Perky Protests
If readers have paid attention, I have numerous links on my sidebar to animal preservation organizations. So, it stands to reason that I truly champion the "underdog" when I can. Includes donkeys sometimes. This photo was taken yesterday in downtown Cowtown. PETA was on the corner of 3rd and Throckmorton protesting the upcoming Ringling Brothers circus performances in our fair western city. I suppose these PETA protestors caught the eye of a lot of passerbys, but probably not many of them were animal rights activists. I must profess to ignorance about the treatment of circus animals, but the last time I remember being under the bigtop, most of them looked better fed than some inner city kids. Yes, I know the elephants, monkeys and tigers were out of their natural habitat, and perhaps circuses are outdated modes of entertainment, but is it really inhumane treatment of animals? If that "bears" argument, then do zoos fall into the same category? Guess I need to do some reading on the subject before I get into deep doo doo here. (as usual double click photo to enlarge, all without surgical intervention, I might add *grin*)
5 comments:
I swear I think I see leather shoes and belts in that picture. hmmm. I'm confused.
They could draw a bigger crowd if that pie wagon in the red shirt and sneakers was on display. Texas men like their women BIG!
Oh, Kiss mah grits Anon.
I can't remember the details of what all is done to circus animals, but I do recall hearing that R&B keep baby elephants and their mothers deliberately separated, thus fostering distress. I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time.)
National Geographic report about elephant abuse.
But the best site I found was this from Circuses.com.
The USDA has also cited Ringling for failure to possess records of veterinary care, failure to provide animals with sufficient space, failure to provide animals with exercise, and endangering tigers who were nearly baked alive in a boxcar because of poor maintenance of their enclosures. 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. Of the 60 elephants touring with Ringling and kept at its Florida compounds, 44 were captured in the wild. At least 18 elephants have died since 1992. Contact PETA for documentation.
Oh my gosh, that IS terrible. Perhaps I dismissed PETA too quickly. Thanks for the links!
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