Good news for circus elephants! from Peta

Great news for elephants in the Ringling Brothers Circus!!  Your letters and phone calls have made a difference!

I got the following in my email this morning:

Dear Amy,

From a front page story in the New York Daily News to coverage on CNN and articles on the world’s most popular blogs, including The Huffington Post and Perez Hilton, our new Ringling Bros. investigation has been capturing attention around the globe—awakening the world to the abuses that happen behind the scenes at “the saddest show on Earth!”

The shocking and eye-opening undercover video, which we released last Wednesday, shows Ringling employees as they beat and whip elephants and tigers so that they will perform “tricks,” and the video has now been viewed more than 250,000 times on PETA’s Web sites alone. Hundreds of thousands of people are seeing with their own eyes the beatings that Ringling’s animals endure night after night, month after month, and the cruelty is undeniable.

And tens of thousands have been motivated to act because of this video. Since the release of our Ringling investigation a little over one week ago, more than 55,000 people have written to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking that it seize Tonka and the other elephants who are beaten by Ringling with sharp bullhooks. On behalf of all animals used in circuses, I’m pleased to announce that the USDA has launched an investigation into “the saddest show on Earth.”

A representative of the USDA said, “We take the protection of animals very seriously” and “We will initiate a thorough investigation and provide the findings as soon as available.”

This much-needed attention and call to action against Ringling’s routine beating of elephants with bullhooks is a huge step toward ending the cruelty once and for all, but there is still more that we can do. We must keep the pressure on the elephant-beating circus so that one day, Tonka and her friends can roam free in a spacious sanctuary rather than continue to live a sad, painful, and fear-ridden “life” with shackles around their legs and bullhooks dug into their skin.

Please continue to share our investigation and video with everyone you know because spreading the word (and especially the recorded proof) is one of the best ways that individuals can help fight cruelty to animals. In addition, find out when “the saddest show on Earth” is coming to a town near you, order yourself a protest sign, and join the thousands of people around the world who are calling for an end to Ringling’s abuse.

To keep up to date on our campaign against Ringling and to learn the outcome of the pending lawsuit against the circus as soon as it’s announced, visit RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.

Kind regards,

ingrid signature white

Ingrid E. Newkirk

President

From a front page story in the New York Daily News to coverage on CNN and articles on the world’s most popular blogs, including The Huffington Post and Perez Hilton, our new Ringling Bros. investigation has been capturing attention around the globe—awakening the world to the abuses that happen behind the scenes at “the saddest show on Earth!”

The shocking and eye-opening undercover video, which we released last Wednesday, shows Ringling employees as they beat and whip elephants and tigers so that they will perform “tricks,” and the video has now been viewed more than 250,000 times on PETA’s Web sites alone. Hundreds of thousands of people are seeing with their own eyes the beatings that Ringling’s animals endure night after night, month after month, and the cruelty is undeniable.

And tens of thousands have been motivated to act because of this video. Since the release of our Ringling investigation a little over one week ago, more than 55,000 people have written to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking that it seize Tonka and the other elephants who are beaten by Ringling with sharp bullhooks. On behalf of all animals used in circuses, I’m pleased to announce that the USDA has launched an investigation into “the saddest show on Earth.”

A representative of the USDA said, “We take the protection of animals very seriously” and “We will initiate a thorough investigation and provide the findings as soon as available.”

This much-needed attention and call to action against Ringling’s routine beating of elephants with bullhooks is a huge step toward ending the cruelty once and for all, but there is still more that we can do. We must keep the pressure on the elephant-beating circus so that one day, Tonka and her friends can roam free in a spacious sanctuary rather than continue to live a sad, painful, and fear-ridden “life” with shackles around their legs and bullhooks dug into their skin.

Please continue to share our investigation and video with everyone you know because spreading the word (and especially the recorded proof) is one of the best ways that individuals can help fight cruelty to animals. In addition, find out when “the saddest show on Earth” is coming to a town near you, order yourself a protest sign, and join the thousands of people around the world who are calling for an end to Ringling’s abuse.

To keep up to date on our campaign against Ringling and to learn the outcome of the pending lawsuit against the circus as soon as it’s announced, visit RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk

President

Ringling Bros. Circus, VIDEO evidence of cruelty to elephants, tigers

This is terrible.  These people are just being downright mean!!!  These animals are God’s creatures too and we’re supposed to be taking care of what He has made, not being cruel just because we can, because His animals have no voice to tell us different.  I can’t help thinking, how would I feel if someone were doing this to me and my family?  And what if I couldn’t even talk about it but just had to endure it…??  Like Dumbo’s mom!

I copied the following article written by Heather Moore from http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/new-evidence-that-ringling-beats-elephants/

“If you read my previous post about the lawsuit that was filed against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, you know that the circus has long been accused of abusing elephants and other animals. Today, July 22, PETA released more evidence showing that elephants and tigers endure routine, systematic abuse of at the hands of Ringling workers.

An undercover investigator from PETA traveled with Ringling’s Red Unit and saw employees digging steel-tipped bullhooks into the sensitive skin behind elephants’ knees and under their trunks. According to PETA’ investigator, Ringling employees  routinely struck and whipped both elephants and tigers.

At least eight employees—including an animal superintendent and a head elephant trainer—used bullhooks and other objects to strike elephants on the head, ears, and trunk. You can watch the undercover video footage for yourself at http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/.

The investigator also saw animals exhibiting stereotypical, neurotic behaviors. One elephant, Tonka, showed signs of severe psychological stress but was nevertheless forced to perform night after night.

Following the investigation, PETA filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alleging that Ringling and its employees repeatedly violated the Animal Welfare Act. PETA is calling on the agency to seize the 11 elephants currently used by Ringling’s Red Unit and place them in an environment where their physical and mental well-being are protected.

PETA also filed a criminal complaint with the ASPCA, as well as other law enforcement officers and prosecutors in seven states stretching from Alabama to Rhode Island. In addition, PETA filed a U.S. Department of the Interior compaint about Ringling’s mistreatment of endangered animals.

That’s what PETA has done—now what can you do? For starters, please personalize and send an automated message to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack, urging him to seize the 11 elephants used in the circus.  (The message can be found at http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/.) You can  also send an automated message to New York City officials and Taconic Investments to express your disappointment that they are allowing Ringling Bros. to perform in Coney Island this summer.

In addition, please send the video to all of your friends and relatives and post it on your Facebook account and other social networking sites. Spreading the word is key, so write a letter to the editor of your local paper to inform others about Ringling’s abusive actions. If you know families who attend the circus, urge them to insead patronize animal-friendly circuses like Cirque du Soliel. We must let children have fun—but not at animals’ expense.”