practices to ensure respectful, humane treatment of the animals in our care.
- Unity: We are united in advocating for high quality, professional, care for big cats and for ending their commercial exploitation and breeding for cub petting, private ownership, and other inhumane practices. We do not support such exploitative operations in any way, and advocate for the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act and its subsequent enforcement.
- Learning: We recognize and celebrate that all of us are still learning and we provide opportunities for continued professional development for our members and seek to improve practices throughout the field.
- Inclusion: We value diversity and recognize there is work for us to do in making our field more diverse and inclusive.
Become a Member
There are two levels of membership:
Sanctuary Member
An establishment that provides lifelong care for abused, neglected, unwanted, impounded, abandoned, orphaned or displaced wild cats. Sanctuary
members need not care exclusively for wild cats.
Partner Member
An organization or individual who supports the mission of the BCSA through advocacy, funding, or professional services, or provides related
services, such as rehabilitation of native wild cats. Partner members must not engage in activities or messaging that conflict with the mission of the
BCSA.
Click to learn more about the criteria for joining BCSA.