Love For Animals

“The idea that it is funny to see wild animals coerced into acting like clumsy humans, or thrilling to see powerful beasts reduced to cringing cowards by a whipcracking trainer is primitive and medieval. It stems from the old idea that we are superior to other species and have the right to hold dominion over them.” —Dr. Desmond Morris, anthropologist, animal behaviorist, author

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I never liked circuses and I never cared much to go to a circus when I was a child either. The only time I ever went to a circus performance was when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I remember watching the act with tigers. The trainer in the ring seemed cruel to me as he lashed his whip around, hitting the animals from time to time. I didn’t like it at all. Even at that age, I didn’t agree with the idea of a “circus animal.”

These animals did not make the choice to become circus animals; instead, they are being forced to live this way. It isn’t rocket science to understand what is going on within the circus industry and its animals. Wild animals are simply being exploited for money and entertainment. It’s not just the act of taking animals out of the wild and holding them in captivity, but it’s also the idea that most circus animals are kept in terrible living conditions and abused. These animals are wild creatures that are not accustomed to the same life that humans lead. Just because circus animals seem well-tempered during a show or performance doesn’t mean anything. They are wild by nature, and the only way to get an animal to submit to humans is to train them through aggressive (and often cruel) techniques. The most common tool used in the training of elephants is called a bullhook (also known as an ankus), which is a sharp metal hook attached to a long pole or handle.

The bullhook is used to pierce the elephant’s skin to a depth based on the discretion of the trainer. It may not sound violent in words, but in action, it causes elephants a great deal of pain as heard in their screams. If you haven’t seen a video that depicts circus elephants being abused, you cannot possibly know what goes on behind the circus curtain. Note that some videos are a lot worse than others. Other tools and methods used for training circus animals include the use of chains, food and water deprivation, use of whips, clubs and blunt objects, and electric prods. Trainers have to break their spirit; they have to tear the animal down psychologically before the trainers can actually teach them “tricks.” This type of training is usually done when the elephant is just a baby. However, there are instances where grown elephants are taken from the wild and “broken.” This is done by restraining the elephant with short chains to a small area as someone repeatedly beats the animal with a bullhook. I’m not exaggerating these occurrences. If anything, I’m trying to explain this as best as I can without being overly detailed and inaccurately dramatic. Without food or water and under heavy abuse, these wild elephants do eventually submit to their keeper…

The example of elephant abuse in circuses is one of many. All animals in the circus should not be subjected to such a life. As for circuses that say they’re helping to conserve exotic wildlife, that is just a lame excuse.  I’m actually starting to notice how conservation has become a popular excuse for many people to do whatever they want with wildlife. They’re using animals for their benefit. Once an animal transitions into a “circus animal,” there is no returning to the wild. They are slaves, physically punished if they don’t obey and only rewarded if they do obey. All they know is to obey and go against their natural tendencies. They are treated like objects, like cargo. They are animals, living creatures, that are exposed to traumatic experiences that are damaging to a healthy state of mind.

Please do not support animal circuses. If you enjoy other non-animal performances that circuses provide, there are also animal-free circuses you can go to. If you want to get more involved in the cause to end circus animal cruelty, research ways you can help. For instance, contact venues that book animal circus acts and try to persuade them to drop that particular booking. Go to circuses that are in town, rally up a few people for extra help, and hand out leaflets. Since most people go to circuses for their children, a pretty good leaflet can be found here. Remember to make sure to avoid any conflict with circus employees while you are passing out leaflets. Participate in your city council meetings, in which you will have an opportunity at the end of the meeting to bring up the issue of circus animal cruelty; ban circuses from visiting your city. The idea is to make sure that animal circuses don’t get an audience, therefore, they don’t get money—put them out of business.

Suggested Related Links:

List of Animal-Free Circuses

Born Free USA united with API - Animals in the Circus: A Lifetime of Misery

Born Free USA united with API - Get the Facts

Elephant Training in the Zoo and Circus

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Animal Welfare Inspection Reports

Circuses.com - Introduction (Footage on tape caught by an undercover PETA investigator included)

ASPCA - Circus Cruelty

Dog Fighting. There are so many reasons that make dog fighting despicable and repulsive–to take an innocent life as a baby pup and to raise it as a killing machine; to deny this animal love and affection, only exposing the dog to aggression, pain, and fear, in order to breed hate and anger into the dog’s heart; to dispose of (kill) any dog that cannot hold its own or to finish off any dog whose nature is not akin to constant fighting and killing; and to depreciate the sanctity of life for the sake of profit.

