01/30/06 For Zagreb Without Circus Cruelty
Afer introducing the ban on circuses with animal acts in 22 Croatian towns, Animal Friends organization and group of elementary school students once again ask for Zagreb without circus cruelty
As a result of Animal Friends' campaigning, last year 21 town banned circuses with animal acts and on January 24, 2006, Krizevci became 22nd Croatian town which reached the same decission.
In order to encourage Croatian capital city to join the company of Vienna, Venice, Barcelona and hunderds of other cities and countries which do not welcome circuses with animals, Animal Friends' activists and 30 children from elementary school "Kralj Tomislav" will hand the letter of request to Zagreb mayor, Mr. Milan Bandic, on January 30, 2006, at 11:30 A.M.
Students who attend fifth to eighth grades and are members of Animal Friends group lead by teacher Karmela Farkas, will present the petition for ban on circuses with animal acts in city of Zagreb, which is signed by 431 student of elementary school "Kralj Tomislav."
In front of the Zagreb City Council, Stjepan Radic Square 1, children will be amused by jugglers with cones, balls and other circus accessories, in order to show childern that circuses are very fun without tortured animals.
Everybody predicts vanishing of circuses with animal acts, but in order to fasten up the process every one of us has to give some contribution to stop the circus cruelty and make it just another part of dark history. After rescuing from circuses, lives of animals are drastically improved. Even though those animals cannot be returned to the wild, but wind up in zoos or in better case in zoo parks or animal shelters, they at least don't have to be on a constant tour from one town to the other, or to perform robotized shows, endure noise and live in trucks unprotected from extreme weather conditions.
When circuses with animal acts are banned in some country, circus groups 'migrate' to other countries where ethical consciousness of people is not as high and/or government is not willing to ban this kind of circuses. The ban even doesn't have to reflect the conscious awareness of majority, but authorities themselves should think of animal welfare and of the image of the place or country where such circuses are allowed. Those "migrations" cannot be avoided and it additionally emphasizes the necessity of the ban. There is no justification for torturing animals in circuses, it is just a form of primitive entertainment.
Furthermore, there is no efficient way of controlling circuses with animals even though every country has written regulations regarding keeping of circus animals and demands work licenses and authorises veterinary inspections. Unfortunately, when it comes to practice the only thing which can be done with all those regulations and controls is the examination of necessary paperwork and the examination of the current health condition of the animals. In many cases papers are "fixed" and animals which are obviously trumatized easily pass all veterinary inspections. Along with above mentioned "control," animals still endure severe training, exhausting performances, constant trips and all other related tormenting which is not supervised at all. So the only solution is the legal ban on circuses with animal acts what many towns and countries have already realized.
Banning circuses with animal acts reflects positive development of civil society and general ethical awareness. Towns which already banned circuses with animal acts are towns of future because they show respect towards animals and their citizens and they carefully develop culture and image of their community. It is about time for Zagreb to ban barbaric circuses and in that way show its ethical and civilizational maturity.
Animal Friends thanks Mursko Sredisce, Varazdin, Donji Miholjac, Velika Gorica, Rovinj, Split, Delnice, Gospic, Cakovec, Ozalj, Kraljevica, Ploce, Prelog, Klanjec, Pozega, Bjelovar, Zabok, Nin, Novi Marof, Varazdinske Toplice, Dugo Selo, and Krizevci which already banned circuses with animal acts.
