Great Britain has united against circuses that force wild animals to perform. With the vast majority of the British public behind them, the members of Parliament voted unanimously to ban wild-animal acts in circuses in England and Wales. 

iStockphoto.com/GlobalP

Pressure has been mounting for the past few years for the government to make this historic move, particularly after animal rights advocates released an undercover video that showed a groom at Bobby Roberts Super Circus who kicked an Asian elephant named Anne and beat her with a pitchfork. PETA U.K. kept up the anti-circus momentum, with demonstrations, ads, newspaper articles, and action alerts asking its members to e-mail the prime minister. Now Britons can pop a cork and celebrate the fact that legislation to ban all wild animals from circuses is passing through Parliament, meaning no more wild animals will be torn from their homes and families, denied everything that is natural and important to them, confined to tiny boxcars or cages, and forced to perform demeaning and painful tricks for human amusement.

Circuses in England and Wales will go on—but with talented human performers who are there by choice.

We aren't there yet in the U.S.—but the time is coming. Check out PETA's guide "Steps to Take When the Circus Comes to Town" for ideas on how to help. England and Wales are ending these cruel acts, and we can, too.

PETA is calling for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) inspector general following the departure of the agency's former deputy general counsel, Kenneth Vail—the man who was tasked with enforcing animal protection regulations for the USDA and who has now taken a job with the Ringling Bros. circus, which is counted among the most egregious animal abusers in the country.

Yeah, that doesn't seem shady at all, does it?

Whose Interests Was He Serving? Not Animals'

Before officially becoming Ringling's paid protector, Vail served as the USDA's lead legal counsel for animal welfare matters. Yet he repeatedly failed to take enforcement action against Ringling Bros.—despite a mountain of proof provided by PETA that exposed flagrant animal abuse and the concealment of evidence and even when the USDA's own Investigative and Enforcement Services (IES) recommended seeking penalties.

Vail's failures to seek enforcement against Ringling are many, including these:

• Ignoring IES' advice to pursue fines against Ringling, Vail took no action against Ringling after it allowed Clyde, a 2-year-old lion, to bake to death in a boxcar as the circus traveled through the Mojave Desert on a scorching July day.
• Ringling killed Riccardo, an 8-month-old infant elephant, after he slipped from a pedestal onto which he'd been forced using ropes and a bullhook, breaking both hind legs, during a training exercise. Vail disregarded IES' recommendation that his office seek a penalty for blatant violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), taking no enforcement action at all.
• When Ringling's head of elephant training revealed in federal court that the circus repeatedly lied to the USDA about Riccardo's death—denying that Riccardo was being trained and claiming that he was just playing when he fell—Vail failed to reopen Riccardo's case or pursue any action against Ringling.
• Vail also declined to follow IES' recommendation to seek a fine—or, indeed, to pursue action of any sort—against Ringling after a handler was caught on tape violently beating a young elephant with a bullhook while she was chained by two legs.

Now Hiring: Must Have Influence, No Principles

Unsurprisingly, Ringling, a company that abuses and has killed animals, is notorious for its complete lack of scruples when it comes to making sure that it gets its way, including procuring the services of well-connected Washington insiders to sway their former colleagues and hiring an ex-CIA agent to intimidate critics and spy on and steal from PETA.

It's not surprising that Ringling would like Vail, who certainly seems to have given the circus special treatment for years during his government tenure. But even for such a shameless and unscrupulous enterprise as Ringling, the cozy deal to formally hire Vail to be the circus's "Animal Welfare Act compliance officer" raises the specter of impropriety. That's why PETA is urging the USDA's inspector general to investigate whether Vail has violated (or is currently violating) any federal conflict-of-interest laws.

As a result of PETA's relentless pressure on the USDA to take action in behalf of these animals, Ringling was recently forced to pay the largest penalty for AWA violations in circus history—after Vail left the USDA. While this was an important step, the government must now take action to confiscate the arthritic elephants forced by Ringling to travel up to 50 weeks a year in filthy, poorly ventilated boxcars and to perform painful, unnatural tricks.

What You Can Do

Never buy a ticket for Ringling Bros. or any other circus that uses animals, and please join PETA in asking the USDA to confiscate the lame elephants suffering under Ringling's domination immediately.

