The late August heat, the early September breeze, and the warm setting sun make for a night of amusement and fun-filled memories. Walking under the Big-Top, you catch a quick glance at a large gray beast, a feisty orange feline, and a miniature yellow car accompanied with a giant human outfitted with a red nose and a polka-dotted body. The circus is a fantastic way to be entertained by a large array of the world’s most magnificent animals.
The circus is a pleasant time for most but for others it’s a nightmare. It is simple for mankind: if you do not like the circus, do not attend. The choice for animals is not so easy; they are the main attraction and therefore, forced to attend. Animals are the stars of the show, the entertainment of the night, and the backbone of the circus. As with anything on this planet, looks can be deceiving; that is the looks of the circus. At the end of the night all seems well, but behind the scenes there is much exploitation! The unethical treatment of circus animals has been going on since the circus began and will continue to go on until something is done about it.
One of the major participants in this crisis goes by the name Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey. Although they claim that their practices are legitimate and they abide by the rules, it seems a bit sticky. According to the Ringling Brothers web site, “ a relationship [with animals] is built on respect, trust, affection, and uncompromising care…training methods are based on reinforcement in the form of food rewards and words of praise.” Food rewards, do they starve the animals until the master an act? Well, no, not according to the Ringling web site, it is stated, “Withholding food and physical abuse is prohibited.” Clean stalls, in...
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...be worth it to have safe and happy animals.
Works Cited
"Animal Care." Ringling Brother and Barnum and Bailey Circus. 2009. Field Entertainment, INC., Web. 9 Dec 2009. Print.
“Animal Circuses, Animal Suffering.” CAPS. June 2001. The Captive Animals’ Protection Society. Web. N.p. 09 December 2009.
Ingrid E. Newkirk. “Ringling Bros. Circus: Animals’ Guantanamo.” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 27 June 2009: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 09 December 2009. Print.
“Ringling Employees Tell of Bloody Beatings, Routine Abuse.” Circus.com. People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Web. 9 Dec 2009. Print.
"Ringling vs. Reality." Circuses.com. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Web. 9 Dec 2009. Print.
Read, Bruce. "Animal Care FAQ." Ringling Brother and Barnum and Bailey Circus. 2009. Field Entertainment, INC., Web. 9 Dec 2009. Print.
There is a very important distinction when dealing with animal welfare and animal rights. After learning to tell the difference between the two, it is easier to distinguish the organization that wants to help animals and the people who wish to end the use of animals. Even though there are different groups that support different agendas for the sport, both should have the same goal. Animal rights are organizations that seek to end the ownership and use of animals. The largest of those groups are The Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. There is a ‘Pro-Rodeo’ organization under the guise ‘Friends of Rodeo.’ They claim to be the only organization solely devoted to protecting and promoting the sport of rodeo, all of rodeo regardless of association affiliation. “What rodeo proponents fail to acknowledge is that rodeos harm animals that are forced to perform in a competition that is essentially a display of human domination over other species” (The Rodeo 1).
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.
Throughout the past few decades, animals have been mistreated and in some cases killed in live entertainment facilities. (APNM 2006) Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (“PETA”) and other animal right protecting organizations, try to protect and restore basic rights to the animals. Circuses, aquariums, and zoos have flaws in their systems, which allow for the animals to be mistreated. (PETA 2009) Animals should not be forced to do any tricks, stunts, or any harmful or life-shortening forms of entertainment nor be housed in inappropriate surroundings merely for the amusement of humans.
