Protest highlights plight of circus animals
MAGALIESSIG - Animal activists staged a mainly silent protest on Montecasino Boulevard outside Brian Boswell's Circus.
Kathy Watson, spokesperson of Beauty Without Cruelty explained that the protest was against the cruelty behind the training of animals in circuses.
“Using animals in circuses is an archaic practice,” Watson said. “Global trends are moving away from using animal performers and are rather celebrating human artistic skills.”
She said Beauty Without Cruelty’s campaign, Ban Animal Trading, was against the exploitation of animals for profit and was a protest against all circuses which still included animal performers, not just Brian Boswell’s Circus.
“Animals in circuses spend about 11 months of the year travelling for thousands of hours over long distances,” she said. “They may be chained or caged while not performing, transported in vehicles that lack climate control and forced to stand or lie in their own waste.”
Protesters of all ages held placards that read, ‘Minutes of fun = a lifetime of misery’ and ‘Animals belong in the wild’. Some protesters donned chains to demonstrate the conditions that animals in some circuses faced.
While the protest was mainly silent some protesters chanted slogans and tried to get motorists on Montecasino Boulevard to ‘hoot for the animals’.
In response to the protest, owner of Brian Boswell’s Circus, Georgina Boswell said all the pictures that the protesters used on their placards were not of the animals in her circus but rather pictures downloaded from the internet.
“Currently we do not have elephants and lions in our show but rather feature horses, ponies, camels, poodles, goats and an adorable llama called Nuzzle and yet these activists continue to hold protests which are bordering on harassment,” she said.
Boswell explained that in the past, protesters have intimidated their customers and upset children by shouting at them, and showing them pictures and information that did not relate to the Brian Boswell Circus.
“It is clear to us that the majority, if not all of these activists have not been to see us or the condition and demeanor of our animals. We operate a legal business and all our animal permits are current and valid,” she said.
Boswell added, “The circus is family entertainment and one of the last remaining entertainment activities that is suitable for the whole family. Our animals are in excellent health and are regularly inspected by the SPCA and independent vets.”
It is sad to read how “blinkered” the owner of BWC is. I am quite sure that regular SPCA inspections are done, I am sure that all permits are valid, but have they ever heard about freedom – these animals get highly stressed – constantly being “dragged” around in vehicles from place to place, locked in cages on site between shows. Do the owners of circuses honestly think that these animals were put on this earth for this reason?
Georgina Boswell’s comment on harassment made me laugh. As a child when the circus came to town it made me cry. The Ellies were so hot and sad. My mom NEVER bought tickets because of the cruelty and today I am glad she didn’t.
Legal – now one is saying they are not legal. Animals happy & in good health?? How would they know the animals are happy – how can any animal be happy with the noise whips etc. Healthy – well I suggest that Boswell takes some time out to learn that being healthy means physical & mental heath – being dragged around in cages from place to place, standing around in cages in the elements between shows cannot be very good for the animals mental health. Neither are they very good business people. I would rather move with the times. Stop using animals – build & improve my human acts and get all the activists off the street and into the circus tent – increasing profits. The most famous circus in the world does not have one animal. Boswell must stop trying to act victimized. No one wants the circus to close down. I would love to take my nieces & nephews to see the clowns, trapeze artists etc – but not while there are animals – so they have lost not only lost the earnings from me & my family – but a LOT of others like me.