Animal-Abusing Liebel Circus Prevented From Performing in Batesville
For Immediate Release:
March 6, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Batesville, Ark. — After learning from PETA that the Liebel Family Circus—which was scheduled to appear in late February at the National Guard Armory in Batesville—was recently charged with nearly three dozen violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the Arkansas National Guard alerted the operators of the armory, and the circus's appearance was canceled.
"The Liebel Family Circus has a long and sordid history of animal abuse—including chaining animals so tightly that they can't move and denying them veterinary care," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA commends the Batesville armory for taking a stand against cruelty to animals, public endangerment, and violations of federal law."
As PETA explained in its letter to the National Guard, Liebel Family Circus operator Hugo Liebel, despite previously paying nearly $3,000 to settle violations of the AWA, now faces 33 new charges. The recent charges—which were filed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture following a series of complaints lodged by PETA—include violating the AWA by keeping an elephant, Nosey, chained so tightly by two legs that she could barely move; by leaving an unattended monkey chained to a pony for more than an hour; by allowing unsupervised public contact with Nosey, who attacked and sent a worker to the emergency room in 2004; and by failing to provide adequate veterinary care for Nosey, who has suffered for years from a serious but treatable skin condition.
PETA's correspondence with the Arkansas National Guard is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.