Highlands County Fair Association Cancels Cruel Loomis Bros. Circus Shows!

After hearing from local residents and more than 23,000 PETA members and supporters, the Highlands County Fair Association in Sebring, Florida, canceled planned Loomis Bros. Circus shows at its fairgrounds! The circus was scheduled to exhibit elephants and tigers from notoriously abusive exhibitor Brian Franzen, who was videotaped recently striking an elephant named Megu in the jaw with a bullhook—a sharp steel-tipped weapon that resembles a fireplace poker. PETA warned local authorities that the circus would violate a city law banning the use of bullhooks, whips, and other weapons on wild animals. We also supported Sebring resident Jamey Binneveld—who was instrumental in getting the weapons ban passed and who met with authorities and the fair association and spoke at the City Council meeting ahead of the scheduled performances. This cancelation is yet another sign that circuses need to drop cruel animal acts if they want to stay afloat.