There is nothing humane about holding and taking your photo with a captive bear cub. In fact, the suffering they endure should make you sick.

Roadside attractions charge the public to pet and take photos with bear cubs who were torn from their mothers soon after birth. The cubs are often purchased from breeders whose only interest is profits. Cubs may be shipped hundreds of miles to their destination – some cubs don’t survive.

Life only gets worse for these innocent cubs. During petting and photo sessions, they are subjected to rough and excessive handling, injury, and abuse by facility staff as punishment for “acting up.”

Once the cubs grow too large and unsafe to handle, they may be sold to roadside zoos, private owners, or bred to produce more cubs. Many unwanted cubs have been sent to slaughter for the exotic meat market.

Bears are highly intelligent, curious, and active animals who should never suffer for “entertainment.”

That’s why the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) wants your pledge to:

• Never pet or take a selfie with a bear of any age.
• Never attend a show with performing bears or other wild animals.
• Never visit a roadside zoo with bears.

Sign this petition now to show that you've taken the pledge. We’ll use it to convince business owners to end the cruel exploitation of bears for cub petting.

Then visit our campaign page where you can link to our special Captive Bears: The Overlooked Animals FAQs sheet.

You can also make a donation to support PAWS' work to protect captive wild animals, including the rescued and retired elephants, bears, tigers, and other animals we care for at the 2,300-acre ARK 2000 sanctuary in California.

Share this petition and ask others to “Take the Pledge for Bears”!

Thank you!