July 2008
When PETA learned that the New Hampshire Motor Speedway was planning to feature live elephants at a pre-race event, we immediately contacted the executive vice president of the track and informed him about the abusive tactics inherent in training elephants to perform. We pointed out that forcing these highly intelligent animals to perform at the speedway–with large crowds and unpredictable noises–would be cruel, unnecessary, and dangerous to the public. The New Hampshire Motor Speedway canceled the elephant act just days before the race, sparing the elephants from the frightening experience of performing in front of a crowd of thousands amid the roar of a racetrack.