Curt LoGiudice opens the padlock with his key and swings open the door to the chain-link fence. He walks in to Freddy with arms open, and Freddy greets him by rubbing his mane against LoGiudice's face.
Freddy is an African lion. He's also a resident at the Catty Shack Ranch Sanctuary on Jacksonville's Northside.
The sanctuary is a nonprofit organization that rescues big cats and other species and gives them a forever home.
Catty Shack houses about 50 animals, including lions, tigers and horses. LoGiudice has been executive director since its inception in 1985.
When he walks by their enclosures, animals follow him hoping for his affection. He'll usually stop and hug the tigers and lions through the fence or the built-in porthole.
"They're all my favorite," LoGiudice says loudly. He then whispers, "I have to be careful because they're listening."
LoGiudice, an Ohio native, began his career with animals as a Shar Pei breeder. He then worked as an apprentice for an animal caretaker in High Springs. That's where he developed a love for large cats and learned to interact with them, he said.
"I have a lot of patience," LoGiudice said. "I have to because the animals look to you as a guide."
Without the sanctuary, LoGiudice said, many of these animals would have been euthanized when their former facilities chose to no longer keep them. Instead, they come to the sanctuary, where they are fed, cared for and get belly rubs from LoGiudice.
LoGiudice lives on the property so he can care for the animals around the clock.
There are 36 cameras around the facility so he can make sure the animals are comfortable and never in crisis. His son, Evin, and father, Don, also live on-site and help.
Everyone who works at the sanctuary, including LoGiudice, are volunteers. Catty Shack hosts night-time feedings and fundraising events, such as its recent Haunted Fest for Halloween.
A thrift shop off Oceanway Avenue also helps fund the sanctuary.
To keep operating, the sanctuary requires the help of local businesses and patrons. A major expense is food for the animals – Catty Shack typically goes through about 450 pounds of meat daily, he said.
LoGiudice is part veterinarian, part caretaker and the lead administrator for Catty Shack, but his favorite part is the interaction time he has with the animals. But one thing he's learned, though, is never to engage with a big cat during meal time.
"When food comes out, no one is a friend or relative," he said.