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Should Animal acts be banned?

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anotheoldgit | 14:41 Thu 22nd Feb 2007 | Animals & Nature
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On the news recently there was a report that there was a huge protest asking for the ban of one of the few remaining Circuses that still feature performing animals.

Having seen these animals they all looked fit and very well cared for, and to my mind would not carry out these acts if they were not.

Do others agree that these shows should be allowed to carry on? After all we still allow Steeplechasing, such as The Grand National, Flat Racing, Showjumping, Dog Racing and Crufts.Horses are injured even fatally sometimes, Dogs are put down at the end of their racing days, and the European Community still condones Bull Fighting.

What is the difference? except I have yet to hear of a circus animal coming to harm while performing.
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I don't really like the idea of any animal doing stunts or performing which is against it's nature but as far as circuses go I'd much rather watch something like "Cirque Du Soleil" which uses all human perfomers.
http://www.idausa.org/facts/circusfacts.html
This is a good website to go to.
And below is a snippet off the RSPCA website in the UK
it is about a poor old elephant aged 52 years!

"Sadly, it's virtually impossible that Annie will ever get the life she was born to and deserves," said Thomas. "That chance disappeared years ago when she was snatched from her family and brought over to the UK to perform tricks in a circus. Unhappily, the best possible outcome for her will be a pale shadow of the life she should have had."

There is no easy solution to Annie's predicament now, but the RSPCA is calling on interested parties to put aside enshrined opinions to work out the best solution to her welfare needs - which would hopefully see her in the company of other elephants, rather than circus goers.

Performing of animals in circuses should definitely be banned.


What a shame anotheroldgit that you didn't actually research any facts before you spouted this drivle!
It is amusing how we (humans) decide which animals are ok to be abused and which not. We get all mushy when someone mentions a poor old elephant but think nothing of buying mouse traps/poison, fly spray, insecticides, lean bacon or veal.
Lean bacon producing pigs, being very intelligent animals, are kept in crowded conditions so they are permanently stressed and don't put fat on their meat. Calfs are even worse off and are kept in such a small enclosure that they are unable to even turn around, producing the tender lean meat so much sought after. (lack of exercise keeps the muscles - meat - tender).

Who are we to say that an elephant or lion is more important than an ant, spider or mouse?
Wildwood makes a fair point.

I think that in this more enlightened age, there are far better ways of providing entertainment for people than training animals to perform unatural acts.

Because dogs are put down after racing, and the EU condones bullfighting does not make these - or circus animal performers - acceptable. That is aseriously flawed argument.
By your response wildwood I am assuming that you are quite happy to let flies vomit all over your food? Good for you!

I am personally incensed by all animal cruelty inc factory farming, but the original question was about circus animals!!
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What a very rude person you seem to be Boo, to accuse me of spouting drivel. Please before you accuse a person of not reseaching a subjet, perhaps you would be better employed reseaching the facts that oppose the subject of the debate, and then posting your findings.

So please take some time and effort, instead of hovering over the questions on this site like a carrion crow, waiting to be obnoxious to ABers who enjoy honest debate. Did you not take part in debating societies at your school/college/university? No perhaps not.

'm all for a debate, a good one, providing the OP can back up his argument with facts and well proven documented cases.

you show me the facts where circus animals are living well balanced satisfactory lives then I'll apologise for calling your ramblings, sorry I mean postings, drivle.

Untill then aog I'll join the majority of AB users on the News section who think you're just spouting rubbish for the sake of it.
And as for facts proving you wrong?

Here's 10 for a start.....

http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=431&more=1
Illyria54, you're a prime example of how ignorant we humans have become with our own importance. Here's a lesson in basic living for you; if you don't want flies to land on your food you cover it. Why condemn perhaps 100+ flies to a cruel death because they have to audacity to inconvience you! House-flies evolved to clean up the remnants that are left after the predators have finished.

anoptheoldgit makes a very good point. Race horses and dogs are bred specially for our entertainment and most are disposed of after they have served their use, well before their natural life expiry date. Has anyone here refused to go to Spain because they still permit bull fighting?

