Stop Circus Suffering

Los Angeles progresses wild animal entertainment ban!

Thank the Los Angeles City Council for progressing a ban on wild/exotic animals for entertainment or amusement

UPDATE: April 25, 2017, The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved Councilmember David Ryu’s motion to instruct the City Attorney to craft an ordinance to prohibit the exhibition of wild or exotic animals for entertainment or amusement. The ordinance aims to protect wild animals from being used in circuses, other wild or exotic animal shows, and rentals for house parties.

ADI is honored to work with Councilmember Ryu and the City Attorney’s Office on this ground-breaking animal protection measure, which, when finalized, will make Los Angeles the largest US city to pass such an ordinance.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Angelenos, contact Los Angeles City Council and thank them for supporting CM Ryu’s wild animal entertainment ban. For Council contact details and more information visit http://bit.ly/LAcircusban

Outside Los Angeles, contact ADI for help starting a local ordinance campaign to ban wild animal performances in your community at usa@ad-international.org and find out how to support our federal bill, the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA) (HR 1759), which will ban wild animals from being forced to perform in traveling shows in the US http://bit.ly/SupportTEAPSPA

We can’t help animals without you!
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April 5, 2017, Los Angeles City Council’s Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee (PAW) unanimously passed Councilmember David Ryu’s motion to ban wild animals for entertainment, which will prohibit wild and exotic animals from being brought to private parties, public places or to be used for circuses and shows. The motion will now be drafted into a proposed ordinance to be voted on by the full Council.

Two young advocates, Felix Hemstreet and Joseph Moreno, joined ADI’s Campaigns Director, Matt Rossell, supporters and other groups to testify in favor of the measure. ADI has worked for years with councilmembers to strengthen proposals to include all wild circus animals and we applaud the PAW committee’s enthusiastic support.

Councilmember David Ryu said: “Using wild and exotic animals poses a serious public safety concern to the community. The animals suffer from performing the unnatural acts expected of them, especially when coerced by the inhumane echniques. And humans are at risk too from the public safety risks that also rise from animal mishandling. Treating animals in this manner has taught generations of people that it’s OK to view wild and exotic animals as toys. This is completely unacceptable. It’s time that City Council take action that it’s clear that exhibiting such animals in this way is no longer in line with our city’s values.”

Councilmember Harris Dawson said: “The cruelty that we can have towards animals and laugh at it is astonishing and I think this motion goes a long way to move us away from that activity. I can remember as a child—I’m still frankly traumatized by it—at our school we had a monkey come for a party, someone brought a monkey, and the trick the monkey did was smoke a cigar. he very next day they taught us how bad smoking was for you. And that is something that at the time would seem rather benign but was obviously incredibly cruel. So we thank you [Councilmember Ryu] for this motion.”

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Angelenos, contact Los Angeles City Council and urge them to support Council File 16-1357, CM Ryu’s motion to ban wild animal used for entertainment. Contact details for Los Angeles Council are below on this page.

Outside Los Angeles, contact ADI for help starting a local ordinance to ban wild animal performances in your community at usa@ad-international.org.


Good news! Los Angeles Councilmember David Ryu is taking the lead to protect wild animals in circuses in Los Angeles by introducing legislation that aims to prohibit the exhibition of wild or exotic animals for entertainment or amusement, including circuses, other wild or exotic animal shows, and rentals for house parties.

ADI was honored to work with Councilmember Ryu’s office, the city attorney’s office, and other stakeholders on an exotic animal ordinance specific to private parties and sidewalk exhibitions; we look forward to continue that work on this ground-breaking broader measure.

Thirty-four countries and 64 cities and counties across the US have passed some form of protection for circus animals. West Hollywood and San Francisco have both passed model ordinances, which broadly protect exotic and wild animals from being forced to perform in their communities. It’s time for Los Angeles to do the same!

Take Action Now!

Contact the Los Angeles City Council and ask them to support Councilmember Ryu’s ordinance to ban wild or exotic animals for entertainment or amusement.

Los Angeles Councilmembers

  1. Gilbert Cedillo, councilmember.cedillo@lacity.org, 213-473-7001
  2. 2Paul Krekorian, councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org,  213-473-7002
  3. Bob Blumenfield, councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org,  213-473-7003
  4. David E. Ryu, david.ryu@lacity.org, 213-473-7004
  5. Paul Koretz, paul.koretz@lacity.org,, 213-473-7005
  6. Nury Martinez, councilmember.martinez@lacity.org, 213-473-7006
  7. Vacant, councildistrict7@lacity.org, 213-473-7007
  8. Marqueece Harris-Dawson, councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org, 213-473-7008
  9. Curren D. Price, Jr., councilmember.price@lacity.org,  213-473-7009
  10. Herb J. Wesson, Jr., councilmember.wesson@lacity.org, 213-473-7010
  11. Mike Bonin, councilmember.bonin@lacity.org, 213-473-7011
  12. Mitchell Englander, councilmember.englander@lacity.org, 213-473-7012
  13. Mitch O’Farrell, councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org, 213-473-7013
  14. Jose Huizar, councilmember.huizar@lacity.org, 213-473-7014
  15. Joe Buscaino, councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org, 213-473-7015

Studies on the use of wild animals in traveling circuses show that circuses cannot meet the physical or behavioral needs of wild animals. Animals are confined in small spaces, deprived of physical and social needs, spending excessive amounts of time shut in trailers and train cars. These animals are often seen behaving abnormally – rocking, swaying, and pacing – indicating that they are in distress and not coping with their environment. ADI’s video evidence shows how these animals are forced to perform tricks through physical violence, fear, and intimidation.

Together, we can end the brutal training of animals for entertainment.

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