Stop Circus Suffering

Animal Defenders International (ADI) celebrated this week with NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio, the passage of a landmark ordinance to ban wild animal circus acts in this world-renown city. The ban is now law, and goes into effect October 2018. Council Member Rosie Mendez worked tirelessly on this issue for 11 years, and thanks to strong local voices, Mayor de Blasio, and CM/Committee Chair Corey Johnson, NYC leads the way for humane entertainment.

ADI worked with Council Member Mendez and city attorneys on New York City’s groundbreaking animal protection measure. America’s largest city has now banned wild animals in circuses ~ this is a significant advance in the campaign to stop circus suffering, as was the recent closure of the country’s largest animal circus, Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Over 70 U.S. jurisdictions in 27 states have now taken action to restrict wild animals from traveling circuses. San Francisco was the first major US metropolis to ban wild animal acts, and Los Angeles City Council is poised to follow suit, having unanimously approved the drafting of a similar ordinance. Almost 40 countries around the world have now passed national prohibitions, with Romania, Slovakia, and Latvia most recently joining in.

Keep up the momentum in New York state!

Hot on the heels of NYC’s new ordinance (joining Greenburgh, Plattsburgh, and Southampton, NY) to ban wild animal circus acts, similar New York state bills are moving through the legislature. The Elephant Protection Act, which bans elephant performances, awaits the governor’s signature and, because all wild animals suffer in circuses, two new bills seek to prohibit all wild animal acts: NY Senator Hoylman’s SB00276 is in the Senate Agriculture Committee, and NY Assemblyman Englebright’s A08157 is with the Assembly Rules Committee, having already passed its first committee 23-7!

Thank you NYC Councilwoman Mendez, NY Assemblymember Englebright, and NY Senator Hoylman!

What you can do!

If you are a resident of New York state:

1. Contact the NY Assembly Rules Committee here and ask them to support A08157, which aims to prohibit the permitting of a circus using wild animals in New York.
2. Find your NY Assemblyperson here, contact them to tell them about the NYC victory, and urge them to support A08157.
3. Contact the NY Senate Agriculture Committee here and ask them to support SB00276, which aims to ban wild animals from traveling circuses in the state of New York.
4. Find your NY Senator here, contact them to tell them about the NYC victory, and urge them to support SB00276.

Take action where you live!

• Elsewhere in the US, click here to see other similar legislative campaigns you can support.
• Visit Stop Circus Suffering for ways to get involved in the global campaign.
• Sign up to ADI’s action alerts to help animals.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word!
• Donate towards this important campaign.