‘Have a Heart!’ Shrine Circus to Draw Valentine’s Day Plea
For Immediate Release:
February 12, 2026
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
On Valentine’s Day, PETA supporters will descend on the Sharon Shrine “Potentate’s Ball” in Tyler, holding heart-shaped signs proclaiming, “Sharon Shrine, Have a Heart! Ban Animal Acts!” The urgent appeal is a push for the Shrine to modernize by keeping exploited animals out of its shows, as Ringling Bros. and many other Shrine circuses have already done.
“While Shriners dance the night away, sad and lonely animals will be waiting in the shadows, chained and caged until the next time they’re threatened into performing,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “Cruelty should be condemned, not celebrated, which is why PETA is calling on the Sharon Shrine to end its animal shows now.”
Where: Sharon Shrine Temple, 10027 State Hwy 31, E. Tyler
When: Saturday, February 14, 6 p.m.
Why: In nature, elephants enjoy playing with their families, foraging for fresh vegetation, and bathing in rivers—but those used in Shrine circuses are beaten, whipped, caged, chained, and forced to perform demeaning and stressful tricks. The Sharon Shrine Circus is among the last remaining shows that still use wild animals, and it routinely partners with notoriously cruel exhibitors, including Carson & Barnes Circus, which has been cited for more than 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