PETA has asked the Los Angeles Mayor's Office to immediately release records related to the city's decision to allow the Ringling Bros. circus to force ailing elephants to perform during its recent stint at the Staples Center despite expert advice to the contrary and despite apparently breaching the city's own laws.

Sound Advice

When Ringling came to L.A. this summer, the city brought in an independent elephant expert to determine whether the elephants used by the troupe were fit to perform. Dr. Philip Ensley—associate veterinarian for the Zoological Society of San Diego for 29 years—issued a critical report after inspecting the elephants.

He advised, among other things, that two of Ringling's elephants "should be removed from performing" since "Karen and most likely Nichole as well, suffer from arthritis, which results in chronic pain, impaired limb function, and are in effect crippled" and that five other elephants should be removed from performing if Ringling failed to improve their standard of care because of their histories of foot, toenail, and musculoskeletal issues, including at least one elephant who "suffers from … ongoing chronic foot problems."

Dr. Ensley concluded his report by noting that the inspected elephants "suffer unneeded existing detrimental medical conditions and should not participate in forced, non species-typical behaviors that are repetitive rigorous physical activities"—in other words, typical circus routines—"under the current standard of care and living conditions."

Questionable Decisions

Los Angeles law prohibits the city from issuing a permit to any circus with animals unless it has first conducted an investigation and determined "that animals will not be subject to needless suffering, unnecessary cruelty or abuse" and that the circus will not violate any state or local law. Los Angeles regulations also prohibit keeping crippled or painfully diseased animals in the city.

What's more, California law requires that animals who are "unfit for labor" are not to be used in any way, including in performances, and prohibits subjecting any animal to needless suffering. But despite these clear guidelines and Dr. Ensley's unequivocal findings, the city issued a permit to Ringling and allowed it to illegally force these suffering, unfit, crippled elephants to perform.

Less Than Full Disclosure

In an effort to determine why this decision was made, PETA submitted a public records request to the Mayor's Office. After delaying a response, the office provided some records but withheld an undisclosed number of records. PETA believes that the withholding of at least some of these records may have been unlawful since the reasons given for not releasing the records don't apply when the public interest favors disclosure.

The reasons for approving a permit for Ringling to use elephants—whom the city knew from its own expert to be unfit and suffering from chronic pain—against city law are clearly of interest to the public, especially at a time when the Los Angeles City Council is considering legislation to protect elephants used in circuses. This information is also of interest to PETA, whose campaigners are working nonstop to end Ringling's abuse and exploitation of animals, so the group has demanded the release of the improperly withheld records and will consider taking legal action if denied.

What You Can Do

Even animal-protection laws as seemingly clear as Los Angeles' don't always do the job. Please start a legislative effort to completely ban circuses and other traveling exhibits in your town or county. And if a circus with animals is scheduled to perform in your town, make sure that you're ready.

Update: PETA has just received word that following its submission of evidence of this cruel beating to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency's Investigative and Enforcement Services has opened a formal investigation into the matter.

Originally posted June 15:

A security guard has reported that an animal attendant with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus repeatedly beat a chained elephant with a bullhook at the World Arena in Colorado Springs shortly after midnight on June 10. A sworn cruelty complaint has now been filed with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

'Elephants Never Forget' Cruelty

The whistleblower, while working as a guard at the arena, saw a Ringling employee strike an elephant on her leg "with full force" at least six times in a manner that the whistleblower describes as "violent," "excessive," "angry," and "without warning." The attendant continued striking the elephant, who was chained by two legs, even after she had moved out of his way.

The guard also noted that the large cats traveling with Ringling were always confined to their cages unless they were performing, that he did not see any of the animals provided with regular access to water, and that he was told that the circus does not travel with a veterinarian.

'Animal Care' Requires Actual Care

Last year, Ringling paid a $270,000 fine to settle charges brought by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but the complaints keep coming in.  

The man who came forward is a trained veterinary assistant who had been in the process of filling out a job application to work in an animal-care capacity for Ringling. After witnessing Ringling's mistreatment of the animals, he immediately closed his Ringling employment application and contacted PETA.

What You Can Do

Please take a moment to e-mail the Humane Society of the Pike's Peak region and urge them to take swift enforcement action against this blatant cruelty.

