Darnell Dockett’s Tiger Purchase Being Investigated by Animal-Rights Activists

Animal-rights activists are blowing the whistle on Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, who claims he recently purchased a pet tiger.

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida informed us about a few potential issues with Dockett’s purchase, including some laws about tiger ownership.

See also:
–Will Darnell Dockett Eventually Get Mauled by His Pet Tiger?

ARFF (get it?) tells us the state of Florida bans the private possession of tigers. Federal law also makes it illegal to move tigers and other big cats across state lines, except for a few exemptions. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, those exemptions include zoos, circuses, researchers, veterinarians, state universities, and a few others.

So, it seems hard to imagine that Dockett’s a lawful owner of a tiger, as he alleges to be.

Dockett told 910 AM’s Mike Jurecki that he got the tiger, although it seemed hard to believe. Here’s a little back-and-forth between Dockett and reporters at training camp last week, posted by the Arizona Republic:

“Do you have a tiger, really?”

“Yeah, yeah. But I cannot tell y’all everything about that as far as legal reasons. That company with the four-letter word? We’re going to keep them out of this. But yes, for everybody, I do have a tiger.”

“Does it live with you here in Arizona?”

“I’m not going to tell you that . . . I cannot tell you.”

That didn’t exactly make sense, but he’s insisting that he does own the tiger.

ARFF suspects Dockett got the tiger from a place in Miami.

ARFF’s still trying to find out if the sale actually took place. Dockett posted just one picture of the tiger cub, Buddy, on social media, and Dockett’s not in the photo.

Dockett claimed in 2011 that he bought an alligator and that claim was highly questionable, a Huffington Post report found.

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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.