Animals aren’t actors, circus clowns or prisoners. So, how come it’s okay to force them to perform confusing tricks or travel across the country in cages and trailers? Why are they exploited for human amusement? Unfortunately, some of these animals even lose their lives from incessant physical punishment and abuse. Animal suffering can be seen in many forms of entertainment including rodeos, circuses, and zoos. There are around eight hundred professional rodeos and a number of smaller ones in the United States each year (Francione 25). They involve a series of timed events using horses and other farm animals designed to challenge the skills of the contestants. Circuses are also a very popular form of entertainment that began in the late eighteenth century and involve acrobats, clowns and a variety of exotic animals. Lastly, zoos have remained popular tourist sites for centuries. In Canada and the United States alone, approximately 112 million people visit zoos each year (PETA 203). Though these attractions seem fun and harmless, many of the animals used in these practices suffer greatly. Every year thousands of animals are injured or killed in rodeos. Circuses also cause animal suffering through cruel punishment and improper housing. Finally, animal hardship is displayed in the terrible conditions of zoos. Animals in the entertainment industry are purely exploited for profit and endure great suffering shown through the conditions of rodeos, circuses, and zoos.
The cruel and inhumane practices of rodeos cause great concern for the welfare of animals in the entertainment industry. First of all, unnatural behaviors are often provoked in rodeos in order to secure a thrilling competition. “Bucking straps” are put on the abdomens of th...
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...UP, 2000. N. pag. Print.
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Laidlaw, Rob. Wild Animals in Captivity. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008. Print.
MALIN RISING - Associated, Press. "Thousands Of Zoo Animals Killed In Europe Yearly." AP Regional State Report - Maryland (2014): Points of View Reference Center. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Zoos Are Prisons." The Rights of Animals. By Tamara L. Roleff and Jennifer A. Hurley. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1999. N. pag. Print.
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Regan, Tom. “The Case for Animal Rights.” In Defense of Animals. Ed. Peter Singer. New York:
Lets start with zoos, where animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public viewing. Millions of people visit zoos thinking the animals are happy, when in all reality they are miserable. You can try to replicate the animals enclosure to their natural habitat, but they can never replace their homes. An animals rights organization states, “Animals are often prevented from doing most of the things that are natural and important to them, like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind,” (PETA). Although, zoos are said to ‘help’ these animals, they really are not, it is more a collection of different animals in order to show off to the audience and gain money off of them. People begin to believe it is okay to keep these wild animals captive and have their lives be controlled by someone else.
The history of change regarding the varying displays of animals has been gradual yet profound. A clear shift has been evident surrounding the role and nature of a zoo’s position within society. When assessing zoological history it seems that there are three distinct phases. From the early collections where animals were kept and used for religion, hunting and entertainment to the private menageries in which wild animals were contained as a sign of wealth, dominance and privilege and more recently the development of zoos as modern ins...
Rodeo is a sport with long American traditions and loved by many spectators and participants. Past history has shown that rodeo needed to make way for a new era of riders and trainers with a larger emphasis on the welfare of the animals and not be discontinued or banned entirely. Today’s rodeos do not present a danger to the animals because the animals are well-cared for and protected, rodeos have strict rules and the stock are treated as prized animals.
Should animals have to go through pain and suffering? Should they have to go without food and/or water? The answer is no. Animal abuse happens everyday and it happens because people are barbarous or because they don’t know how to take the best care of an animal that they have. Whatever the reason it’s still not right and will never be okay. This paper will cover a brief history of animal abuse, the statistics, the signs of animal abuse, and what can be done to stop animal abuse. Animal abuse needs to end for the animals that can’t speak for themselves.
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Armstrong, Susan Jean, and Richard George Botzler. The Animal Ethics Reader. London ;New York, NY: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Many people would like to believe that animal cruelty doesn’t exist, but little do they know it is still happening all around the world every single day. The treatment we have on animals is unethical. It’s unreal how animal cruelty is still a thing because of the fact we live in a world of right versus wrong. Animals are looked as a form of product instead of what they really are, living breathing creatures. The use of animals in entertainment has been going on for thousands of years. Animals are forced into racing, captivity, violence, all for the sake of amusement to us. The children love to take a peek through the gates and cages of animals in zoos. People who are young and old love to watch the animals race. What people don’t know is that attending these events oftentimes means you’re supporting the abuse that is done to the animals. They have been taken out of their natural habitat, stripped from any rights they had, and forced to comply to the demands of human beings. The unfair treatment given to animals when used for entertainment purposes constitutes animal cruelty.
Tom Regan, “The Case for Animal Rights,” in In Defense of Animals, ed. Peter Singer (Oxford:
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For hundreds of years, eager visitors have journeyed to see animals from various parts of the Earth. Zoological institutions have been provided a place where both wild animals and humans can convene in a controlled manor. A zoo’s purpose is to conserve wild animals’ lives, educate visitors, and provide a site where wild life research can readily take place (Demartoto). Many hold a positive view on zoos. Some believe that zoological institutions provide a safe environment for animals and provide the animals with the best care. However, many find zoos to be guilty of stealing animals’ freedom and dignity. Animal welfare has become a major issue within zoological institutions. The question of whether or not zoos are actually
Flynn, Clifton P. "Acknowledging the "Zoological Connection": A Sociological Analysis of Animal Cruelty." Society and Animals 9.1 (2001): 71-87. Print.
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There has been a long-standing debate surrounding the nature of zoological parks. In recent years, the concern over the health and safety of animals in captivity has grown significantly. This is due, in part, to the rise in attention people have started paying towards the way these animals are treated and held captive within zoological parks. On the news, more cases pop up yearly involving animals that have been abused, neglected, and even killed. Furthermore, animal rights groups have become larger in numbers and more outspoken regarding the problematic existence of zoos. Though despite these facts, there has not been a decline in the amount of people visiting zoos, the economic revenue is as strong as ever, and the establishments are still
Animals are beautiful exquisite creatures that should be loved and cared for. They bring laughter and companionship to millions of people around the world. The more people that are aware of animal cruelty the faster making a change in today’s society can be addressed, sparing the lives of animals everywhere. For those people who are still in the dark about animal cruelty “steps should be taken to promote disclosure so as to fortify market process and to promote democratic discussion of the treatment of animals” to help those people achieve a better understanding of the situation (Leslie J). Animal cruelty must be stopped weather it is in factories or cages, beauty or just for sport treating animals the way they are getting treated today must be put to an end. As Frey the author of “Animals Rights” said “what’s fundamentally wrong with the way animals are treated isn’t the details that vary from case to case it’s the whole system itself” (Frey