Who is Howard Baskin? All About Carole Baskin's Husband

Publish date: 2024-05-18

Howard Baskin is the husband of Carole Baskin, the renowned American animal rights activist and star of the Netflix series Tiger King. Born May 13, 1950, Howard is a 73-year-old retired management consultant who has faithfully contributed his quota to several companies in the areas of strategic planning, operations, and finance. 

Howard rose to prominence after his marriage to Tiger King star and popular Zoo tender Carole Baskin. Despite having an impressive resume, Howard didn’t fall anywhere close to being a celebrity until he met Carole at the “No more homeless pet” advocacy in 2002 and later married her.

Summary of Howard Baskin’s Biography

Howard Baskin was born in Poughkeepsie, New York City, USA

Howard Baskin was born in Poughkeepsie, New York City, as an American citizen and follows the Christian religion. There is no information regarding his parents, siblings, and childhood. However, he had his high school education at Poughkeepsie High School and Union College, respectively.

Howard had proven to be a lad distinguished with high intellectual ability; hence, in 1972, he proceeded to Union College, Schenectady, New York, where he received his B.Sc. with distinction. He then received his J.D. in 1978 from the University of Miami School of Law and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1980.

Howard and Carole Baskin Met at an Animal Charity Campaign in 2002

In November 2002, five years after her husband Don Lewis went missing, Carole met Howard Baskin at a kickoff party for an animal charity event. The “No More Homeless Pet” advocacy was an animal safety campaign introduced by Mary Hessler Key to Tampa Bay. Howard had reportedly visited Carole’s big cat facility, later called Wildlife on Easy Street; this act had endeared him to Carole.

Shortly afterward, the pair kicked off their love story the same year they met. In the fall of 2003, Howard proposed to Carole at Anna Maria Island, Florida. The overwhelmed soon-to-be bride was bumped with excitement that all she could do was inscribe a “YES!” in the sand.

Howard and Carole Baskin Exchanged Marital Vows in 2004

Howard Baskin is the biggest flannel going???? pic.twitter.com/hak7KQzNvl

— Molly Shepherd-Boden (@MollyShep) April 20, 2020

The love birds went against all odds to exchange their marital vows in 2004 on the same island where they got engaged, with few friends and family members present to share in their newfound happiness. The duo had penned down loved-up vows to profess to each other.

Carole’s vows read thus: “You will actively seek ways to keep your relationship, and your partner’s life, fresh and interesting, but not so interesting that you drive Howie nuts.”

And Howard’s were more like: “Howie, you promise to close drawers and cabinet doors after removing items, and particularly the closet door to keep your old cat Crystal from peeing on Carole’s clothes.”

It is safe to say that their love for animals brought the duo together. At the time of our writing, Howard’s marriage to Carole has not produced any children, and the couple doesn’t seem to be bothered about that anyway. However, we assume that having a child is not at the top of their priority list as they are very busy working hard on the Big Cat Rescue and Netflix Tiger King series, respectively.

Before Marrying Howard Baskin, Carole Murdock Had A Child Named Jamie Veronica Murdock

The Tiger series star had a child from her marriage to Michael Murdock. She had her daughter Jamie Veronica Murdock on July 16, 1980, at the age of 19, with her husband,, with whom she had cohabited since she was 17.

Veronica Murdock is Carole Baskins’ only child and also the president of Big Cat Rescue, as well as a member of the board of directors and chair of the volunteer committee. From her resume, as seen on the Big Cat Rescue website, Jamie is an award-winning photographer and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

She uses her talent to make acrylic paintings and paw print art. She owns an art studio known as “Dancing Butterfly Arts” which is situated in Etsy. Jamie was once married to Big Cat Rescue veterinarian Dr. Justin Boorstein; whether they have kids or not is still not known. But we do know that she is currently dating Victor Alonso, as reported by the media.

Carole Baskin’s Troubled Marriage with Michael Murdock

Carole and Michael got married in 1979 despite not being in love. Shortly, the couple had a fight, and Carole threw a potato at Micheal and ran out of their home. She then met her second husband, Don Lewis, on 50th Street in Tampa. She had an affair with Lewis, who was also married at that time.

As their relationship grew, she helped grow his wealth by helping him buy and sell real estate in the 1980s. In 1991, the duo divorced their respective spouses and got married. Sadly, the marriage was rocked by infidelity and scandals, as Lewis will often fly to Costa Rica for business affairs.

In July 1997, Lewis filed a restraining order against Carole with claims that she had threatened to kill him, but the order was not granted. Don Lewis went missing in August 1997 and was declared legally dead in 2002. Lewis’s disappearance case is still on till now.

Howard Baskin Stood Up for Carole Following the Rumor That She Murdered Her Husband, Don Lewis

In 2020, when the Tiger King series came out, Howard and Carole faced online vitriol and perusal. The first episode of Tiger King was all about Carole Baskin’s ex-husband. Over time, the series insinuated that Carole was indeed involved in her late husband’s disappearance.

Throughout all the fussy drama that came with the Tiger King series, Howard gave Carole his unwavering support. In a video posted to Big Cat Rescue’s YouTube account, Howard shared some truth about his wife Carole, stating that she was not capable of the accusations heaped on her.

In the video, Howard expressed his disgust when the show organizers breached their contract agreement, which included touching on the mysterious disappearance of Carole’s ex-husband, Don Lewis, in a respectable way. Following this breach, Netflix was approached for a comment about the couple’s claim, but they did not oblige. This intensified the aforesaid rumor.

What Does Howard Baskin Do for a Living?

Howard, a retired management consultant, has worked in reputable companies in the area of strategic planning. He worked at Citicorp as the director of strategic planning for the Real Estate division for eleven years before he left in 1991. He then became an equity participant and general manager in three companies and co-founded one the same year he left Citicorp.

Additionally, Howard has worked in the Upper Bay Chamber of Commerce as one of the board of directors for three years. He worked as the pioneer chairman of its performance oversight and monitoring committee and also a member of its external relations committee.

During his active years, Howard served as the chairman of community service and a member of the Board of Directors of The Rotary Club of Tampa. However, upon getting married to Carole in 2004, he put all the managerial skills he had amassed over the years to work at Big Cat Rescue and became part of the audit committee.

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