Stop Circus Suffering

This Monday, January 8th, New Jersey will vote on Nosey’s Law (A4386/S2508), a state bill to prohibit traveling exotic animal acts. The bill was named after a long-suffering circus elephant named Nosey, who was recently confiscated and placed in sanctuary while the court considers her future. Like so many circus animals, Nosey was taken as a baby, pulled from her family in the wild, to endure three decades in chains and a tiny trailer, despite aching, arthritic joints and pleas from citizens, experts, and US congresspersons for her retirement. Nosey was forced to perform, though her exhibitor lost his state permit to possess her, and racked up hundreds of federal citations, including one in November directing him to seek veterinary care for Nosey’s longstanding skin issues; the US Department of Agriculture repeatedly renewed his licensure. In late 2017, an Alabama court considered cruelty charges in a custody hearing and, for now, Nosey remains at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, while the court deliberates its ruling. It’s time to end Nosey’s suffering, and the suffering of all circus animals.

You can help Nosey inspire change, and be a part of NJ’s landmark effort to end circus suffering for wild animals statewide.

Nosey’s Law (S2508), to ban circus elephant acts, passed the NJ Senate last year; we were delighted that its sponsor, Senator Ray Lesniak, subsequently committed to support an amendment to protect all exotic animals suffering in circuses, noting ”It’s the right thing.” ADI met with the Assembly companion bill (A4386) sponsor, Asm. Raj Mukherji, to provide evidence and make the case that all wild animals suffer in traveling acts. Asm. Mukherji agreed, and amended the bill; it subsequently passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee with broad support. A vote scheduled this week before the Assembly was postponed when a severe winter storm shut down all state offices under a state of emergency, but the sponsors underscored their commitment that ‘we will get this done’ and rescheduled the vote for Monday, January 8th. ADI will be in Trenton for the historic vote, which could make NJ the first US state to ban exotic animal circus acts – there is still time to act – if you live in NJ, call your legislators today to support A4386/S2508 to ban all wild animal circus acts.

Take Action This Weekend!

• Find your NJ legislators’ contact information here.
• Invite your friends to follow us on Facebook to follow events like this as they happen.
• Wherever you live in the US, please support TEAPSPA, to end traveling wild animal acts nationwide.
• Join the global movement to Stop Circus Suffering!