I have always loved going to the Franklin Rodeo since I was a child. However there is one act that ruins the entire show for me. The first year I remember seeing cowboy monkey the rodeo was still outside and one of the dogs with the monkey on its back dashed under a fence. The monkey was strapped to his back. I don’t need to go into the results but it was awful and the whole crowd was mortified. Last night I went to the rodeo and was sickened to see “Whiplash” the cowboy monkey was going to perform. And as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized I’m not the only one who hates this event. Last night while I was at the rodeo I witnessed multiple people shift uncomfortably in their seats as Whiplash came out and even a little girl in tears. The world is changing and it’s just a fact that a monkey strapped to the back of a dog and being bounced around to herd sheep isn’t cute or funny anymore. It’s disturbing at best and animal cruelty at worst. Franklin is changing but I love that the tradition of the rodeo lives on. However, I think the tradition of the “Cowboy monkey” is one we could really afford to lose. There are plenty of other acts (the inflatable horse barrel race was great and involved no animal cruelty) that could replace this easily and I encourage the rotary club to find one and finally stop giving money to this kind of despicable performance. 

So-called 'cowboy monkey rodeos' are cruel and dangerous. In this abusive form of "entertainment," a Capuchin monkey is dressed in cowboy clothing and strapped to the back of a border collie while the dog herds sheep around an arena. The dogs run at high speeds, making sharp turns and stopping quickly. At these appalling events, which often take place at rodeos the monkeys are at risk of whiplash, head injuries and spine damage -- not to mention the trauma of being forced to perform in front of thousands of screaming spectators. Add to this the fact that the monkey performing last night was named “whiplash” is just sick.

The USDA has repeatedly cited Tommy Lucia, Whiplash's owner, for violations. Lucia was cited in 2012 for exhibiting without a license, and, according to the HSUS, for a "failure to provide a program of veterinary care and environment enrichment plan to promote the psychological well-being of primates.

Capuchins are highly intelligent animals. The psychologically jarring effect of being strapped to a large animal while racing around a brightly lit stadium while tens of thousands of people cheer has not been studied. And since the USDA will only ban the practice with evidence of "overt danger," psychological harm would not qualify, USDA spokesman Dave Sacks told the Fredericks News Post. Which means the practice, barbaric and comically cruel, is also, remarkably, quite legal. Therefore the only way to stop these practices it to urge our local communities, rodeos and sports teams to stop booking these kind of events. 

“[T]his is a thoroughly disreputable practice, animal abuse for cash, cheap thrills for a few bucks and all at the monkeys’ expense” said Gary Kuehn, DVM, retired zoo veterinarian.

Please sign the petition urging the Franklin Rotary to no longer have any Cowboy Monkey acts which will help shut down these cruel operations.