For Immediate Release: 20 October 2006
Contact: Priscilla Feral, Friends of Animals
777 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820
Tel: 203.656.1522
Darien, Conn., U.S. – “We’ve entered the 21st century,” said Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals. “There is no excuse for circuses that rely on captive animals to make a buck.”
The Connecticut-based 200,000 member international animal advocacy organization Friends of Animals is joined by Animal Rights Front and Compassion in Entertainment in protesting all of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus shows when they come to Bridgeport on October 25, 2006.
“P.T. Barnum is remembered for saying a sucker is born every minute,” Feral said. “By using non-human performers, circuses really do suck the free spirit out of these animals. We do not need to be a part of it.”
“Elephants, tigers and other animals in circuses never have a day off,” Feral added. “Their life’s meaning is reduced to dances and tricks, robbing them of their freedom and dignity.”
Friends of Animals urged people to show their respect for animals by boycotting the circus. “Elephants, the signature animal of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, live in bondage,” Feral said.” Baby elephants are taken away from parents and forced into a lifetime of training and performing.”
“Animals don’t do headstands or jump through fire or parade in glitter because they want to. They do it because a profit-based company imposes its will on them, and customers pay for it.”
Friends of Animals, Animal Rights Front, and Compassion in Entertainment will be asking the public to stop teaching children to applaud animal slavery, abusive confinement, training, and commercial exploitation — and to join the protests:
When: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25 – Opening Night
6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26
6:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 27
10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., & 6:30 p.m., Sat., Oct. 28
1:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 29
Where: Arena at Harbor Yard, 600 Main St., Bridgeport, Connecticut
Friends of Animals, headquartered in Darien, Connecticut, has been a global leader in animal-rights advocacy since 1957.
– 30 –