The Newsroom star and staunch anti-circus activist Olivia Munn knows that in circuses, it's animals who pay the price, so she's asking Groupon to stop promoting cruelty with its discounted circus tickets. Groupon is selling out animals who are forcibly taken away from their mothers, have their spirits broken, are kept in chains, and are threatened with beatings if they don't perform night after night.

Photo: Hama Sanders/www.hamasanders.com Hair: Steven Lake for Exclusive Artists Makeup: Julie Cuomo Wardrobe: April Steiner for Exclusive Artists Elephant background: (c) iStockphoto.com/Bruno Buongiorno Nardelli

To add insult to cruelty, Groupon claims to promote only circuses with clean inspection reports, but the company clearly isn't doing its homework. In fact, most of the circuses that Groupon promotes have received multiple citations for violations of even the minimum protections of the Animal Welfare Act.

In her letter, Olivia asked Groupon CEO Andrew Mason to use his company's position as a mass retailer to influence positive change for animals who are abused by circuses:

Join Olivia in asking Groupon to give animals the "deal of the day" by halting promotions of cruel circuses.

Collins dictionary defines "entrepreneurial" as "the spirit of using "risk and initiative" in business." PETA defines it as "getting animal-friendly terms added to said dictionary."

Collins English Dictionary is accepting new words to be considered for inclusion, and PETA has submitted five terms that no lexicologist (or friend to animals) should be without:

1. Elefriend A person who shows compassion for elephants by refusing to support industries—such as circuses—that chain, beat, and separate them from their family and natural habitat.

2. Sea kitten A smart and social aquatic animal (formerly called a "fish") who uses tools, has an impressive long-term memory, forms close bonds with other sea kittens, and doesn't like being hooked in the mouth any more than land kittens do.

3. Trollsen A moniker given to each of two twin child stars–turned–fashion designers, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, to reflect their heartless decision to wear fur and to include it in their hairy scary fashion line, The Row.

4. Veganise To make a vegan version of an animal-based dish. For example, you can veganise a meat taco simply by using beans or soy-based crumbles instead of ground beef and by substituting nondairy cheese and sour cream for dairy-based versions. Easy as tofu cream pie!

SweetOnVeg|cc by 2.0

5. Veggie dog A generic term for a hot dog made from plant protein instead of snouts, innards, ears, and tails. Vegan hot dogs taste like meat-based ones, but they are cholesterol-free and lower in fat and calories than meat versions and are produced without killing pigs or other sentient animals.

So, grab yourself a veggie dog or a plateful of one of your favorite veganised meals (sans sea kittens, of course!) and think about what new animal-friendly words you'd like to see added to the dictionary.

Imagine you're cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway, ragtop down, enjoying the Golden State sunshine. You flip on the radio and hear, "This next dedication goes out to Ringling: 'Shut Down' by the Beach Boycotts!"

This little mental vacation was prompted by news that a coalition of California humane societies has joined PETA in calling for a boycott of the cruel Ringling Bros. circus. As the coalition's announcement explains:

PETA has worked with the Marin Humane Society, one of the worthy organizations behind this coalition effort, to train humane officers in inspecting elephants used by circuses—and clearly, what they've seen has made an impression!

What You Can Do

Please show this to your local humane society or SPCA director and encourage him or her to join the growing ranks of animal protection groups that urge people to boycott Ringling. Please make sure that groups in your area have the facts, and ask them to get on board.

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

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.

Excessive Burden of Proof

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.

What You Can Do

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.)

After hearing from PETA, the city of Corona, California, ordered the Ramos Bros. Circus to halt its illegal display of exotic animals immediately. 

Apex Feline|cc by 2.0

PETA received several calls from members telling us that Ramos Bros. was displaying exotic animals, including zebras and camels, which is illegal in Corona. We promptly contacted the city, which sent an inspector to the circus. After the inspector confirmed that Ramos Bros. was illegally displaying exotic animals, the city ordered the circus to remove the animals or be shut down, noting that Ramos Bros. had previously been informed of the prohibition on displaying exotic animals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has repeatedly cited Ramos Bros. for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and numerous citizens have called PETA to report disturbing abuse that they witnessed, including observing a large number of scars on animals' bodies and seeing animals confined to cramped, filthy enclosures with no access to water or shade. 

This victory sends a strong message to cruel circuses that abuse won't be tolerated. Join PETA's Action Team today to help enact a similar ban and work to help animals in your community.

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.