Boycott Animal Circuses!

What You Should Know About the Shrine Circus

In the wild, bears don’t ride bicycles, tigers don’t jump through fiery hoops, and elephants don’t stand upright on their hind legs. Circuses portray a distorted view of wildlife.

Laws protecting animals in travelling shows are inadequate and poorly enforced. The Animal Welfare Act establishes only minimum guidelines and even these meagre standards are often ignored.

Animals used in circuses live a dismal life of domination, confinement, and violent training. It is standard practice to beat, shock, and whip them to make them perform ridiculous tricks that they cannot comprehend.

Most elephants used by circuses were captured in the wild. Once removed from their families and natural habitat, their lives consist of little more than chains and intimidation. Baby elephants born in breeding farms are torn from their mothers, tied with ropes, and kept in isolation until they learn to fear their trainers.

Big cats, bears, and primates are forced to eat, drink, sleep, defecate, and urinate in the same cramped cages. Elephants often suffer crippling injuries from constant chaining and performing physically difficult tricks.

Children, who are naturally fond of animals, would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the circus if they knew of the suffering these animals endure for a fleeting moment of so-called amusement. The circus deprives animals of their basic needs to exercise, roam, socialize, forage, and play. Stereotypic behaviours such as swaying back and forth, head-bobbing, pacing, bar-biting, and self-mutilation are common signs of mental distress.

Using dangerous animals in performances jeopardizes public safety and often puts children at greatest risk. Since 1990, 47 people have been killed and more than 100 seriously injured by captive elephants.

Animals in circuses are hauled around the country in poorly ventilated trailers and boxcars for up to 50 weeks a year in all kinds of extreme weather conditions. Access to the basic necessities of food, water, and veterinary care is often inadequate.

A growing number of cities are restricting or banning the use of animals in entertainment. More progressive circuses dazzle their audiences solely with skilled human performers.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies continues to support the development of municipal bylaws banning circuses with wild and exotic animals. There currently 25 municipalities in Canada that have such bylaws: 17 in British Columbia, 5 in Nova Scotia, 2 in Quebec and 1 in Newfoundland. Please make Greater Moncton next!

Think about what your children would learn from viewing these mistreated animals. Most of us would not treat our dogs and cats as cruelly as these circus animals.

Taken from: www.circuses.com/qfacts.html

For more information:
www.circuses.com www.zoocheck.com/programs/ www3.ns.sympatico.ca/hugh.chisholm. catvet/ACH10.htm

Please Boycott The George Carden Circus!  

Performing animal circuses are cruel and unethical. By exposing our children to this form of animal abuse, we are teaching them that it is acceptable to ignore animal rights.

Elephants, monkeys, lions, tigers and bears do not like to perform these degrading tricks- they do them because they will be physically punished if they refuse. These animals are subject to painful hooks, prods, whips and sometimes kicks from their trainers.

They live in severely confined cages with inadequate water and ventilation during transport. Their only exercise is their performance. The result is often a psychologically traumatized animal. Many circus elephants have died either as a result of heat stress, neglect and even police bullets when they attempted to escape. Since 1990, 47 people have been killed and more than 100 seriously injured by captive elephants who made desperate attempts to escape the suffering.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies continues to support the development of municipal bylaws banning circuses with wild and exotic animals. There currently 25 municipalities in Canada that have such bylaws: 17 in British Columbia, 5 in Nova Scotia, 2 in Quebec and 1 in Newfoundland.

Please make your town or city next!

The George Carden Circus is coming to NB in August. Please boycott the circus and explain to your friends that they should avoid it as well. The following is a list of animal welfare violations and documentation of animal abuse by the George Carden Circus: George Carden Circus has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited George Carden Circus numerous times for failing to provide shelter from the elements, for inadequate and unsafe enclosures, for failing to provide proper veterinary care, and for failure to properly handle animals. June 26-27, 2000: The Newfoundland SPCA has charged two men associated with the George Carden International Circus for alleged cruelty and mistreatment of animals while the travelling show was in Mount Pearl. An SPCA investigator in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland found eight ponies and three elephants confined to a poorly ventilated trailer for more than seven hours without water. A chain around the leg of one of the elephants lacked sufficient padding to prevent injury. Inadequate space "forced one elephant to take an unnatural posture." The elephants exhibited "extreme signs of abnormal and stressed behaviour" prior to loading. Five bears were confined in very small cages for 23 hours per day without water or bedding. The bears’ food was contaminated with fecal material. One bear exhibited signs of "abnormal and stressed behavior. The charges, filed with provincial court in St. John’s, were laid under the Criminal Code of Canada and the province’s Animal Protection Act. Charles Amaral and Derek Ross, associated with the circus, face five counts each. The charges include causing unnecessary pain and suffering to five bears; causing unnecessary pain and suffering to eight ponies; negligence in failing to provide proper care to the ponies; causing unnecessary pain and suffering to five elephants; and negligence in failing to provide adequate water or care to five elephants. Amaral, believed to be owner, manager and ring master, and Ross, a trainer/handler, were served with the legal documents in P.E.I.. Controversy has followed the circus since it began performances in Atlantic Canada earlier this summer. The circus was kicked out of Nova Scotia for having bears in its show, which is against provincial regulations, and got an icy reception from St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells who refused to grant the circus a licence to perform in the city.

