In advance of the Ringling Bros. circus' stop in Baltimore later this month, Jada Pinkett Smith, a proud native of Charm City, has written to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake urging her to make sure that the city's absolute ban on the use of any "mechanical, electrical, or manual device that is likely to cause physical injury or suffering" to induce or encourage an animal to perform is enforced, according to Baltimore City Health Code § 10-407(a), to prohibit Ringling from using bullhooks on elephants.

Calling Bull on Hooks

In her letter, Jada explains, "Unlike me and other actors, elephants do not choose to perform. They are often violently coerced by Ringling's trainers with bullhooks, which are jabbed into the sensitive areas of their bodies."

Using bullhooks on elephants in Baltimore would be against the law—not that the violation would be a first for Ringling, which was slapped with a record $270,000 fine for abuse of animals in circuses, stemming from dozens of violations of the Animal Welfare Act all the way back to 2007.

How You Can Help Ringling's Elephants

Join Jada Pinkett Smith, Cloris Leachman, Chrissie Hynde, and many more kind people in demanding action to protect the elephants abused by Ringling.

When it comes to animals, Jada Pinkett Smith has a heart as big as her incandescent smile. We recently learned that the HawthoRNe star came to the rescue of a hungry puppy who was fending for himself on the streets of Beijing during the shooting of the hit film The Karate Kid—produced by Jada and her husband, Will Smith, and starring their son, Jaden (who also recorded a song for the soundtrack with Justin Bieber and Jackie Chan.

The lucky dog, nicknamed "Beijing Black," has now made himself at home with the Smith brood, along with a number of other animals. After recognizing how unhappy snakes are in captivity, Jada vowed not to take home any more caged animals. Now, she says, "I like to rescue dogs."

Written by Jeff Mackey

evasitoe / CC

Jada Pinkett-Smith, who currently stars in the number one film in the country, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and is married to megastar Will Smith, recently made a compassionate pledge. The longtime animal defender recently told reporters that she just can't go on keeping her beloved animal friends in tiny cage prisons. Apparently, the rock-star frontwoman of Wicked Wisdom was moved to action by the family snake, Beauty.

"I think I'll never get an animal like a snake again where I have to keep her in an aquarium," Jada said, according to Contactmusic (via OneIndia). "We have this whole thing for Beauty outside for her to be in a natural habitat. But at the end of the day, she knows she's caged into her aquarium. We can't set her into the wild now, but I told [our daughter] Willow we won't do this again and won't have any animals that need to stay like that."

Good for you, Jada! Then she added this bit, which makes our campaigning hearts flutter: "Maybe when I get older, that'll become one of my activist endeavors."

Of course, we couldn't be more delighted to hear this! Jada and Will are one of Hollywood's hottest power couples, with considerable influence—and if Jada turns over a new leaf, that should have serious repercussions with her fans.

Written by Missy Lane