Big Top Bullies! Shrine Circus Cruelty to Draw PETA’s Massive ‘Fez of Truth’ to Sioux Falls
For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2025
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
On Thursday, a herd of PETA supporters will deploy a 15-foot-tall “Fez of Truth”—which exposes the animal abuse rampant in Shrine circuses—outside the El Riad Shrine Circus at the Sioux Falls Arena. The unmissable plea is a push for the El Riad Shrine to modernize by keeping elephants and other exploited animals out of its shows, just as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and other circuses are now doing.
“Abuse takes center stage at the El Riad Shrine Circus, where elderly elephants and other exploited animals are tormented into performing demeaning tricks in front of screaming crowds,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on the El Riad Shrine Circus to get with the times and end these archaic and cruel animal acts, as numerous other Shrines have already done.”
Where: Outside Sioux Falls Arena at the intersection of N. W. Avenue and Bailey Street, Sioux Falls
When: Thursday, April 24, 11:30 a.m.
Why: In nature, elephants live in matriarchal herds, protect one another, and share mothering responsibilities for the herds’ babies. Elephants used by the El Riad Shrine Circus are typically provided by the notorious Carden family, which is known for forcing elderly and ailing elephants to perform and has racked up a litany of citations for violating federal animal welfare laws, including for failing to provide animals with adequate veterinary care, safe enclosures, sufficient space, and adequate nutrition. At least two elephants exhibited by Carden have tested positive for tuberculosis, and others have been barred from performing because of the possibility that they were carrying the virus and could infect humans.
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.
