Circus Forces Arthritic Elephants to Perform in Violation of District Cruelty-to-Animals Laws, Says Group
For Immediate Release:
March 20, 2013
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Washington -- Holding signs that read, "Let Me Pack My Trunk & Go," two crippled "elephants"—representing Karen and Nicole, two lame elephants forced to perform in the Ringling Bros. circus—will lead PETA protesters outside the Verizon Center on Thursday, Ringling's opening night. The protesters will also display photos taken inside Ringling's training center, which expose how baby elephants are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with steel-tipped bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods in abusive training sessions that go on for several hours. In addition, they will screen Alec Baldwin's video exposé revealing how Ringling routinely beats and torments elephants.
When: Thursday, March 21, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Verizon Center, 601 F St. N.W. (near the intersection with Seventh Street N.W.), Washington
The group's action comes on the heels of its requests to Mayor Vincent Gray to enforce the district's animal-protection laws. For years during Ringling's visits to D.C., officials have failed to enforce the laws that prohibit restrictively chaining elephants and forcing crippled elephants like Karen and Nicole to perform tricks.
"PETA is telling parents that if their families love animals, the last place that they should go is the circus," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Baby elephants are torn away from their mothers and beaten into submission—and older, arthritic elephants, such as Nicole and Karen, are still unlawfully forced to perform painful contortions."
For more information, please visit PETA's website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.