The Show Must (Not) Go On!
Oh, Canada … today we sing the praises of Marystown, Newfoundland, which recently put out a stop sign for cruel animal acts by joining dozens of other cities and banning acts that use exotic animals.
Marystown reportedly banned the use of animals for human entertainment because its residents fear that animals in circuses are being mistreated. It sounds like someone on the City Council got ahold of PETA’s recent undercover investigation, which documented that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus handlers whipped tigers and hit elephants over and over with bullhooks.
Forward-thinking Marystown Mayor Sam Synard even acknowledged that forcing animals into artificial environments causes them “irreparable harm.” To thank Mayor Synard, we sent him a letter today (and I’m sure the elephants and tigers would have signed it, too, if they had opposable thumbs).
If you haven’t seen the spectacular Cirque du Soleil or any of the other amazing animal-free circuses, what in the world are you waiting for?
Written by Jennifer O’Connor
