Life is No Circus for Animals

Years ago when people heard the circus was coming to town, children screamed in delight and families packed tent arenas for the "greatest show on earth." Nowadays, the video footage of circus animals being mistreated behind the scenes causes many animal lovers to scream in disgust.

We recently learned that Carson & Barnes Circus is coming to Sonoma County June 8-11 with stops in Petaluma and Santa Rosa. While laws and regulations are now in place to offer some protection of animals who perform, they are minimal and rarely enforced. Carson & Barnes Circus has violated many of them and still uses bullhooks on performing elephants.

Pets Lifeline is against the use of animals in circuses and the misery they face everyday. Circuses with animals also teach the wrong message to children; that wild animals are meant for our pure entertainment.

Wild animals do not naturally ride bicycles, stand on their heads, balance on balls, or jump through rings of fire. To force them to perform these unnatural and physically uncomfortable tricks, trainers use whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, bullhooks and other painful tools.

Wild animals who are forced to perform pose a real threat to public safety and are unpredictable. Remember the elephant in Wisconsin who charged the crowd injuring a child at a circus? No amount of training can eliminate this danger.

So please forgo the Carson & Barnes Circus this year and let them know that animal mistreatment is not tolerated in our community. There are many wonderful circuses that do not use animals, like Cirque du Soleil, that are just as exciting and even more entertaining than those that do.

Organizations that oppose the Carson & Barnes Circus and performing animals include:

Pets Lifeline
Sonoma Humane Society
Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County
Marin Humane Society
IDA (In Defense of Animals)
FAPP (Farm Animal Protection Project)
CCFE (Citizens for Cruelty Free Entertainment)