ASPCA on Circus Cruelty

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THE CIRCUS IS CRUEL Except from American Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (ASPCA) WebsiteCircuses are considered one of the oldest forms of entertainment, and the ASPCA has been working to ensure protection for the animals used in them since the late 19th century. And today, as back then, whenever the circus comes to New York City, ASPCA humane law enforcement agents are on hand to inspect the conditions under which the animals are kept. And while we know that most people go to the circus because they love animals, what they don't realize is that they are supporting an industry that engages in animal cruelty.Then...By the 1950s, circus folk were just beginning to consider animals' psychological and physical needs, but in the early days of the ASPCA, handlers unilaterally relied on intimidation, fear and no less than torture to manipulate their charges both under the big top and behind the scenes. Handlers in P.T. Barnum's circus commonly

used the "burning method" to subdue animals, and in 1879 ASPCA founder Henry Bergh arrested a trainer for thrusting a hot poker up an elephant's trunk. Housing conditions were deplorable, too, and Barnum's menagerie of wild animals had succumbed to flames three times before the showman finally followed Bergh's suggestions to expand and strengthen the cages, limit the use of flammable straw bedding, and outfit Madison Square Garden with every fire-proofing device of the day....and NowToday, we are concerned with humane training methods, issues of transport and the inherent cruelty involved in forcing captive wildlife to perform. According to accounts by several former Ringling Bros. employees and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), elephants who perform in Ringling Bros. circuses are routinely kept in chains for as long as 23 hours a day from the time they are babies-and are repeatedly beaten with sharp bullhooks. Documentation from a USDA investigation

found that Ringling Bros. inflicted large wounds on baby elephants during a process in which the animals, less than two years old, were forcibly removed from their mothers. In the wild, baby elephants are not weaned until they are about four years old. Females stay with their mothers and the rest of their social units for their entire lives.All of this treatment violates the law, and constitutes cruelty. It is time to end this archaic practice.WHAT YOU CAN DO- Don't go to the circus-unless it's one that doesn't feature any animal performers. Tell your friends, family and co-workers not to attend the circus, either.- When Ringling Bros. is in the area, write a letter to the editor of the local paper explaining why the circus should not be supported.- Contact the venue that will be hosting Ringling Bros.' show and ask them to withdraw the invitation or, at the very least, not to invite them back next year.- Talk to your kids about

why circuses are cruel. Visit our children's website, ASPCA Animaland, for information about circuses that's written especially for kids.ASPCA PositionThe ASPCA is opposed to using wild or exotic (nonnative wild) animals, whether taken from the wild or captive-bred, in circuses, carnivals and other traveling animal shows because of the stress, cruelty and physical, social and psychological deprivations that the animals inevitably suffer, many as a direct result of being on the road much of the year.To view a video in which the ASPCA's Lisa Weisberg discusses the suit against Ringling Bros. in a 2006 interview with KTVU News, go to:http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_circuses

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