Fourth of July Tradition Is No Excuse for Animal Abuse and Public Endangerment, Says Group
For Immediate Release:
December 13, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Cascade Township, Mich. -- PETA has sent a letter to Rob Beahan, supervisor of Cascade Charter Township, commending him and other board members for their decision to cancel next year's elephant rides, which previously had been part of the township's annual Fourth of July festivities. In the letter, PETA points out that elephants used to give rides are beaten into submission from the time they're babies in order to force them to perform out of fear of punishment. PETA also explains that multi-ton elephants—particularly those who have been abused—represent an ever-present danger to children and other members of the public. In joining the decision to cancel the rides, board Treasurer Ken Peirce noted the risk to public safety.
"The Cascade Township board members' decision to cancel next year's elephant rides means that they will not be complicit in cruelty to animals," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "It also sets an example for other municipalities not to allow animal abuse and public endangerment to mar their holiday festivities."
Elephants such as Laura, who has provided rides for Cascade Township children in the past, are beaten with bullhooks—devices that resemble fireplace pokers—in the most sensitive parts of their bodies in order to condition and control their behavior. Handlers who use this abusive management style always wield bullhooks, which serve as a reminder of the beatings the elephants have endured and will endure again if they do not obey.
Elephant rides are also notoriously dangerous. Experts agree that elephants who are subjected to the constant threat of physical punishment are more prone to unpredictable, potentially dangerous behavior. While a bullhook can inflict harm and penetrate an elephant's skin, it is useless for controlling a rampaging elephant. Numerous individuals, including children, have sustained serious injuries or have died when elephants used to provide rides have gone on rampages.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.