Written by Jeff Mackey
Update:
At Atlanta's City Hall, B-52s singer Fred Schneider, surrounded by City Councilmember Felicia Moore and other PETA supporters, called on the City Council to pass a total ban on bullhooks. "How can we do this to elephants?" he asked. "I can't imagine doing this to our cats, dogs, or other pets we love." Moore commented that "Atlanta is better than this" and added that she and fellow Councilmember Natalyn Mosby Archibong will continue to push for the full ban.
Photo: Anna Ware
The following was originally published on June 26th.
PETA has sent an urgent letter to the Atlanta City Council exhorting it to pass an ordinance proposed by Councilmembers Felicia Moore and Natalyn Archibong that would ban all bullhook use in the city. The new measure would strengthen recently passed legislation that is unenforceable and will do nothing to protect elephants used in circuses from abuse.
The ordinance passed on June 18 bans the use of bullhooks only when a witness comes forward to attest that they were used to "punish" or "discipline" an elephant and that the specific incident resulted in the elephant's skin being observably broken, scarred, or otherwise damaged—an almost impossible task given that handlers commonly strike elephants in places that hide the wounds, such as behind the ears or under the chin.
Nor do all bullhook beatings break the skin, even when they cause serious injuries—and when they do cause bleeding, circuses apply a gray powder called "Wonder Dust" to cover up any wounds since it blends in with elephants' skin.
Along with the letter, PETA sent videotapes showing several incidents in which elephants were beaten with bullhooks in California, which has a law that's virtually identical to Atlanta's. In none of these instances was the perpetrator prosecuted.
California's failed elephant-protection law proves that as long as circus elephant handlers have bullhooks, they're going to beat elephants with them. Please join PETA in making it clear to the Atlanta City Council that a total ban on bullhooks is the only way to stop circuses from beating elephants. (Please keep all correspondence polite.)
Written by PETA
Update: The Atlanta City Council voted to prevent the use of bullhooks but only when it can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they were used in a specific instance to "discipline" an elephant and that the elephant's skin was broken, scarred, or otherwise damaged as a result. This is a step backward from Fulton County's outright ban on the use of bullhooks. This ordinance will not protect elephants because enforcing it would require that someone not only be there to witness the abuse, but be close enough to see the actual damage to the elephant's skin. The bullhook would have to break the skin, something a blunt object which causes pain does not always do. Obviously Ringling hides its abusive "training and handling" from public view, hooks elephants in places people can't typically see such as under the chin and behind the ears, and uses gray Wonder Dust to stop bleeding quickly and conceal wounds. And, broken bones and forming bruises can't always be seen with the naked eye. Only a ban on the use of bullhooks can protect elephants from bullhook abuse. Councilmembers Felicia Moore and Natalyn Archibong introduced a total bullhook ban at the end of Monday's City Council meeting. It will go to the Public Safety Committee for review before the council can vote on it.
You may recall that last summer Fulton County, Georgia, became the largest municipality in the U.S. to ban the use of bullhooks—rods with a sharp metal hook and point on the end that are used to strike, jab, hook, prod, and beat elephants on the most sensitive parts of their bodies.
Then this February, because Ringling Bros. can't force elephants to perform unnatural and often painful circus tricks without this torture device and because the circus refuses to get with the times and join the numerous circuses that don't use elephants, Ringling sued Fulton County to challenge enforcement of the ban. That lawsuit is ongoing, but in the meantime, Ringling is pressuring the city of Atlanta to make sure that the bullhook ban is not enforceable within city limits.
On Monday, the Atlanta City Council faces a very important decision—it will decide whether or not to allow the use of cruel bullhooks in the city. While some councilmembers support a ban, others are on the fence and are facing tremendous pressure from the mayor and companies such as Ringling Bros. that make millions off elephant abuse. But the councilmembers are subject to public pressure as well, and every e-mail that they receive adds to that pressure.
Indeed, the councilmembers have made it clear that being contacted by the public would be the most influential factor in persuading them to ban bullhooks. And that's where we need your help for the elephants! Please take a moment to urge the City Council to do the right thing and put an end to elephant abuse in the city of Atlanta. Please be sure to note any ties that you have to Atlanta.
Written by Michelle Kretzer
Poignant words on when animals die, sticking it to Ringling and its torture sticks, and a treat for extreme couponers: It's everything you might have missed this week.
PETA's Tumblr page keeps you up to date on all the latest animal news.
Ringling Bros. might have gotten a reprieve from the bullhook ban in Fulton County, Georgia (claiming it can't have elephants without the weapons), for the moment, but The Cruelest Show on Earth couldn't escape the throngs of people who showed up to protest on its opening day.
Armed with a bullhorn, posters, leaflets, a flat-screen TV that showed a video of trainers as they beat elephants with bullhooks, giant inflatable pachyderms, and large, eye-catching pictures of "elephant training," the protesters drew quite a crowd.
The circus … not so much. Word from inside was that it didn't look like many people had bought tickets.
In June, the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County, Georgia, at the urging of PETA, Demi Moore, local citizens, and other animal advocates, banned the use of bullhooks, fireplace poker–like goads that are used to beat and hook elephants in sensitive areas of their bodies in order to make them obey commands. This meant that if Ringling Bros. wanted to bring the Cruelest Show on Earth to Atlanta, it would have to leave behind the torture devices that the elephants fear.
