Several Latin American countries, including Mexico and Peru, have recently banned or restricted the use of animals in traveling circuses (performing animals in Europe are even rarer) and it’s high time the US follow suit.
However, as there is no federal law in the US barring these types of organizations, it’s up to our lawmakers to hear our cries and draft new legislation. We know that our voices and our wallets work as we’ve recently seen the end of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s.
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Recently, U.S. Reps. Ryan Costello (R-Penn.) and Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) visited Capitol Hill to introduce a bill called the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEASPA), which would prohibit wild or exotic animal performances in traveling circuses and certainly end the suffering of poor animals who are living under the rule of profit-motivated humans, being forced to perform unnatural behaviors, and living in cramped and disgusting conditions.
From the article:
“There’s little question that public sentiment about performing and captive animals, particularly those considered highly intelligent, is changing. The Ringling Bros. announcement in January, which cited a decline in ticket sales, came after local laws and pressure from animal protection groups prompted the show to retire its elephants. Last year, SeaWorld decided to stop breeding orcas, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore is planning to move its dolphins to a sanctuary.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeZTAzQDQQ8
We will watch this story and update you. In the meantime though, you can contact your lawmakers and ask them to vote in favor of the bill. We have to continue to use our voice to protect these animals and prevent any more from being taken and abused.
Source: Washington Post
