(A new petition was made and shared by Lady FreeThinker. This petition received almost 40,000 signatures and was handed over to the Prince William County Board. We are currently waiting to hear back. To keep up follow my blog on www.TheVeganDragon.com)

Traveling animal acts such as circuses, seal acts, rodeos, PBR (Professional Bull Riding), and horse shows cause tremendous strain on the animals, not to mention are immensely cruel.

In order to get animals to act in these shows they are abused. For circuses, animals are whipped, beaten, bull hooks used on them, and chained. They are locked away in tiny cages, only to come out to perform or for "training." 

While wild animals such as lions, tigers, bears, elephants are often focused on and their abuse spoken about, circuses do abuse horses, dogs, cats, zebras, and camels in their "care."

Circuses have been banned in many countries, cities, counties, and states globally. They are outdated and cruel, and have no place in Prince William County.

 

More information on circus animal abuse:

11 Facts About Circuses​

Circus Cruelty​

Circuses and Animal Suffering​

9 Facts About the Circus​

Why Animals Should Not be in the Circus​

Circuses are No Fun for Animals

 

Rodeos and rodeo eventslike bull riding are rife with animal cruelty. In order to get the animals to act the way they do they are electrocuted with cattle prods and tazers, penises tied, kicked with metal spurs, and beaten. Horses and bulls often break their legs in a panic from the pain and loud fireworks. Every animal will be sent to slaughter when they become too old or are injured.

Terrified bulls will sometimes gore horses, and terrified horses have even run into metal fences. These animals suffer broken legs, broken backs, broken necks, head trauma, and ruptured organs from broken ribs. 

More info on Rodeos:

Rodeo Facts​

Rodeo Cruelty​

Rodeos Are Animal Abuse Not Entertainment​

Rodeo Veterinarian Speaks Out​

Rodeos Are Cruel​

Rodeos: Inherent Animal Cruelty​

Rodeo Bull Escapes and Injures 6 People

Animals used for these events and other traveling acts are forced to spend hours every day in metal trailers and cages, never feeling grass, or able to live in a herd. Horses and other long legged animals suffer injuries when trailers are braked too hard, and with constant traveling their risk of injury is higher than average. 

Lions, tigers, bears, elephants, etc. show zoocosis, a mental illness that develops on captive animals. Animals literally become insane from being locked in the prisons man made for them.

There is no need to subjugate any animal to this pain, prison, or humiliation for entertainment.

Circuses without animal acts are popular and still entertaining. There are many events and shows that can come to town without animal acts. There is NO need to allow this abuse.

Several counties, cities, states, and countries already have banned these cruelties. It's time Prince William does the same.

 

Circus Bans​

These 27 Countries have banned circuses​

Cities and States That Have Banned Circuses in the US​

Circus Bans Globally​

 

Rodeos Bans and Restrictions in the US

 

No only are these acts immensely cruel, but humans die. Circus animals will fight back, sometimes escaping, Tyke, the most famous example of this, escaped a circus in Hawaii and ran through the streets in a panic. He was shot 86 times before he died, terrified and confused. This event caused Hawaii to ban circuses that use animals.

Rodeo animals, too, escape and try to get away, running into and injuring people. Those involved in rodeo are frequently injured and even killed by these large, panicking beings who just want to get away.

Banning these events will save human lives as well.