On February 7, 2023, In Defense of Animals and the Chicago Alliance for Animals delivered oversized Valentine’s Day cards from Rocky the coyote and Spur the tortoise who are suffering in extreme solitary confinement in the Chicago, Illinois area to advocate for their release to sanctuaries.

The Lincolnwood Trustees received a Valentine penned by Spur, an African sulcata tortoise in Lincolnwood. The president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, received a card from Rocky, a coyote in Northbrook. The giant cards were designed by artist Denise Katz Howick, who was inspired by the captive animals’ plight. Rocky and Spur’s cards contained compelling pleas for freedom to their captors and were co-signed by nearly 7,500 In Defense of Animals supporters. The message inside Rocky’s giant Valentine’s card was shared aloud by an advocate during the public comment period of the Cook County board meeting.

Spur is an African sulcata tortoise who was trafficked from the wild more than 30 years ago and she has been languishing in a tiny, tiled enclosure inside the window of The Animal Store in Lincolnwood ever since. Rocky is a coyote who was mistaken for a German Shepherd puppy. Instead of being returned to the wild, he was confined at the River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, where he has been kept bored and alone in a small, shabby enclosure for nearly five years.

In September, In Defense of Animals and Chicago Alliance for Animals held multiple protests for Spur and Rocky. Spur advocates demonstrated in front of The Animal Store and outside of a Lincolnwood Village board meeting to urge officials to send Spur to sanctuary, and enforce their own law banning the sale of naturally wild animals. The Animal Store sells a number of species of wild animals, including opossums, squirrels, fennec foxes, sugar gliders, degus, and much more. Unbelievably, some of these animals are wild-caught, then caged and sold to customers! Nearly 16,000 In Defense of Animals supporters have already written to decision-makers urging them to enforce their laws and free Spur.

Rocky’s advocates protested at the River Trail Nature Center, where the coyote is confined, and also in front of the Forest Preserves of Cook County headquarters. Demonstrators urged Cook County Commissioners to allow Rocky to go to a sanctuary that has offered him a place instead of using tax dollars to build a bigger cage. Our alert calling for Rocky’s relocation to the sanctuary has garnered nearly 24,000 supporters since June. After Cook County announced it would keep Rocky at the nature center, but enlarge his cage, over 14,000 In Defense of Animals supporters joined our call to release Rocky. More than 100,000 people, including comedian Ricky Gervais, have spoken out on Rocky’s behalf.

The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado is ready to provide a forever home for Rocky. Desert Oasis Turtle & Tortoise Sanctuary in Arizona has offered to provide a forever home for Spur.

We hope the Valentine’s Day cards from Rocky and Spur will unlock hearts and cages. Both animals display numerous signs of stress caused by confinement and boredom and they deserve to have their needs more truly met in a sanctuary setting. We are calling on Cook County Commissioners and the Lincolnwood Trustees to open their hearts and grant Rocky and Spur’s wishes for freedom.

We’ll continue advocating on their behalf. To get updates on them and find more ways you can help, visit our Wild Animals campaign.