PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Ringling Bros. Protest Wed
by Voices for Animals Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005 at 11:07 AM
voicesforanimals@gmail.com (email address validated) 1-877-321-4VFA PO Box 7181 Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Come out and protest Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus this Wednesday!

PROTEST RINGLING BROS. CIRCUS ANIMAL ABUSE WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

This Wednesday, November 2nd, Voices for Animals and Animal Advocates will be holding a protest of the opening night show of Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus. Standing outside the Mellon Arena with signs proclaiming “The Cruelest Show on Earth” and “A Lifetime of Misery”, as well as airing undercover circus animal abuse on our video unit, we will be showing circus-goers what really goes on under the big top.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 2nd, 6:00-7:30 PM
WHERE: Mellon Arena, 66 Mario Lemieux Place, Downtown

It is really important to present a strong showing of opposition to circus cruelty, so please make every effort to be there if possible. The animals really need you!

Animals used in circuses live miserable lives of exploitation, deprivation, confinement, and violent training. In order to get wild animals to perform unnatural, uncomfortable, and often dangerous tricks, they are beaten into submission using whips, electric prods, and bullhooks. They are trucked around from city to city in boxcars with no heat or air conditioning. When elephants are not performing, they are kept chained up by one front leg and one back leg; big cats and other animals are kept in cages so small they can barely turn around comfortably. Most importantly, the circus takes animals far from their natural homes, traumatically separates them from their families, and deprives them of their basic needs and desires to exercise, roam, socialize, forage, and play. Stereotypic behaviors such as swaying back and forth, head-bobbing, pacing, bar-biting, and self-mutilation are common signs of mental distress.

Ringling Bros. Circus has a long history of animal abuse. Ringling is under investigation for the death of a 2-year-old lion who is believed to have died from heatstroke. In less than two years, two baby elephants died, a caged tiger was shot to death, a horse who was used despite a chronic medical condition died during Ringling’s traditional animal march, and a wild-caught sea lion was found dead in her transport container. Ringling has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Ringling paid $20,000 to settle U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) charges of failing to provide veterinary care to a dying baby elephant. For more on Ringling’s sordid record of animal care, see this link: http://www.circuses.com/pdfs/RinglingFactsheet.pdf

Please come out and stand in resistance to this cruelty. We will provide all the signs and materials-you only need to bring yourself and hopefully some friends so spread the word!

For driving directions to the Mellon Arena, see http://www.mellonarena.com/event/evt_parking.asp If you are taking the bus, just about any bus that goes downtown will take you to the arena, such as the 71A, 71C, 71D, 500, 61A, 61B, 61C, and the 81A, B, and C stop on Centre Avenue at the Mellon Arena. If you would like to bus down together with Voices for Animals, meet in front of the 5th Avenue side of the William Pitt Union in Oakland at 5:15 PM.

For more information visit http://www.circuses.com and http://www.MoreBeautifulWild.com

www.vfa-online.org