Founder and Executive Director – Pat Craig – Pat began saving captive wildlife after learning that thousands of “surplus” animals were being kept in tiny cages in the back of zoos all across the country – with many being euthanized on a daily basis.  Pat set out on a mission to help save these animals by building a small rescue facility on his family farm outside Boulder, CO.  At age 19, Pat became the youngest state and federally licensed person in the country, as well as the first person to build a sanctuary dedicated to saving large carnivores. 

 

Pat’s vision has led 40 years later to the oldest and largest nonprofit sanctuary in the world dedicated exclusively to the rescue of captive exotic and endangered large carnivores that have been abused, abandoned, exploited or illegally kept. He has also pioneered the art of building large acreage species-specific habitats, giving rescued animals the opportunity to live together and roam freely within large natural spaces.

 

Pat’s 40 years of experience in captive large carnivore rescue, transportation, animal behavior and sanctuary development have led to his becoming a leading expert in the field. He has participated in The Association of Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuary Association, on whose board he served for a number of years.

 

Pat lectures regionally and nationally on captive wildlife rescue and transportation, great cat behaviors and diets, and has worked tirelessly toward better protection for these animals. He works hand-in-hand with the USDA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and many other state and national organizations in the never-ending fight to rescue animals in need. Pat has also worked with Canadian, Mexican, Spanish, Bolivian, Uruguayan, Panamanian and Peruvian government agencies on large and extremely complicated rescues from within their countries.

 

Pat oversees and participates in all TWAS’ operations, including rescues, both within the United States and abroad.  Pat has over 39 years of experience in designing, building and operating specialized rescue equipment for use in transporting large carnivores, and manages the largest fleet of rescue equipment in the country.  His expertise in handling large rescues in demanding situations, as well as successfully covering great distances is well known among law enforcement agencies across the U.S. 

 

Pat has a BS in Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and has received recognition and awards from many sources including the United States Secretary of Agriculture Honor Award for service above and beyond to the USDA, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Humane Association and E-Chievement Award from E-Town Environmental Radio Show. He was also a finalist in Animal Planet’s “Hero of the Year” selections.