Stop Circus Suffering

Blaine County Idaho passes wild animal circus ban

County Commissioners unanimously vote to end use of wild animals in traveling circuses

ADI applauds Blaine County Commissioners Chairman Jacob Greenberg, Vice Chairman Angenie McCleary, and Commissioner Lawrence Schoen for unanimously voting to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in their county. The ban was passed during today’s County Commissioners Meeting.

Last April students from Sage School presented evidence to support the ordinance as a culmination of their research from an independent study group, “The Elephant Student Project.”  Local ADI supporter and facilitator for the students, Maya Burrell, shared ADI’s evidence of animal abuse in circuses, scientific evidence and economic data showing the inherent suffering and public safety issues surrounding the use of wild animals in traveling circuses. At the most recent meeting on May 12, 2015, County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tim Graves presented a draft ordinance which had been requested by the Commission. Ms Burrell and Sage Students Harrison Blamires, Devon Brown, Kayla Chaffey, Gabe Delgado, Evathea Drougas, Will Griffith, Sam Laski, Willa Laski, and Warren Loving have been working for more than a year on this effort and Willa Laski attended this morning’s meeting to thank the Commissioners for passing the ban.

Jan Creamer, ADI President: “We applaud the Blaine County Commissioners for making this compassionate decision, and are impressed with the Sage Students who have empowered themselves and educated their communities to make a difference for animals. All around the world, towns, cities and national legislators are ending the use of wild animals in circuses and measures like this are how to end the suffering of elephants, lions, tigers, bears and other animals in traveling circuses.”

Ms. Burrell said: “I am so proud of these bright students and we are grateful to be able to bring the suffering of circus animals into public light. I thank each of these Commissioners for standing up against this injustice with their decision to protect wild animals with a ban.”

Blaine County has joined the growing number of cities and counties in the United States that have restricted wild animals in traveling circuses, including a ban in nearby Ketchum, Idaho which this student group helped to usher in last year.

With Hawaii governor David Ige’s recent pledge to end wild animal acts there, Hawaii will likely soon be the first US state to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, and ADI is working with Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach who recently introduced a bill aiming to ban wild animals in circuses there.

There are increasing calls for action and with the retirement of Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), ADI is looking for a new sponsor to reintroduce the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act in US Congress, which, if passed, would restrict the use of wild animals in traveling circuses throughout the United States.

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Comments

  1. marisol melgarejo · 26 May 2015 at 7:40a

    STOP ANIMAL ABUSE!!

  2. Marcia · 26 May 2015 at 7:40a

    Are there any bans in Michigan? How would I find out where traveling circuses using wild animals are held in Michigan?
    Thank you for you persistent hard work and congrats to you and all the animals on the passing of each new ban.
    Go Hawaii

    1. ADI Admin Post author· 26 May 2015 at 7:40a

      Hi Marcia, please email usa @ ad-international.org to find out about campaigning efforts in Michigan.

  3. Maysa Curran · 26 May 2015 at 7:40a

    I have a very hard time understanding how there are so many circuses around the world that still uses and abuses animals for their own benefit! I also have a terrible time understanding how a lot of people attend to those “shows” to watch an animal “performing” because is is too scared to be beaten!
    And now, talking directly to those ones who owns those animals and beat them up to make a buck… You have no talent to entertain people! You have to find a normal job like everyone else! You can’t beat an animal to perform something that you call entertainment, so you can make a living! I can understand how those people will never be able to see what I see and the way I see, they are evil and selfish! However the rest of the world have to do something about it! We have to save those animals from evil people like them!
    21st century and people still using animals for this type of “entertainment” ! That is definately the end of the world!
    However some places are finally taking action, better late than ever!
    Thank you.

  4. nicole · 26 May 2015 at 7:40a

    I am completely against cruelty to elephants .

  5. Anja stroud · 26 May 2015 at 7:40a

    How many generations of domestic captive breeding makes for a domestic animal? You realize that all animals in the circuses around the world breed and conserve the species, right? Because poaching has killed so many that the “wild” population is almost gone.

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