Vickey Keahey, founder and president of In-Sync Exotics, presents Tim Harrison with a painting of Lambert the lion. Harrison, a published author and documentary star, will be the keynote speaker at the “Whisker Wishes” fundraising gala on Saturday, June 8. Courtesy Dave Smith
It was a star-studded event Saturday night as the community came together to support their hometown non-profit, the world-famous In-Sync Exotics.
Approximately 200 attendees, including local dignitaries, volunteers and supporters, attended the inaugural Whisker Wishes fundraising gala at the venue at Boyd Farms in Lavon, Saturday, June 8.
The evening’s master of ceremonies, longtime supporter Lee Singletary, was introduced by Mayor Matthew Porter.
As guests enjoyed a prepared dinner, a slideshow and footage from the sanctuary’s live camera highlighted some of the residents resting and playing in their habitats. The sanctuary on Skyview Drive in Wylie is now home to 32 tigers, five lions, four leopards, six cougars, 15 bobcats, four servals, a savannah cat, two lemurs, two ligators, a cheetah, a horse, a donkey, three goats and six domestic cats.
The evening’s keynote speaker was Tim Harrison, star of documentaries such as “The Conservation Game” and author of “White Magic”. Harrison’s participation, sponsored by Tigers in America, underscores the collaborative spirit of wildlife conservation efforts.
Before Harrison took the stage, Vicky Keahey, founder of In-Sync Exotics, told him part of the story about the “tale of two Lamberts.”
“It doesn’t matter how many times I tell this story; I can’t tell them without crying, Keahey said through tears, about Harrison’s documentary, “The Elephant in the Living Room.”
After watching the 2010 documentary, which she admitted she avoided watching as long as she could, Keahey said: “I swore that if I ever got a baby lion, I would name him Lambert. Because Lambert – Tim’s lion – deserved a much better life and a much more dignified death.”
It wasn’t long after Keahey watched the documentary that she said, “my Lambert showed up.” She rescued him when he was a 3-month-old puppy from a family in Odessa.
“I brought him home,” she said. “And he’s been called Lambert since before he got there. And he is my savior, he is my love… he is everything to me.”
In a fascinating 30 minutes at the podium, Harrison explained how he first became involved in educating and advocating for the proper care of exotic animals. “You couldn’t find anywhere like In-Sync back then.”
Now, with installations across the country, Harrison said, In-Sync is one of the top two.
“I guarantee you now have a top-notch facility right here in your area,” he added. “I don’t know why anyone – when I travel the world – would send $1 anywhere else when there are animals here that need their help. These are American tigers. These are American lions. And it’s not their fault. They are here, but it is our fault.”
Harrison, a 68-year-old retired police officer, firefighter and paramedic from Ohio, is also director of Outreach for Animals, a nonprofit founded in 2001.
When talking about his latest book, “White Magic”, Harrison explained how the term is used in the underworld. “At Hollywood fairs and parties, when white magic comes in, everyone spends money,” he said. “Everyone wants to touch or take a photo with a white tiger. And that’s where the downfall is.”
Years of excessive breeding, Harrison said, have led to all kinds of deformities in white tigers. “It all started with the Cincinnati Zoo,” he said, adding that “all these places started using these animals for entertainment purposes.”
The author showed photos of his Lambert, along with examples of what his organization does, including dental care, contraception for big cats, transporting animals across the country and more.
Additionally, through his undercover investigation for his two award-winning documentaries, Harrison spoke out about some of the abuse animals suffered, which led him to become known as a “human animal advocate.”
“And that’s why I’m here. I came from Dayton, Ohio,” he said. “And I just want you to know: This is a facility and you need to support it.”
In thanking Harrison, Keahey presented him with a painting painted by Lambert along with an adoption certificate for “his” Lambert.
“Now he’s our Lambert,” she said.
Local auctioneer Clay Potter had the audience cheering and laughing with a wild game of “Whiskers or Tails” before successfully encouraging attendees to purchase sports tickets, vacation opportunities, wine and whiskey tastings or even donate money during the live auction. Funds raised will help cover the cost of a new endoscopy machine and other medical equipment at the facility.
“My sincere thanks to everyone who attended and to the supporters and sponsors who helped make our gala a huge success,” Keahey said. “I’m so grateful to Tim Harrison for sharing his stories and his brilliant support of In-Sync.”
To sponsor any of In-Sync’s exotic cats or simply donate to a local nonprofit, visit insyncexotics.org.
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