On the Tiger’s second night in St. Louis, two local high-school students took a particular interest in our campaign. After following the Tiger long enough to view most of the video footage, the students decided they wanted to do a story on it for their high school’s newspaper and station. They interviewed Steve about the Buck Starbucks campaign and even did a video-recorded news story for replay. Pointing out that this Starbucks was one their school’s hot hangouts, they hoped to generate some debate within the student body on the topic of choosing to patronize a business that is involved in supporting the rodeo industry. Now that’s the kind of teen initiative the abusers should truly fear!

On the third and final night in St. Louis, a police officer tried to stop the Tiger from operating. Steve stood up to the officer, and was disappointed that he had to leave for a quick speaking engagement. It is obvious that Starbucks takes very good care of the cops, likely with free product, and so some police are happy to take "very good care" of Starbucks.

Daria Kerr, a wonderfully dedicated activist in Columbia, MO has taken to leafleting Buck Starbucks flyers around town, including the local Starbucks. Unfortunately, the evening that the Tiger was in Columbia, the university Starbucks was closed for winter break, so instead there was a planning session with local activists that will insure a proper welcome a new Starbucks set to open in downtown Columbia in January. Starbucks may find the welcome in Columbia to be somewhat more chilly than it would like. Already, an unknown person has taped Buck Starbucks flyers on the windows of this in- construction Starbucks, ensuring that those working there know the abuse that this company is supporting.

The Tiger made its first appearance within the borders of Oklahoma last night, starting off the tour in rodeo country in Tulsa. With the giant movie screens showing the graphic and disturbing images of Starbucks-sponsored cruelty, injuries and death, a team of fantastic local activists from Oklahomans for Animal Rights braved the biting cold to leaflet outside of two Starbucks in one night. The high point of the first Starbucks visit was encouragement from a judge who stated that he thought rodeos were "very cruel and stupid." He congratulated us on our efforts and wished us well.

After leafleting and ‘Tigering’ the abuse footage at the first Starbucks, the crew decided to move on the second Starbucks of the evening. While the employees at the first Starbucks were decidedly unsympathetic and unpleasant, the staff at the second Starbucks was outright hostile. Apparently undisturbed by the fact that they are working for a company that has no qualms about sponsoring the torture of animals, the Starbucks gooneys were waiting at the door for the Tiger’s arrival.

As soon as the Tiger was parked out front, Starbucks’ staff came outside and began leafleting their own flyer in a feeble attempt to defend the company’s image! In keeping with Starbucks’ refusal to directly address the issue of rodeo sponsorship, the flyer being handed out is Starbucks’ “Social Responsibility Newsletter.” It was an attempt that was as pathetic as Starbucks' rodeo sponsorship.

The newsletter is supposed to inform the public about the beneficial programs that Starbucks does support such as Jumpstart tutors, the addition to their stores of a fair-trade coffee, and, ironically enough, the African Wildlife Foundation. Are Starbucks’ customers supposed to be pleased that the company is helping animals in Africa, even while subsidizing the maiming and killing of animals in the United States?

Obviously in fear of the truth, the Starbucks’ managers immediately asked the Tiger and its compassionate crew to leave. Upon refusal on the grounds of free speech, the staff called local police to the scene. A flurry of three squad cars and six officers arrived to deal with the “threat.” Mind you, not a threat to the public and peace, but a threat to Starbucks’ profits. After all, most people don't want to deal with cruel and corrupt corporate cowards.

Starbucks employees stated they wanted the activists arrested. This is a prime example of how badly this company does not want people to see the reality of the abuse they are sponsoring. One extremely irate employee said, “I can’t believe you are letting children see this crap!”

And that’s exactly was rodeo is: Crap. Cruelty. Abuse. Torture. Killing. All supported by Starbucks and heavily promoted as “family entertainment.” Maybe this woman is unaware of just how strongly the rodeo industry propagandizes their abusive practices to children.

The police arrived with a very unfriendly manner and repeatedly stated that Starbucks wanted the Tiger and the activists gone. After more than 10 minutes of discussion concerning the nature of freedom of speech, or lack thereof, the officers informed everyone that they would be cited and arrested for trespassing if they did not leave along with the Tiger and its damning video. One officer actually stated that it was his job to "Keep Starbucks Happy!" Fortunately, the conversation was recorded, and may play a significant role in future legal action.

After watching the Tiger video for a few minutes, the women were clearly distraught and one was moved to tears. They both entered Starbucks and the first woman expressed her opposition to such cruelty, indicating her friend’s tearful state as well, and informed the management that they would no longer be customers as long as the company continued to support such abuse.

Starbucks is sponsoring rodeos where it thinks it can get away with it, and at the same time it is doing everything it can to stomp out our attempts to expose that sponsorship anywhere where it doesn't help the company sell its overpriced products. Interestingly, even in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Starbucks is afraid to let customers know that it sponsors the rodeo industry in at least four states!

The Tiger will now go into hibernation for a couple weeks, while Steve heads home to deal with business and personal matters. After the New Year, the Tiger will reawaken to again expose Starbucks in Oklahoma before continuing to move westward. We look forward to the day the Tiger finally pulls up to Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, Washington.