Emma Bailey/Nevada Sagebrush
Protesters gather outside of the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center on Friday, Mar. 3, to express their frustration with animal treatment by a circus performing that night. PETA and other animal rights organizations have been working to dismantle use of animals in circuses for years.
Protesters from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and various other groups gathered outside the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center on Friday, Mar. 3, to voice their displeasure with the Reno Kerak Shrine Circus that was performing that night. Protesters were upset by the way the animals in the circus have been treated.
Reno’s Kerak Shrine Circus is a collaboration between Shrine Circus and Jordan World Circus. The Shrine and Jordan World Circuses are ranked at 7th and 8th place respectively on PETA’s Top 8 Worst Circuses website.
During a United States Department of Agriculture investigation, Shrine Circus was cited for failure to provide veterinary care, adequate shelter from the elements, nutritious food or clean water. They have also been cited for failure to treat the animals in their circus in a way that does not cause trauma to the animal.
The Jordan World circus was cited by the USDA for many of the same reasons. They were charged for waiting one month to provide veterinary care for a tiger with a broken leg and leaving tigers and lions in cages for as long as 11 days without exercise.
Protester Jim Scott said he believes the circus has failed its animals.
“Even when the animals are treated with the best of intentions, they are under a lot of pressure just being enslaved,” Scott said. “We hope to one day end the slavery of animals in circuses worldwide.”
However, not everyone agrees with Scott’s sentiment.
James Seely took his children to see the circus that night and he disputes the claims made by the protesters.
“This circus doesn’t harm the animals. Also, the money for the circus is partially given to support a children’s hospital,” Seely said.
The Shriner Hospital for Children does benefits from the proceeds of the Shrine Circus but is not officially connected to Shrine International, as they are separate entities. They do, however, receive funding from Shrine International.
A New York Times report from 2007 stated that less than 2 percent of Shrine Hospital’s funding comes from Shrine International’s entities; including their circuses, bingo games and raffles. The report also stated that “more than 30 temples had discovered fraud — such as theft of money and inventory, altered bank statements, padded payrolls and fake invoices — amounting to as much as $300,000.”
Attorney Dave Simon says that the recent cease of operations by the Ringling Brothers’ circus is a step forward for animals’ rights activists worldwide.
“We were thrilled by the Ringling Brothers’ recent decision to cease operations following a decades-long of protest activity directed at its routine abuse of animals,” said Simon in a press release. “Now we need to apply the same pressure to Shrine, Jordans World, and other circuses that use animals.”
Simon was a key component in organizing protests at Anaheim’s Honda Stadium, a frequent venue for Barnum and Bailey and Ringling Brothers’ circuses from 2011 to 2015. As their attorney, Simon provides legal support through negotiating the venue where the activists can engage their protest activity.
Simon said that the positions of protests has improved dramatically compared to recent decades.
Friday’s protest took place at the front of the venue as circus-goers were admitted inside.
“With Ringling Brothers, there is a feeling of momentum among the activist community. This protest is our attempt to capitalize on this momentum,” said Simon.
Protester Carrie Cammack wants to raise awareness pertaining to the use of animals in the circus industry.
“I just want people to know that there is a high cost to their entertainment. Have a good time, but be aware of the cruelty involved,” said Cammack.
The Sagebrush reached out to Shrine and Jordan World Circuses, but they did not respond to our emails. In the case of Jordan World, the email provided was inoperable.
For more information about animal cruelty activism in circuses and elsewhere, visit the organization’s website that Simon represents at www.aprl.org.
Jake Barnes can be reached rspacek@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.