July 25, 1998: A USDA veterinarian wrote regarding treatment of the tigers, "Handling of all animals should be done as expeditiously and carefully as possible in a manner that does not cause trauma, overheating, excessive cooling, behavior stress, physical harm, or unnecessary discomfort. Physical abuse shall not be used to train, work, or otherwise handle animals … [the groom] picked up a prod and began forcefully and repeatedly poking the animal through the cage bars. … The animal was again subjected to another session of abusive prodding by Mr. Skinner. This unprofessional and abusive behavior on the part of the groom is unacceptable".

April 22, 1998: The George Carden Circus was in noncompliance with the AWA for failing to have a plan of veterinary care, records of its animals, and records of acquisition, disposition, and transport.

March 26, 1998: A USDA inspection revealed that the George Carden Circus was noncompliant with the AWA for veterinary care.

June 20, 1997: W.H. Chisolm, D.V.M., observed the following while the George Carden Circus was in Nova Scotia:
"After unloading the three elephants from the trailer, the trainer was in the process of cleaning them when he ordered one of them (Janice) to stay in place. When she did not comply, he used his ankus (a pole with a pointed end and a hook on its side) to grab her inside the mouth and firmly jerk her face toward him as he hollered at her to obey. Next, he ordered her to lie down, at which point she began to urinate (a common stress response in animals). He continued to order her to lie down and roll over on her side in her own urine as she was still in the process of urinating. After he finished hosing her off, he ordered her to get up. Again, she did not comply to his satisfaction, and he subsequently kicked her in the face with force equivalent to what I would use to kick a soccer ball. When the elephants were performing in the ring, I observed the trainer repeatedly driving the pointed end of the ankus into the tissue above the foot of one of the elephants’ left hind legs. He continued for eight to 10 times. ... This was done with both hands on the shaft of the ankus and his full body force thrown into the movement. I witnessed the tiger trainer use his black whip on at least six occasions to hit the tigers in the face when they were not performing appropriately in the ring."

January 4, 1997: According to an internal USDA document, animals owned by George Carden Circus may have been exposed to Hawthorn Corporation elephants who tested positive for tuberculosis.

October 16, 1996: A USDA inspection report cited George Carden Circus for tiger enclosures in need of repair and failure to provide veterinary care for the elephants and goats. The inspector stated, "One female pygmy goat has large swelling on lower neck and needs a vet exam. Cindy, one elephant, has a history of weight loss. No vet records are present to document treatment that has been done."

March 21, 1995: A USDA inspection found the George Carden Circus was noncompliant for chemicals being stored with the tiger and elephant food, tigers being fed spoiled meat not fit for consumption, inadequate veterinary care, and elephants being in need of foot care.
 

October 6, 1994: A USDA inspection found George Carden Circus utilizing unsafe enclosures for the animals. The USDA inspector stated, "[N]ails are protruding from the top of enclosures housing dogs."

March 17, 1994: A USDA inspection found George Carden Circus noncompliant with the AWA for failure to provide safe travel trailers for the animals. The USDA inspector reported the travel trailers had breaking, rusted metal on the floor that could injure the elephants. The circus was also noncompliant for lack of veterinary care. The USDA inspector stated, "Sheep in petting pen have excessively long hooves that cause animals to walk/stand abnormally."

March 17, 1993: A USDA inspector reported, "[D]ogs are in direct sun … without access to shade or shelter."

July 3, 1991: An inspection was completed by Dr. Ken Langelier with the SPCA in Canada. The following was observed by Dr. Langelier: "The bears performed a bicycle-riding act and were led on leashes and wore muzzles. The only exercise was on a leash for performance. The bears urinated and defecated in their cages. No toys or other materials for psychological stimulation were provided to any of the bears. All elephants were in chains in full sun with no water available. The trainer was not available, but the stallions were kept in almost full sun, and food and water were not available. For ‘working animals,’ it is unfortunate they do not earn the right to larger holding facilities, psychological stimulation such as toys, exercise, and easier work schedule with less frequent transportation. The economics of circuses will never provide this, so it is unfortunate that these animals must continue to entertain people while remaining in sub-optimal condition."

For more information:
www.circuses.com
www.zoocheck.com/programs/ www3.ns.sympatico.ca/hugh.chisholm. catvet/ACH10.htm