We are, in the end, all hypocrites.
Yes wildwood- I wont visit Spain and it's islands because of that.
I live on a livery farm so lots of horses just nearby, I kill as many flies as I can, believe me, of course I cover food, all I am saying is that if you lived near a lot of animals like I do then You would do the same thing, if you didn't then you would have to move out!! We get an abundance of horse flies at certain times of the year and my dogs sometimes get bitten as well as the family, don't know about you but my family comes way way before any fly!!
I've never been to Spain either, I won't leave my pets with strangers while I have fun on holiday, haven't had a holiday for years!!
Your priorities in these matters have to be put into perspective, I don't know if you have children?, but if you have, and one of them was being badly stung by wasps, would you let the wasps carry on and risk your child dying (and it has happened) or would you kill the wasps and save your child? I know what I would do, and even if it wasn't my child and was someone elses then the child/human would come first every time!!
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The whole point of my posting was to confirm, what I had already come to the conclusion over, and that is the majority of the Animal Rights brigade including the RSPCA, are very hypocritical. They constantly bemoan that Animals in the circus are ill treated, and yet continue to condone other animal sports that I have already mentioned.

My point is that in the past I have been to many circuses and have never witnessed an animal being ill treated or even killed. Yet at almost every Grand National, I have seen, horses falling at the jumps and quite a few have had to be killed. This is a fact that I have seen, not that I have read or been told about.

It is all very well for such people as Boo to accuse me of spouting rubbish, and to post a web address to somehow proove her point. But I ask this person to honestly state that she has actually witnessed a circus animal being ill treated or even killed in the act of entertaining the public.

No, such persons as BOO are constantly being brainwashed by what happens to be the latest scare that is on the agenda, they are willing to absorb almost any information that is thrown at them without having the intelligence to make their own desicions on the facts that they know are true, and not what they have read or been told about. But then where would the politicians and all those others with a vested interest be if it was not for these gullible persons hanging on to their every word?

BOO if you had read my question fully, you would have noticed that I was not condoniong Circus animal acts, I was just pointing out why the difference to other animal sports etc. Something you failed to address or condem, apart from Bull Fighting. Could it be you enjoy a flutter, and enter your dog at Crufts each year?
No to both, I've never ever placed a bet on a horse race, been to a race or even set foot in a betting shop, and no I'm not a big fan of Crufts either.

No i've never seen a circus animal abused either, but then again i've seen enough photographic and video evidence to convince me it happens, and often.

I do not agree with animals being used for human entertainment in whatever shape or form.

If you still think me hypocritical, then so be it.
I'm a bit puzzled and perhaps missing something here, but what is the problem with showing a dog at Crufts? I personally have no interest in showing dogs and have never been to Crufts to watch what goes on, but from what I can gather is this, that these dogs are extremely well cared for, fed,groomed etc, it's just that their owners get a kick out of showing them off to others in the hope of winning Best of Breed!
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It all depends on the group they are entered into, some have to jump over obstacles etc.

As regards showing them, the Kennel Club sets down stringent rules/standards on how a certain breed should look and be presented etc. In the persuant to reach these standards dogs are bred especially to accentuate certain features.

It is for this reason, why certain pedigree breeds suffer from various health problems, such as asthma and other respiratory problems, weakness in the hindquarters, eye and ear problems etc, etc.

I absolutely agree with you re. Breed standards, I keep German Shepherds and so many of them have to have this exaggerated slope to their backs that it causes no end of problems, I have been very fortunate with all mine so far in as much as their hips have all been good, I always study breed lines before buying and always ask about hip and elbow scores etc, but feel bad for people buying without this knowledge, a friend had to have his GSD pts at the tender age of 6 (all of mine have lived in excess of 13 years!) because the poor dog just could stand any longer, so man is definitely to blame for that, I have a white GSD and her only fault is her colour! Because one man ages ago said that white was undesirable!! Sad!
That didn't sound right, it sounds like my dogs have exaggerated slopes to their backs, when what I meant was a lot of breeders seem to breed dogs with an exaggerated slope to their dogs backs!

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