The Tiger Next Door

Dennis Hill has been breeding and selling tigers from his backyard in Flat Rock, Indiana for over fifteen years. When the documentary begins, Hill has 24 tigers, 3 bears, 6 leopards and one cougar. He claims to know exactly what his animals are thinking by the look in their eyes. But now, after a surprise government inspection, he's lost the license that allowed him to keep exotic animals, and the state of Indiana is threatening to shut him down. He has just five days to find alternate homes for all but three of his brood and to bring his facilities up to code -- or else lose what he considers to be his life's work. As Hill fights to hold on to his tigers over the days and months that follow, The Tiger Next Door follows him exploring his motives, his past, and the curious, ethically-murky world he's created in his backyard. At the same time, the documentary ranges far beyond Dennis' animal compound, illuminating the intricate web of commerce laxity that keeps breeders in business. What finally becomes exposed is the widespread attitude that humans are indeed lords of the animal kingdom.