But with its Atlanta shows scheduled to start this week, Ringling, knowing that it can't control the elephants without bullhooks and so would have to leave the pachyderms out of the ring, filed a plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the ban on Monday afternoon, claiming that there was no specific intergovernmental agreement between Fulton County and the city of Atlanta and that the ban did not apply in the city. To everyone's surprise, Ringling got its way, and the TRO was granted.
PETA has issued the following statement:
The legislation banning bullhooks was passed because of a serious commitment by the citizens and commissioners of Fulton County to prohibit this sort of animal abuse in their community. The Municipal Code of Atlanta very clearly incorporates all of the Fulton County animal control ordinances—including the bullhook ban. PETA is concerned that the clearly worded prohibition and the wishes of Fulton County citizens have been disregarded without a proper legal basis. Bullhooks, as admitted by Ringling trainers and executives, are used to beat, jab, hook, and yank elephants in order to force them to obey. There are only two uses for a bullhook: to inflict pain and to instill a fear of pain. While a ban on the use of bullhooks is an important step in the right direction, it is now clear that anyone who cares about elephants and other captive exotic animals must make the compassionate decision never to attend a circus that uses animals.
Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts issued a statement saying he believes that there was an implied agreement between Atlanta and Fulton County and that the ban should be upheld.
Compassionate people are making their voices heard, and they will continue until the beatings under the big top stop.
If "fantasy football" for you means a stadium where healthy foods are more abundant than foam fingers, check out this year's ranking of the top five most vegetarian-friendly stadiums in the NFL.
Scoring honorable mentions are the San Diego Chargers' Qualcomm Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks' CenturyLink Field, the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park, and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.
Football fans don't have to leave their health to a last-minute Hail Mary. They can start and finish strong with foods that don't cause unnecessary roughness to their bodies or to animals and that taste so good that fans won't care if they get fined for excessive celebration.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
Security screeners at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport waved all three passengers through with their pet turtle in a carrying case. Gate officials welcomed them on their flight to Milwaukee. But as the plane pulled away from the gate and then turned back around, AirTran staff told the three young Helm sisters that their beloved turtle pal—a 2-inch baby red-eared slider named after Avatar princess Neytiri—was not allowed to fly in the cabin and that they had to dump her or get off the flight, literally.
Apparently the crew members even refused to watch the tiny animal for a few minutes to allow the girls' father time to dash back to the airport to pick her up. Instead, a staff member allegedly instructed the crying sisters to toss their tiny turtle into a trash can. The animal was initially presumed dead, but we have since learned that she narrowly escaped being crushed in a trash compactor after an airport employee took it upon herself to pluck the animal out of the trash and take her home. The Helm sisters and Neytiri are being reunited in Milwaukee today.
PETA wants to make sure that this never happens again. We have contacted AirTran CEO Robert Fornaro to ensure that the incident is investigated and that appropriate disciplinary action is taken. Please keep this horrific incident in mind the next time you choose an airline!
Written by Karin Bennett
While at the premiere of Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? the stars were asked to spill about their favorite restaurants. Janet Jackson, who not only stars in the movie but whose new track, "Nothing," is on the movie's soundtrack, said, "I go to Café Sunflower. It's a vegan restaurant. Everything is good there. It really is. And there's another vegan restaurant called Veggieland—very good," while her costar Cicely Tyson proudly declared, "I'm a vegan—a vegetarian."
So now, not only do I want to see the movie, I want to sample Atlanta's cruelty-free fare. Thanks, ladies.
Written by Logan Scherer
"I can only think of sex, sex, and more sex. The dirtier the better!"—Judge Bruno Tonioli on Pamela Anderson's first Dancing With the Stars performance
You know you've awed the hard-to-please Dancing With the Stars judges when Bruno is so tongue-tied that he can't even come up with innuendo. Our response to Pamela's cha-cha-cha with partner Damian Whitewood? Ooo-la-lah!
This stunner will always get our seal of approval (and our vote), and we can't wait to see what she comes up with on the dance floor tonight. Don't forget to go to ABC's Web site and vote for Pamela tonight.
This is a handsome bullock named Houshya. He is—or, rather, was—a working bullock in India. "Working" for him meant spending 18 long years pulling a heavy cart loaded with bricks, oil drums, or whatever other goods his impoverished family was paid to move. But now, Houshya (which means "Hush!") is old and tired, and he no longer has the strength to pull the heavy loads along the pitted dirt roads as quickly as he once did. His owner considered selling him but knew that it wouldn't be long before Houshya slowed down so much that his new owner would send him to the slaughterhouse to be killed for his meat and skin.
So even though the deeply poor family could have used the money from selling Houshya, they agreed that it wouldn't be right and sacrificed their income in order to save him. He has now been donated to Animal Rahat, where he will spend the rest of his life in retirement, under a shade tree, grazing and drinking water at will. He will also be given vitamins to help ease him into old age. The look on his face shows that he can't quite believe his new life!
Already, his nose rope, which has left its mark, has been replaced with a fine white halter. Piercing animals' nostrils is painful, and over time the rope cuts into the bull's sensitive skin.
Animal Rahat—a PETA-supported organization that provides veterinary care to working animals in India—is one of PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's favorite projects. She recently traveled to India and paid a visit to Sangli, where Animal Rahat works hard to provide relief for bullocks like Houshya who toil long days hauling goods ranging from sugar cane to gasoline. You can read more about her trip on her blog, and you can help these gentle animals by making a donation to Animal Rahat.
Written by Alisa Mullins
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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