Cruelty to Circus Animals

[Stephanie Durecko]

It is long overdue that Ringling Bros. Circus be responsible for the mistreatment of circus animals. As children we never really saw the cruelty but as responsible adults it time to take a stand against this treatment of these beautiful animals.

[marion]

I JUST SPOKE WITH BORN FREE AND AAA REGARDING THIS..

PLEASE EVERYONE ..GET INVOLVED!

[Stephanie Durecko]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE FEDERAL CASE

Ringling’s own animal behaviorist reported “an elephant dripping blood all over the arena floor during the show from being hooked.”
Mark your calendar — October 7, 2008 — for what promises to be a groundbreaking day for elephants. As you know, we’ve spent years waging a David versus Goliath battle against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus for its mistreatment of Asian elephants in violation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute is absolutely determined to expose Ringling’s animal abuse of using sharp and barbaric bullhooks on innocent elephants, and chaining these poor animals for hours and hours at a time.

We will soon have our historic, long-awaited day in court. But we need your vital and generous support now more than ever if we are to prove our case against the well-funded Ringling Bros. [click here to view news story, and WEB EXTRA video link about the upcoming trial.]

Make no mistake, this is an incredibly expensive endeavor and we desperately need your help to ensure we are successful especially now that we are in the home stretch. This year alone we will pay more than $100,000 toward the costs of the trial, so your contribution to our tireless work is urgently needed today.

Your generous donation to our Elephant Defense Fund will ensure that we have the ability to continue this fight — and others — on behalf of elephants and other wild animals used and exploited in circuses and traveling shows.

The truth hurts. Born Free USA united with API has amassed a wealth of evidence to support our claims of animal abuse. Evidence such as video footage of Ringling employees repeatedly hitting elephants with sharp bullhooks; written documentation that an employee saw “an elephant dripping blood all over the arena floor during the show from being hooked”; and Ringling’s own internal documents that show that the elephants are chained for an average of 26 hours at a time and sometimes as long as 100 hours while traveling around the country.

Surely you agree that elephants — that all animals — deserve better!

Help us change their fate by giving today.

Not surprisingly, Ringling Bros. attempts to thwart us every step along the way, both in this lawsuit and in cities around the country. Currently they’re fighting against humane permit requirements we’ve helped put in place to protect elephants in traveling shows in Los Angeles, CA. Sadly, the city of Los Angeles significantly weakened these requirements due, in part, to pressure from the circus.

Born Free USA united with API will not back down. We will defend every elephant at risk in every circus. We will work with steadfast determination through this trial and every one to follow. And we will help every city across the country that wants to keep cruel circuses with elephants out of their city limits.

Born Free USA united with API and our co-plaintiffs are poised to make a crucial, lasting difference for elephants and other animals forced to perform unnatural and belittling circus tricks. The days when endangered Asian elephants stand chained all day or are whacked with sharp metal hooks could be coming to an end. But we need to make these momentous changes happen now.

[Vladimir]

We all should strive to give something, no matter how small, to support API in this, so important case. We are at the cusp of a truly historic moment for welfare of circus animals.

[weezy]

what is the address to donate?

[Vladimir]

what is the address to donate?

http://www.compassionateconsumer.org/donations/index.php?main_page=...

[weezy]

thanku vladimir, nice to see you're still here, ((hugs)) weezy

[Vladimir]

I JUST SENT THIS LETTER TO OUR LOCAL PAPER, WHO HAVE BEEN USING A PHOTO OF RINGLING ELEPHANTS IN A STAGED EVENT FOR AN ADVERTISEMENT:

30 July 2008

To (Paper Editor)

RE: Please change inappropriate photograph in advertisement.

Dear Madam or Sir:

I am writing in regard to your semi-daily published advertisement “BUY PHOTOS ONLINE!” , referring readers to www.XXXXPost.com/photos. The photograph you have chosen for this ad is misleading and inappropriate.

With all of the wonderful photos in the XXXX Post archive, so many of which represent positive events in the community, state, region, and the US; it is disappointing that you have instead selected a picture of a staged “photo-op,” a publicity stunt, for Ringling Bros. Circus.

The photo in question is part of the theatrical “elephant walk” to the circus venue: which stopped along the way for a staged “feeding” of the elephants (adjacent to a school, and for the obvious approval of hopefully impressionable children), and at which a seemingly endless bounty of fruits and vegetables were fed to the elephants. The event had the elephants apparently eagerly lined up at a table overflowing with a (carefully chosen for being colorful) cornucopia of food.

This event was staged to present a false image of the life that "animal performers" owned by Feld Entertainment (Ringling Bros. parent company) lead. The reality is that these elephants are chained for virtually every moment that they are not “performing” unnatural acts during a show: typically more than 23 hours on a “performance day,” an average of 26 hours (sometimes as much as 100 hours) at a time. Had your photographer pulled the focus of his photo outward, he would have brought into frame Feld’s elephant handlers, who organized the animal’s places during the walk with the industry “guiding tool”: the ankus, (better known as the “bullhook”), a club with a curved metal spike at its tip. The spike is used to poke, beat, and tear sensitive flesh. The bullhook is forcefully used behind the scenes, out of public view: in order to beat these gentle creatures into fearful submission so that they “perform” on cue in the arena. I would ask: “Has the XXXX Post ever printed a picture of a bullhook, so that readers might see this device for what it really is?”

Presently, Feld Entertainment is preparing to defend itself in a federal lawsuit brought by five animal protection organizations and a former Ringling employee, for violating the federal Endangered Species Act by cruelly mistreating Asian elephants. Moreover, Feld is continuously defending itself against allegations of consistent violations of the Animal Welfare Act, which poses only the most minimal standards of care for “animal performers.”

Your continued use of this photo, on a semi-daily basis, presents a false image and amounts to ongoing propaganda for Feld, at a time when the business has engaged publicists who work feverishly to burnish their public image and disseminate false information about how they treat their “animal performers.” I consider it deeply offensive, and ask that you choose another, more accurate photo, as soon as possible.


With regards and thanks,

[Shelly Vaughan]

Does anyone know what is happening with the trial between the ASPCA and Ringling Brothers? I know they gave their closing arguments, but I haven't heard anything more on it. Are they still waiting for a verdict or has one already been decided?