Animal Entertainers
Content Updated on October 13, 2007
It can be fun to watch your kitten or puppy chase a light or jump from chair to chair, just as much fun as playing with human children, because our pets are our family. Would you ever force a family member to entertain you by hurting them or putting them in a position that could cause them harm? Of course not, but humans do this to animals every day.
How do they get those animals to do that?
Domesticated animals have evolved (often through breeding) to spend their days with humans, but wild animals don't have such domesticated instincts, so how do we convince a lion to do what we tell it to? How do we convince an elephant to perform? Most of the time, we are able to control wild animals by teaching them that if they disobey us, we will hurt them.
What is their lifestyle like?
When you go to a circus or an animal show (including marine animal shows), ask yourself, "Where do these animals sleep? How are these animals transported? How would I feel if I had to live in a box, traveling from place to place without wanting to, enduring climates and conditions my body simply wasn't designed to handle? If every human I met beat me, would I lash out at humans and attack them? Where did these animals come from? Were they rescued or kidnapped from their natural homes?" Visit http://www.circuses.com/ for more information about circuses that use animals for entertainment.
When you go to a zoo or an aquarium, ask yourself "Is this the environment that these animals should be in? What would it feel like to be dressed in a thick fur coat designed for sub-zero temperatures while standing in 100 degree F weather? What would it be like to be confined to a small cage without the ability to roam?"
What can I do?
Stop going to circuses that use wild animals, and discourage your friends from going as well. Write the companies that run such shows and let them know you would rather see talented human performers.
Avoid zoos and aquariums that don't strive to create a natural, comfortable, spacious environment for the animals. (Even a large tank or cage isn't big enough for an animal that roams freely in the wild over several acres or even thousands of miles.) Ensure that their animals are rescued or born into captivity, not trapped or stolen from their families. If a zoo or aquarium doesn't meet your standards, write them and let them know why you don't visit their facilities.
When you see animal games (e.g. bull fighting, running of the bulls, dog fighting, cock fighting, greyhound racing, horse racing, any animal racing, bull riding, "redneck games" that involve animals, rodeos, calf roping, etc.), ask yourself what it would feel like to be the victim of such games. What is it like to get stabbed, trampled, thrown, tied up, and terrified in the name of entertainment? Do not attend or wager on such events, and if you do happen to see one, always cheer for the animals, never for the people.
Speak up and let politicians and company executives know that you are appalled by animal abuse in the name of entertainment and that you expect better standards of treatment of animals.
For more information, please watch "Cheap Tricks" Narrated by Alec Balwin.
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