Kentucky family fights to keep pet lion
MELVIN, Ky. (AP) — Amid a backdrop of colorful swingsets, clunky cars and giggling kids, a beast with a thick mane and daunting eyes paces in his cage.
To some around this small Appalachian town, he's a frightening menace. To others, he's the local mascot, a novelty.
But to the Collins family, he's "Kitty," their beloved pet lion.
"That's my kid," said 22-year-old Melissa Collins, a married mother of three, as she pet [sic] Kitty through his 300-square-foot chain-link cage. [...]