The Tiger Truck , here outside AT&T headquarters, gives corporate animal abusers nowhere to hide.

Clearly, the abhorrent treatment of the terrorized, maimed and dying animals did not sit well with anyone in the area. Even in San Antonio, where one of the larger rodeos in the country is ongoing lasting some three weeks, people are disgusted and repulsed when they really see what is going on.

Once the Tiger began circling the AT&T building, SHARK staff called AT&T and invited company executives to come out and see what AT&T customers thought about the company’s sponsorship of animal abuse. Of course, this invitation was declined. Apparently AT&T’s executives couldn’t be coaxed out from under their desks, where they were likely huddled to escape responsibility for their lack of leadership and utter lack of ethics. Maybe they were just scared by the growling of the Tiger – poor babies!

As the Tiger circled the complex over and over, I was taken by the corporate cowardice of it all. I am a business owner, and if someone were cruising outside my business, talking trash against my company, I would be out there. While anyone protesting outside my place of business or home has every right to do so, I would deal with the issue head on. If the protesters were wrong, I would refute their falsehoods very publicly. If they were right, I would resolve the issue. But then, I am not a corporate coward like those who inhabit AT&T’s headquarters.

That is not to say that AT&T management didn’t do anything. About ninety minutes after the Tiger began to prowl around AT&T headquarters, a police officer on a bike appeared. He wasn’t the first cop we saw. We had seen numerous police, both in vehicles and on bikes, and no one had said a thing. This officer, however, stopped us and claimed that it was illegal for the truck to move while its video screens are in operation.

I told the officer that I would like to see that law, but he said I didn’t have the right. I asked him for the number of the law, and he said he didn’t know. I asked for the wording of the law, and he didn’t know that either. All he knew was that we couldn’t do what we were doing. How convenient!

Even more interesting is that the officer only wrote a warning ticket, which didn’t even require a signature. A Tiger crew member videotaped the entire incident, so there is a record for not only possible future legal proceedings, but also for the CingularSponsorsCruelty.com and ATTcruelty.com website.

I think this officer was nothing more than a setup. If AT&T thought we could be pushed off this easily, they are mistaken. The Tiger will return to AT&T Tuesday night with a new resolve. All the exchange with the police officer did was to let us know that the company is upset with being confronted with its actions.

The Tiger and crew have traveled over a thousand miles to hold AT&T accountable for its rodeo animal abuse sponsorship.

Call AT&T/Cingular Wireless:

Email AT&T here: http://www.corp.att.com/contact/forms/inquiries.ht ml

2. Please consider making a donation to SHARK today to help with the expense of operating the Tiger Truck on this campaign.

3. Refer your friends and family to CingularSponsorsCruelty.com or ATTcruelty.com where they can view rodeo footage like the Tiger is currently showing outside AT&T headquarters.

The website has other information such as a sample letter to the company and real letters from compassionate consumers dumping their AT&T/Cingular service.

The Tiger will continue to prowl around AT&T for the next few days, and AT&T decision-makers need to know that the Tiger represents many, many caring people from around the US and beyond.