The Virginian-Pilot
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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has filed criminal complaints with the Hampton police chief and commonwealth's attorney alleging that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus beat elephants during performances at Hampton Coliseum in April.
A PETA undercover investigation in several states, including Virginia, concluded that the circus violated cruelty-to-animals laws.
The Norfolk-based animal-rights group on Wednesday also filed complaints in Alabama, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Video taken behind the scenes of performances in Hampton show that an elephant was struck with what appears to be a whip, an elephant was struck on the ear with a bull hook, and an elephant cried out after it appears to have been pulled with a bull hook. A bull hook is a short, stout pole with a metal hook at one end.
Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA's vice president for cruelty investigations, said the PETA employee who worked for the circus as an undercover operative did not have access or witness similar events at the Norfolk performances.
PETA also filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging that Ringling Bros. violated the Animal Welfare Act and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act.
The group is calling on the Agriculture Department to seize 11 of the Asian elephants in Ringling's custody.
A phone call to the public information office of Feld Entertainment, which owns the Ringling Bros. circus, was not returned Wednesday.
PETA has long accused Ringling of animal cruelty, mainly based on whistle-blower reports by former employees. The latest video footage was obtained by a PETA investigator.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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Do you really believe PETA?
It is amazing to see PETA accuse others of mistreatment of animals when their own business has killed and abused more animals than anyone. PETA kills 95% of the animals that are given to it to find homes for. That is according to state filed records, which PETA always delays filing because they know they are lying to the public everyday that they love animals. How can they accuse Ringling Bros. Circus of abuse when PETA has killed and dumped the bodies of those adoptable animals in a trash dumpster in an ally? That is also documented in court testimony so not a questionable source. Go to PETAkillsanimals.com to see the truth. Wake up people, this group is one of misinformation. I personally will go to the circus and enjoy watching the animals with my children so they learn how wonderful the animals are and can respect them. PETA is not for animals.
So, if I hear what you're saying...
PETA rented 30 or 40 elephants, copied the Ringling Brothers costumes perfectly and hired, trained and swore to secrecy several dozen actors to pose as abusive handlers, and then videotaped staged cruelty to make the circus look bad?
Are the ASPCA, the Animal Welfare Institue, the Animal Protection Institute, The Fund for Animals and other elephant protection groups also in on the conspiracy since they've been making the same allegations for years as well?
Good luck explaining that one to the kids.
Disgusting
I just watched with disgust the video on YouTube showing the cruel treatment of the circus elephants.Those guys are the future serial killers of the world. One would have to go to a Nazi concentration camp to find such personalities.If I were a parent my child would never pay to see such disturbing acts. If your kids really dig entertainment of this nature perhaps you should take them to the Holocaust Museum in D.C. At least that might teach them how horrible cruelty can be.The acts in that video are exactly what I saw as I described them in my previous post. If it happened twenty five years ago and it's still happening now, what does that tell you. Ringling should be hammered.
Peta report on possible abuse of elephants by circus
Elephants are not that hard to control once they are domesticated. The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn does not use bullhooks. They are herd animals that respond to food calls and gentle handling. Nothing is worth the mistreatment of an animal. If any circus is training animals through abuse, the animals ought to be removed, the circuses banned from ever using animals again and heavily fined. Has this video made You-tube yet?
Yes
Be advised there is a warning about some explicit language used by the handlers towards the elephants just to heighten the stupidity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IBX1EW_vhs
peta is a little kooky, but......
they do have the right idea for helping animals. but dont carry it too far guys. im sorry i like my steak and burgers and im not gonna stop eating them. i have seen how a burger goes from a cow to my double quarter pounder. ive also seen how its done out in the wild and trust me, its not all that pretty. im against cruelty to animals but im not gonna turn veggan. and please stop sending pictures of beheaded elephants in the mail.
Elephant abuse
This is exactly why I do not go, nor do I take my children to Ringling Bros, or any other circus that "features" animal-acts. The animal cruelty, especially to elephants, is REAL. I much prefer Cirque de Soleil-NO ANIMALS TO EXPLOIT. People choose-animals don't!
The circus does abuse elephants
In 1982 I was a young motorcycle officer escorting the Ringling Bros. circus from the train station on Redgate Ave. to Scope. While stopping the traffic at Brambleton and Saint Pauls Blvd. I observed one of the keepers strike one of the elephants with an iron hook with a wooden handle. He struck him so hard several times that I could clearly hear the impact over twenty feet away. He then hooked the elephant in the rear flank with the tool and it caused an obvious rip in the animals flesh. So much that blood dripped onto the pavement. I got off of my motorcycle and confronted the man and he pretended that he did not understand English. It was clear that he understood English when I mentioned going to jail. I watched him as he disappeared into the underground ramp of Scope just hoping he would do something else so I could lock him up. What a worm. I reported the incident to my supervisor and nothing was done. Don't believe Ringling Bros.
I believe I'll have an extra
I believe I'll have an extra steak before I go to the circus next year. Maybe even boil some live lobsters to go with it just to spite the PETA idiots. How about a crab feast in Town Pointe park. That would be fun. PETA is an embarrassment to the human race.
PETA has too much time on their hands
It amazes me that PETA has time to complain about President Obama swatting a fly or the circus coming to town, but cannot take the time to return repeated phone calls to them regarding assistance with a feral cat problem in Ocean View. PETA--are you listening? My neighbors and myself have contacted you multiple times. I even came to your building on Front Street and spoke with Amanda, who assured me that someone from your "community outreach program" would contact me. That was weeks ago. Rather than assisting those who would like to help you with your cause, you would rather play the part of the town crier. Your organization has just about as much credibility as the National Enquirer. For the animals sake...please get your act together!