Support Bill to Ban Animal Circuses in the US

In traveling circuses, to break their spirits, baby elephants’ legs are chained for 23 hours a day, and they are beaten and shocked with electric prods. After this torturous initiation into the entertainment industry, for the rest of their lives, they must endure bull hooks that puncture their skin while their blood is hidden from the public with makeup. This treatment is shockingly cruel, but not at all unique. Inherent to the show business model of traveling circuses is extreme animal cruelty.

Just to make a profit, exotic and/or wild animals are subjected to cruel confinement, poor diet, and physical abuse. And when on stage for the public, they are forced to perform unnatural and painful tricks. 

The greatest hope for ending this animal abuse is the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act (TEAPSPA), but unfortunately this bipartisan bill, which would “prohibit the use of exotic or wild animals in performances of a traveling animal act, such as a circus, carnival, or parade,” has failed to make it to a final vote in congress numerous times despite all the reasons this bill is in the public’s best interest.

Wild and exotic animals in traveling circuses are not cost efficient to the US government nor the American people. Due to the nature of constant travel in a traveling circus it is difficult and very expensive for law enforcement to monitor possible health, safety, and welfare violations. For example, the average cost per inspection to monitor Carson & Barnes, one of many traveling circuses, was $1363. And the USDA inspected Carson & Barnes 42 times from 2007 to 2010, meaning a total cost of $57,246. These oversight costs mostly come from the taxpayer’s pocket meaning the current system is forcing American taxpayers to fund horrific animal cruelty. 

But aside from money, the cruel treatment of animals is dangerous for people. Traveling circuses do not prioritize the physical or psychological welfare of the emotionally complex animals they exploit for profit. When exotic and wild animals are deeply stressed and malnourished, they are likely to lash out due to hunger or fear. This puts audiences at a much higher risk of possibly fatal attacks.

Congress has the power to solve all of these issues by finally passing the Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act.

The bill was last introduced in the 117th congress by Representatives Raúl M. Grijalva and David Schweikert who have been fighting for years to end the abuse of animals in traveling circuses.

Please sign this petition and join Species Unite in urging Representatives Grijalva and Schweikert to reintroduce this critical legislation in the 118th congress, we need these lawmakers to know that we don’t want them to give up and we support their efforts to save countless elephants, bears, monkeys, and other wild and exotic animals from a lifetime of suffering.

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