Animal activists and various animal rights/animal welfare support groups have been publicly declaring their beliefs against rodeos since the late 1800’s. Rodeo abolitionists believe PRCA members and contestants have always and always will mistreat their livestock. To support their opinion, activists use information such as the injury/death rate, veterinarians ignoring injured animals, and the belief that wranglers torment the animals into performing. The injury/death percentage is very low in PRCA rodeos. “PRCA has continuously called upon on-site, independent rodeo veterinarians at PRCA-sanctioned events
“There can be many reason for animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed, or under control of others. Some who are cruel to animals copy acts what they have seen or that have been done to them, others see harming an animal as a safe way to get revenge against--or threaten-- someone who cares about that animal”. (“Animal… Statistics”) Concerns towards abusing animals have gone up in the past. Although there are not many cases on animal abuse, many have occurred. Abusers are charged with Criminal Animal Abuse and then sentenced to life in prison. Some animals that are physically abused are sometimes rescued by Animal Control, and are taken it to an animal shelter. However, many shelters have not had the space to keep the animals so the workers would have to put them down (Carol Roach). Researchers have shown that the main animals getting abused are dogs, chickens, horses, and livestock (“Animal...
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.
“Animal Entertainment” refers to any animals used to act, perform, or fight for the enjoyment of humans. zoos, circuses, and bullfighting are all examples of animals used for entertainment. While many applaud these firms for putting on a spectacular show, many others argue that the animals are treated unfair. All of these animals are taken out of their natural environment and forced to perform acts not typically in their behavioral range. If one pays close attention at the circus, for example, it is visible how these animals are treated. Trainers threaten tigers with a whip and often hit elephants with metal on their legs. These techniques are inhumane and best explain why animals should not be used for entertainment. The use of animals for entertainment is a form of animal abuse because of the way the
Preview: So today, I would like to attempt to persuade you that circuses should stop using animals, with a ...
Alatola, E 2011, The ethics of animal circuses, The Captive Animals’ Protection Society, Manchester, UK.
The problem to identify at hand is obvious; it’s the mistreatment of animals being used in the entertainment industry. Animals are ripped away from their natural habitats or bred in captivity to provide us humans with sources of entertainment. The article “Ten Fast Facts About Animals In Entertainment” explains that the majority of captivity-bred animals will not be returned to the wild. In fact when a facility breeds too many animals they are sometimes sold to laboratories, traveling shows, canned hunting facilities, or to private individuals (“Ten Fast Facts”). Private individuals, who inquire about wild animals, almost always lack the proper caregiving skills, and this leads to animals being neglected. When being bred in captivity, animals are oblivious to their natural habitats and how to socially interact with their species.
But, the circus environment is very different from an animal’s natural habitats. Summer can be hard on...
Currently there are three main legislations affecting and protecting the welfare of wild animals in travelling circuses, The Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the performing Animals (regulation) Act 1925, (DEFRA,2013; Rees,2013). The legislations in place recognise that both wild a...
Animal abuse is a travesty in our world that must be stopped. Every year, millions of animals suffer because of human actions, directly or indirectly. Whether it’s abused dogs and cats or even mistreated circus animals, their suffering is as real as it would be if it happened to us. Even animals who are raised on farms simply for human consumption should not have to suffer. One of the worst parts of humanity’s role in animal abuse is that there are easy ways for people to help that they are either ignorant of or simply refuse to do. There are many examples of animals who are abused by humans, but there are also ways for people to help prevent and put an end to animal abuse.
Some aspects of Animal abuse are completely avoidable, the cruelty brings no scientific knowledge, food, or testing. In the entertainment industry “wild and exotic animals are trained through the use of intimidation and physical abuse. Former circus employees have reported seeing animals beaten, whipped, poked with sharp objects and even burned to force them to learn their routines!”(dosomething) Cruelty for entertainment is not a fair trade by any means.
Since the beginning of the modern day circus in the early 20th century millions of Americans have enjoyed the performances by both the people and the animals that perform for our entertainment. However, the audience is blinded by shock and awe of the show from what really happens behind the curtain. Animal cruelty, poor living conditions, and lack of legal regulation scars the animals and becomes very dangerous to the overall health of the animals and those who are around them. The mistreatment of animals in circuses has been occurring for far too long, and new laws need to be implemented in an effort to prevent future acts of cruelty toward these animals.