Circus funding press release CAPS/PRESS RELEASE
national |
animal rights |
press release 
Thursday February 02, 2006 23:21
by Ciaran Long - Alliance For Animal Rights
pagan_animal_liberation_front at hotmail dot com
Animal Rights Group Criticises Arts Council Funding For Animal Circuses
Animal rights group, the Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS) has strongly criticised the decision by the Arts Council to allocate120,000 euros to Irish circuses containing animal acts, and described it as “further state funding for animal abuse by this government”. CAPS Irish spokesperson Nuala Donlon is calling on the Arts Council to reconsider its decision in light of the serious concerns about animal welfare and public safety which surround such travelling menageries.
Animals in circuses suffer extreme deprivation and are subjected to physical abuse in their training routines, facts which have become public knowledge in recent years following several undercover operations.
Wild animals are particularly badly affected, travelling as they do thousands of miles every year in beast wagons and chained (in the case of elephants) and caged (other species) while circuses are on sites. According to Ms. Donlon “There is no way a travelling menagerie can provide such animals with the facilities required to fulfil even their most basic behavioural needs”.
The brutal nature of the training methods used by circuses has also been well exposed by now. The nature of these training methods is revealed by the tools of the trade. Whips are seen in the ring, but the use of screws hidden in the base of walking sticks, spikes concealed in tasselled sticks, and hotshots or electric shock devices has been documented.
And the Arts Council calls this art!!
In 2005 alone at least six people were injured, one of them critically, after being attacked by circus animals.
“Given our serious concerns for the welfare of circus animals, and the public safety issues which surround such travelling circuses, we call on the Arts council to take the humane decision and withdraw this funding”. – Nuala Donlon
For further information contact Nuala Donlon, Irish spokesperson, Captive Animals Protection Society.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4I think the arts council has a lot to answer for giving MY money to circuses. I do not frequent circuses myself as I am opposed to exploiting animals and now I find out that they have still gotten their hands on my money. I am outraged, this is where taxpayers money is going. These people should take the animals out of the circus and leave them in the jungle where they belong and replace them with human talent, if they did that they wouldnt need grant money as they would actually make money.
Arts council wake up and stop wasting MY money on animal abuse - Art ?? I think NOT
i have worked since 1974, and i`m proud if any part of my money goe`s to keeping centries old tradion on the road, namely the circus, believe me i am an animal lover, i`ve helped distressed animals have 3 dogs 4 cats, and they are all loved, so circuses are welcome to my money
i dont know how you can call yourself an animal lover and support the circus, just read the above article look at the website order the video footage of animal training sessions and ask yourself how you can love animals and support their exploitation and abuse by the circus and the fact that its an age old tradition doesnt make it right making slaves of people was also a tradition and not allowing women to vote was a tradition all of which we are now civilized enough to know are wrong and the animal circuses are wrong too and you need to educate yourself about this as you clearly dont know too much about it what do you know about behind the scenes or where these animals come from or how they spend their days or anything else you may love the animals you have come into contact with but you need to extend your reach of passion to the poor elephants shackled for days at a time and beaten into performing degrading and dangerous tricks for people and YES I do have a problem with them getting MY money and so would you if you knew all the facts and what goes on behind the scenes the captive animals protection society and animal defenders international would be happy to inform you if you contact them, they have very good websites and you can order video footage - BE WARNED this stuff will make you sick!
Briefly, the use of "tradition" as justification for the perpetuation of needless suffering is a tired one, as Cat Lover pointed out. Think not only of slavery (which is, at least frowned upon by most societies today although unfortunately continues in various countries), but of fox hunting, hare coursing, bullfighting, the excision and infibulation of pre-pubescent girls, the caste system, the buying and selling of girls and women as wives, polygamy etc etc etc... As the very wise African author Mongo Beti pointed out, there are good traditions and bad. Tradition alone is no reason to inflict pain, be it psychological or physical, on any animal.
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