George Mason University (GMU) continues to allow various events on campus involving the use of animals as entertainment. Animals used for entertainment are often forced into stressful, uncomfortable, and/or scary environments, such as animals used in circuses, bull riding, and traveling petting zoos (often used for "de-stress" events for college students). These animals should be recognized as sentient individuals with a desire to live a life free from captivity- just like us- but by allowing these events to happen on campus, we are condemning them to another day of stress, captivity, and misery. It might be easy to forget the well-being of these animals while they are performing in circuses or rodeo-type activities and petting zoo events, but for most of these animals, they are stressed out, scared, and miserable.

It is wrong that the county where GMU is located, Fairfax County, is also allowing such cruelties to happen. Both the county and university should know better than to profit off animal cruelty!

Animals in circuses are kept in small cages when not performing, which can be 23 hours every day! The cages have no AC or heating, and are incredibly small, causing the animals to suffer in the heat, cold, and unable to move around. They are beaten, whipped, and rarely see a vet for their years of abuse.

More and more countries, cities, and states are banning animal circuses due to their cruelty, so why hasn't GMU refused to allow them?

Cruelty Done to Circus Animals.

Animals used for bull riding or other rodeo type activities the bulls are bred much like how animals are bred in animal agriculture. With artificial insemination (rape), and the bulls who show the most promise are sent off to be used for bullriding while the others are killed for meat.

A rodeo/bullriding bull is used for only a few years before they are sent to slaughter. And in their few years of life they are first branded, which is extremely painful. Sometimes their horns are cut off which is extremely painful as well (like a limb being cut off). They are kept in steel trailers for hours on end without water as they are hauled from one location to another. They are electrocuted with shock prods, their penises are tied up to hurt them so they buck higher, and to agitate them, they are shocked with tasers so they leap out of the pen in a fury.

More About Rodeos

Cruelty of Rodeos

Therefore, we are calling for the President of George Mason University to ban all events on campus involving the use of animals for entertainment purposes, as well as asking the county of Fairfax to also place a ban on this cruelty. These events are completely unnecessary and the best way to ensure that no animals are at risk of exploitation is to ultimately not allow these events on campus in the first place. Examples of these events involve but are not limited to:

Circuses with animals

 

Rodeo and rodeo type activities (bull riding, bull fighting, wrestling, calf roping, and steer tailing)

Petting zoos

Exotic (wild) animal acts of ALL kinds

#CancelPBR

GMU signed a contract with PBR (Professional Bull Riding) for 3 years, the first event was in 2018, second was in 2019, and the third was never held during 2020, but now is returning for 2021.

In 2019, students and local activists fought against the PBR being on campus. The previous petition to shut down that event garnered 15,172 signatures, and the support of most of the students made aware of the event.

A survey conducted on the student body and attendees of the event of 2019 revealed that about 1% of attendees were GMU students. GMU and Eagle Bank solely have been hosting these animal cruelty events for profit, not for the students.

During the 2019 campaign, the days of the PBR event took place on September 21 and 22. It was 95 degrees those days and the bulls and horses used in PBR were being kept in makeshift corrals, in the sun, with NO food or water for HOURS. A student snuck into the back and documented the bulls and horses, revealing shock sticks being used to electrocute the bulls (PBR claims to not do this), as well as the animals being covered in brands, scares, and their own feces.

This animal cruelty has NO PLACE in modern society much less GMU's campus.

Sign and SHARE this petition!

Email President Gregory Washington of George Mason University, and ask that animals not be used as “entertainment at GMU; president@gmu.edu

Call Susan Riel, the President & CEO of EagleBank. EagleBank spent millions of dollars to put their name on the GMU arena. Ask them to SPEAK OUT against animal abuse. Ms. Riel may be reached at 301-986-1800 or 240-497-2075.

Go to https://thevegandragon.com/index.php/blog/my-campaigns/ for more information.

 

Old Petition Statement (Since been updated above):

George Mason University (GMU) continues to allow EagleBank Arena to host Professional Bull Riders, an international professional bull riding industry, on campus. Animals used for bull riding or other rodeo type activities are generally gentle, docile animals but are made out to be fierce and aggressive by aggravating them with flank straps and electric shock pods. The last time PBR was on campus in September, 2019, student activists captured images of the bulls being held outside the arena all day in the heat. The bulls were tagged, branded, their horns were sanded down, and one activist captured an image of one of the workers holding an electric shock prod in the back area (pictured in the header image of this petition). In a Fairfax Times interview with Justin Cornwell, promoter and stock contractor for PBR, Cornwell states that "There are absolutely no hot shots or electric pods allowed at any of the PBR events" (PBR Responds to Letter). The pictures we captured show a different story.

Cruel industries like Professional Bull Riders have no place at an academic institution, especially one that prides itself in being progressive yet continues to take money from cruel industries. Therefore, we are calling for the President of George Mason University to take action against EagleBank Arena continually hosting industries that exploit animals. There are plenty of alternative forms of entertainment that EagleBank can rely on including concerts, sports, games - or mechanical bull riding, if the demand persists.

#CancelPBR

When this petition was started, we asked that the Professional Bull Riding event at EagleBank Arena scheduled for September 21 and 22, 2019 be cancelled.  Unfortunately, the University chose to go ahead with the event because of a three year contract, Fall 2018-Fall 2020. Please help us encourage GMU to cancel these events going forward show that animal cruelty of any kind will not be tolerated and that we demand action now.

** UPDATE: 08/18/2021 **

Last time we checked, EagleBank Arena was on a three year contract with PBR (Fall 2018 - Fall 2019). However, last years event (2020) was cancelled due to COVID and now they are performing this year at EagleBank Arena on Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26. 

Here are a few things you can do to help us #CancelPBR:

• Sign and SHARE this petition!
• Email George Mason University's President - Gregory Washington; president@gmu.edu
• Call Susan Riel, the President & CEO of EagleBank. EagleBank spent millions of dollars to put their name on the GMU arena. Ask them to SPEAK OUT against animal abuse. Ms. Riel may be reached at 301-986-1800 or 240-497-2075.
• Go to https://gmushameonyou.blogspot.com for more information.