Victory! Washington State Bans the Use of Elephants, Big Cats, and More Animals in Circuses and Traveling Acts

It’s a monumental victory for animals: Washington state has officially banned the use of elephants, monkeys and other primates, big cats, and bears in circuses and traveling acts! Effective July 27, 2025, the law will prevent circuses and traveling shows from forcing these sensitive, social animals to perform, sparing them the trauma of whips, chains, and transport cages.

A Historic Win Against Animal-Exploiting Circuses

This victory didn’t happen overnight. PETA has been exposing cruelty and abuse, holding bold protests, and alerting authorities to animal welfare violations at circuses for years. Now, more people than ever know that animals aren’t ours to exploit for “entertainment.”

When the curtain closed on Ringling Bros.’ elephant shows—with their last performance in Washington nearly a decade ago—PETA kept up the momentum. We turned our focus to the smaller, fly-by-night circuses that quietly rolled into rural towns, pitching tents in empty fields and dragging shackled, suffering animals from one show to the next.

For animals, the spotlight means a lifetime of misery: spinning on pedestals, jumping through flaming hoops, or posing for photo ops. Trainers force the majestic animals to perform these confusing acts under the threat of painful punishments.

PETA and other concerned citizens exposed this in Washington:

• In eastern Washington, the former Great Bear Show put bears in cages, chained them to chairs, and made them roll on barrels. Workers there forced a bear named Cindi to sit for photo ops while she cried out in distress. When the show went to southwest Washington, fairgoers saw a young bear named Barney pacing frantically in a trailer. A PETA eyewitness learned he was confined in that cage at all times—and other witnesses confirmed he’d been living like that for over six weeks. Thankfully, PETA helped rescue these bears and send them to a reputable sanctuary, where they can swim, nest in cozy dens, forage, and meaningfully socialize with other bears.
• In western Washington, notorious Jordan World Circus supplier Adam Burck kept tigers locked in travel crates around the clock, even when the show wasn’t touring. Following a PETA tip, authorities discovered he was housing animals at an unapproved site. The USDA canceled his license, and the tigers were transferred to a facility that promised to end their forced performances.

These exposés—paired with public pressure and targeted campaigns—forced these two cruel exhibitors to end their animal acts. And now, the remaining few will never again bring cruelty to center stage in this state.

This new law marks other major milestones against abusive exhibitors:

• Jordan World Circus was the last show to exploit live elephants in Washington. Most recently, they forced geriatric elephants Viola and Isa to perform grueling tricks in shows around the state, even though their feet were chronically swollen and they showed signs of other ailments.
• Culpepper & Merriweather was the last circus to force big cats to perform in Washington. The show forces two aging tigers, Solomon and Delilah, and two young lions, Wendell and Nelson, to spend their lives in tiny cages while on the road.

More Progress Is On The Horizon

Washington now joins a growing movement—bringing the total to a dozen U.S. states passing laws to prohibit or restrict live animal acts. The tide has turned: today’s audiences know that every animal is someone, not a stage or photo prop. Bears are curious, playful, and wonderful problem solvers; elephants form lifelong friendships and mourn their lost loved ones; and tigers are deeply devoted mothers, staying close to their babies for up to two years in nature. These complex animals do not want to be exploited.

Acrobats, aerialists, robots, and clowns dazzle crowds—there’s no reason to watch traumatized animals perform meaningless tricks out of fear.

This victory is thanks to compassionate individuals like you. Every supporter who spoke out, shared an investigation, or demanded change helped make this happen.

While PETA celebrates this huge step forward, we‘ll go full steam ahead until live animal acts are banned everywhere. Help us by taking action and telling Jordan World Circus to end animal acts: