Aug31
In Other Ringling Bros. News ...
Posted at 10:29 AM | Permalink
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Comments (29)
As lawyers go, Ringling Bros. has some pretty fancy, expensive ones, but despite their best efforts last week, they couldn't keep the circus from being dragged into the courtroom once again, this time on charges of (surprise, surprise) elephant abuse. Judge Emmet Sullivan announced Thursday that a last ditch attempt by Ringling's attorneys to hold up the proceedings was a "waste of a considerable amount of [the court's] time and resources," and that the case, which was brought by a consortium of animal protection groups and a former Ringling Employee, will go forward. The circus stands accused of violating the Endangered Species Act by "abusively training and disciplining elephants with sharp implements such as bullhooks, by intensively confining and chaining the multi-ton animals for prolonged periods, and by forcibly separating baby elephants from their mothers." Given that the ol' Endangered Species Act doesn't look too kindly on those training practices, it sounds like Ringling's going to be in a world of trouble. 'Cuz that's pretty much all they do.
TAGGED:
elephants circuses Ringling Brothers
Comments
It's about time...
And as always...good work PETA; I'm proud to be a member!
Posted by: Jason Levy | August 31, 2007 10:56 AM
Thats how these Cowardly Animal Abusers with money work., they get in a hole and then try to drag themselves out with Hot Shot Lawyers. Well it looks like Ringling have been stuffed. Long Live Peta & Ingrid Newkirk....
Posted by: keith | August 31, 2007 11:51 AM
Where are those Two Cretins Sue & Nad..what company owns Ringling '' Morons '' why ' Feld Entertainment ' and guess what its family Feld who pull the strings, and there religion is ? any ideas Twins !!
Posted by: keith | August 31, 2007 12:05 PM
I'm so literally sickened and saddened by the horrific and barbaric treatment, these gentle and social animals are facing. Even as a young child, I knew that magnificent animals should not be chained and caged, for human entertainment - DUH! I implore families to take a stand against this type of family outing; please take your children to animal free circuses. I'm very proud of PETA and the cutting edge efforts and techniques waged against this disgusting institution. Thanks so much!
Posted by: Dani | August 31, 2007 01:06 PM
Today, I had a delicious hamburger. It was medium well with a side of broccoli. I felt worse for the broccoli than I did the meat because of all the hardships that broccoli had to endure. The broccoli had attempted to grow tall and green its whole life until somebody came around and snatch it right up. Then, that person had the nerve to recklessly throw the veggie into a drum of water!!! I know the madness is endless
Posted by: Anonymous | August 31, 2007 01:10 PM
What kind of "lawyer" would try to cover for the people who own Ringling?
I think we all know the answer.
Posted by: kelly | August 31, 2007 02:37 PM
This is completely horrific. How would a human like to be treated like that, i know i wouldnt. Those trainers are lucky that these animals are gental giants. Lets see ringling try to crawl out of this hole!
Posted by: mal | August 31, 2007 03:54 PM
Kelly: the kind of lawyer who would defend Ringling is the kind of lawyer who chases ambulances and is waiting in the E.R. for a good accident case to come in, i.e., a lawyer who is in it for the money, not the justice.
Yes, yes, everyone deserves his day in court - so do these elephants, and I hope they win!
Posted by: Susannah S | August 31, 2007 05:55 PM
to Anonymous: so you seem to be a really cruel broccoli-abuser - you see: for this i'm eating just fruits! they fall alone from the tree and i eat without bad conscience!
Posted by: Dick the Whale | August 31, 2007 08:16 PM
It is about time that Ringling Bros. is held accountable for their actions. I do not think these big lawyers is going to do Ringling any good.
Long live PETA!
Posted by: Brandon Harris | September 1, 2007 01:12 AM
what am I not understanding about this.
rbbb&b is always being dragged into courts, always losing cases for years 'cuz of eyewitnesses to their animal abuse,videos of animal abuse in courts, and banned from towns, right???
the endangered species act wasn't enacted yesterday, right???
so why has rbbb&b been allowed to continue having wild animals at all long after the endangered species act was enacted??? somebody getting paid off by rbbb&b or what????
can anybody explain this to me????
Posted by: observer | September 1, 2007 08:32 AM
Very interesting article in the New York Times on elephants here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/magazine/08elephant.html?ex=1317960000&en=555595cd86596c93&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
or Google: an elephant crackup.
Posted by: Mike Quinoa | September 1, 2007 10:06 AM
Finally. Great work PETA, as usual! You're awesome!
Posted by: Lisa Soldavini | September 1, 2007 11:26 AM
I am trying to get people to stop listening to a local radio program that is advertising an upcoming Ringling Bros. show. I am sad to say that I don't think I am doing a very good job of it. I feel that there are things that I should be doing and even though my heart is in it to the fullest I feel like a failure.
Posted by: Carol Buiza | September 1, 2007 11:59 AM
I was wondering if anyone knew about any protests against Cole Bros. when their show comes to Freehold, NJ.
Posted by: manny | September 1, 2007 05:33 PM
I have just seen the videos of the elephants being mistreated and it makes me mad that people are still getting away with that everyday.I think everyone should just not go to any RINGLING BROS. circus' anymore. By doing so you would think that someone would get the hint, or you would think so.
As an animal lover myself, it just rips my heart out to see any mistreated in these ways.
Posted by: Sabrina | September 2, 2007 12:40 AM
You can get educational literature to hand out at http://www.petaliterature.com/products.asp?dept=50
People are interested when they find out what Ringling is up to
Posted by: kelly | September 2, 2007 01:50 PM
I dont understand why the stupid circus isnt illegal by now, shit, there should be an animal sanctuary built for all the circus animals so they can heal from their years of abuse , they had to endure in the circus, anonymous, shove that broccoli up your ass if you so damn fond of it
Posted by: carolyn | September 2, 2007 07:20 PM
That is so disgusting how could someone do that!!! Wouldn't someone turn them in.Then they could go to jail because that is just disgusting!!!
Posted by: Jessie | September 2, 2007 09:36 PM
I have been checking out the PETA for the past ten days, and I'm just about committed to join. I want to point out something I observed, and maybe some of you have seen it as well.
On the reality show, The Girls Next Door, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and his three young ladies were attending the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus on one episode. I don't know much about Hefner other than his obvious tastes, but the show makes a concentrated effort to portray him as an animal lover by showing his vast estate filled with enough animals to make up a zoo.
Surely a man of Hefner's stature realizes the contradiction between his having an animal sanctuary at his home, and attending the circus, where evidence of animal abuse is overwhelming.
Posted by: Chancey | September 3, 2007 02:17 PM
I AM HAPPY THAT THIS STUPIT CIRCUS AND THIER SCUM ARE FINALLY GOING TO COURT FOR ELEPHANT ABUSE. IT BRINGS ME TO TEARS TO SEE AND HEAR OF SUCH TERRIABLE ABUSE ON THESE ELEPHANTS.
Posted by: Sheila | September 3, 2007 11:13 PM
Chancey, it may also interest you to know that one of his girlfriends, Holly Madison, recently shot an anti-fur ad for PETA. It may have been after the episode when they went to the circus, however.
Perhaps someone could ask Holly or Bridget in one of their live chats if they are aware of the cruelty Ringling Bros. animals endure; then maybe they won't be attending anymore circuses (except, of course, "Cirque de Soleil!")
Posted by: BullyDawg | September 4, 2007 04:02 PM
I can't believe that we as humans can let this go on. I hurts my heart everytime I think about the circus. Knowing everyday every second these animals are being abused for NO reason. We need to do more as a society to bring this to an end. If we can do this to animals what's stopping them from hurting me,each other, old people, children? When can we draw the line on abuse? Rock on Peta! Your doing a GREAT job! I support you 100%! Love the VAN!!!!!!
Posted by: Michelli Hassell | September 4, 2007 05:11 PM
No living creature should have to endure daily beating. These animals were born to be free in the wild. Beating descipline into to these natural wild animals is horrible. They are confused on what to do and no one is there to help them...I could cry thinking about how lost these animals must be...
Posted by: Katri | September 4, 2007 05:28 PM
chancey
I don't get you. go back and read a couple of your posts on august 30. you talk about being peaceful, yet the same posts are filled with bashing peta and peta members with a lot of rude or unfair or false accusations. then you talk about possibly joining peta.........?????
so how come it's ok for you to be sarcastic about peta members but it's not ok with you when you don't like some of our comments and have a low opinion of most of us????
chancey, join or not, no matter how it seems to you, the only one focus here is always about
the animals!!!!
Posted by: observer | September 4, 2007 06:40 PM
I'm not one to get,ever, observer.I’m a bad mamajamma from Billy Goat Hill, Alabama. But seriously, I posted over several blogs, and you should see my progress to come to an understanding with what some of you are trying to say. I have come to understand more and more about PETA's mission by exploring the website.
I have an open mind, but I really have to find how PETA members came to their positions on committing to a vegetarian lifestyle. I am sold on the fact that it is much more productive to mankind to raise vegetables than animals, and having come from the industrial farm complex, I know how much grain it takes to feed animals.
There are horror stories I will not reveal for now, but you may already be aware of some of what is happening with Big Pharm.
As for my earlier comments, yes, I took a few barbs, but I took my POWNDing like a man. Check out the other blogs. I have never said that Vick is innocent, and have maintained that he should be punished, but I know cheap shots when I see them, and I stand by that comment.
It's sad, but where I'm from in the South, people don't give a second thought to the slaughter of farm animals, or wildlife, for that matter. Cows, hogs and chickens are not killed in a humane fashion either. I have never partcipated in dogfighting events, but there were plenty of them, to be sure, and although I haven't visited where I grew up since my parents died, you can bet that the activity still goes on.
The fall of Michael Vick might make people aware that dogfighting is wrong now, and only now. Some people simply don't think it's wrong, as hard as that is to believe. My goal is to bury the hatchet with some of you while I decide on joining PETA. I don't know if PETA wants me, though. I'm not a vegetarian, though I am considering it. Your...olive branch is another step towards my considering joining, because if we can see past our differences, I know that there are reasonable people among PETA. Thank you, observer, good posting.
Posted by: Chancey | September 5, 2007 01:46 PM
My children have been to the circus only once, and that was before I hit on the PETA site and read about the abuse. I have explained to my kids why we cant ever go to the circus again, and they have told their friends, too. My children have been raised to love and respect animals, and I wish these people had been too. They are disgusting, and dont deserve to walk free ever again.
Posted by: Andy | September 25, 2007 08:33 PM
i am so proud of PETA my mother is a member and i have done a protest for abuse against these animals in oklahoma. KEEP SAVING LIVES=)
Posted by: savannah | November 13, 2008 11:12 AM
I have never been to a circus and NEVER plan on going...since i was a kid, i knew it was wrong..i always felt sorry for the circus animals...Glad to be a PETA SUPPORTER!!! ALWAYS FOR THE ANIMALS
Posted by: francine rodriguez | November 19, 2008 06:08 PM