YOUNGSTOWN Court hearing gets under way over the ownership of lion cub

Actress and animal-rights activist Tippi Hedren was in court today.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Lawyers for two exotic animal sanctuaries squared off this morning in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for the first round in a fight over ownership of a lion cub.
The case revolves around the cub, which was brought to the Noah's Lost Ark animal refuge in Berlin Township earlier this year. William Long of Upper Arlington says he is the cub's owner and wants it back so he can place the animal in a shelter in California.
Owners of Noah's Lost Ark, Ellen and Douglas Whitehouse, have refused to release the cub, which was 8 days old when it was brought to them Oct. 12 by a reporter from the New York Post.
Long apparently was assisting the reporter, who was working on a story about how easy it is to buy exotic animals. Long was with the reporter and was the one who signed papers to buy the 3-pound cub.
Long filed a lawsuit in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court asking that owners of Noah's Lost Ark be forced to turn the lion cub over to him. He has said he wants to move the lion to Shambala Sanctuary in California, which is operated by actress and animal-rights activist Tippi Hedren.
Hedren was in the courtroom this morning and was expected to testify during the hearing before Magistrate Eugene Fehr.
The Post reporter, Al Guart, also was expected to testify.
Sought postponement
Lawyers for Noah's Lost Ark asked that today's hearing be postponed so they could have more time to investigate and to question the plaintiff's witnesses in advance, but Fehr declined the request.
Fehr said he does not intend to decide ultimate ownership of the cub from today's hearing. His intention is to determine only temporary ownership with final ownership to be decided later.
Atty. Michael O'Shea, representing Noah's Lost Ark, asked Fehr to visit the animal shelter before making a decision, but lawyers for Long said it would not be fair for him to see one sanctuary and not the other.
Fehr said it is not a question of which is the better facility, but whether the cub is in immediate danger now where it is.
Noah's Lost Ark, located on Bedell Road, is a licensed facility that accepts abused and neglected exotic animals. The all-volunteer organization has about 125 animals.