American Pit Bull Terriers are strong dogs, and it would appear that for this reason, they are the top choice for dog fighting in America. It isn’t fair that a whole dog breed has to be generalized as a “bad” breed because the irresponsible actions of the owners, and worst yet, because people will take advantage of the breed’s qualities (e.g. strength and loyalty to it’s owner) and use it for the ugly blood sport of dog fighting. It is no wonder why pit bulls get such a bad reputation outside of the “ring” and why they become the breed most known in the dog fighting world.

It is so cruel to coerce any animal to undergo a life of inhumane treatment. To even imagine the lengths these dog-fighting owners will go to in order to train and condition their dogs to a life of fighting and aggression is beyond my imagination. It is difficult for me to even research on such topics because I care deeply for all animals and I believe that they have a natural right to experience a quality life that all of us seek. Even though I am horrified over some of the things that I read on animal abuse and cruelty or pictures that I’ve seen, I know that by informing myself on these issues, I become more aware of what’s happening behind closed doors and how I can help. I strongly encourage people who are reading this to do the same.

Some people think dog fighting abuse is just the actual fighting of dogs, but they do not understand that these animals are not just abused in the ring. The abuse is ongoing. A few examples of abuse associated with dog fighting include the following (information provided by the Animal Liberation Front):

“Because of the high degree of dog-to-dog aggression in them, it can be difficult to have fighting dogs mate. Many breeders employ an apparatus to restrain the female during mating to prevent injury to either dog. This is commonly referred to as a “rape stand,” which is a stand used to strap and immobilize female dogs for breeding purposes […]

“The conditioning of fighting dogs may also make use of a variety of legal and illegal drugs, often including anabolic steroids to enhance muscle mass and encourage aggressiveness. Narcotic drugs may also be used to increase the dogs’ aggression and mask pain during a fight. Dog fighters also often accumulate a large assortment of veterinary supplies for pain control and wound management, so that they can avoid trips to a veterinarian. Veterinarians in several states are specifically mandated to report suspected dogfight activity that comes to their attention through treating such animals. One of the ASPCA’s most recent contributions to the field is the recently-published “Veterinary Forensics,” by Dr. Melinda Merck, forensic veterinarian with the ASPCA, which educates veterinarians on how to look for signs of cruelty to the animals brought to their practices.

“Young animals are often trained or tested by allowing them to fight with other dogs while muzzled or leashed in well-controlled “rolls.” Those that show little inclination to fight may be discarded or killed at an early age. Additional experienced is gained through fights with other dogs. Some fighters will use inexperienced “bait dogs” as sparring partners, often using stolen pets. “Professional” fighters claim to abhor this practice since it does not provide the animal with experience that is useful against another experienced fighting dog.

“Although there are many other common techniques used in the training and testing of dogs, these methods vary widely among different fighters and may range from systematic to haphazard. “Street” fighters usually make little investment in conditioning their animals, relying on “quick fixes” to produce aggression. These might starvation, physical abuse, and use of stimulants or other drugs to excite the dogs.”

If you suspect anyone of dog fighting practices, please report it. Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states of the U.S. Please make sure that these laws find its way to the people that deserve to be behind bars. Sadly even after these dog-fighting owners are caught and arrested, sometimes there is little hope for the dogs. These dogs have experienced years of conditioning in fighting since they were puppies, leaving them permanently aggressive and dangerous with each year that passes in that specific environment. Thus, some dogs cannot engage in a life void of dog fighting because they are just too far past the point possible for rehabilitation and deemed unfit to re-enter normal society with other dogs and humans. As such, these dogs are put down, which is extremely unfortunate since it was not the choice of these dogs to become killing machines, but a path chosen by their owners.

This type of animal abuse is not limited to just dogs, but also includes cock fighting and bull fighting. Cock fighting is illegal in 49 states of the U.S. Most people don’t feel as bad about cock fighting compared to dog fighting. Whether it’s because of the size of the animal or not, it is the same principle of depreciating the value of life in any form or shape by manipulating the fate of these animals for money. As for bullfighting, it predominately occurs in Mexico, Spain, and South America, and it involves a fight to the death of either the bull or the matador. Further information can be found in the links listed below.

Again, please help to inform yourself about animal fighting and ways you can help.

Suggested links to visit:

ASPCA: Fight Animal Cruelty - Dog Fighting FAQ

HSUS: The Humane Society of the United States - Dog Fighting

HSUS: The Humane Society of the United States - Dog Fighting Fact Sheet

Animal Liberation Front - Dog Fighting FAQ

CNN.com/US - Dog Fighting a Booming Business, Experts Say

NBC4.com - Police Discover Apparent Dogfighting Training Operation

Shakesville Blog: “Dog fighting is cruelty… It’s not the dog’s fault.”

Animal Fighting: Facts - Bull Fighting, Cock Fighting, and Dog Fighting

HSI: Humane Society International