Ban All Live Animal Acts: Letter to the Editor

To the Editor

Profiting off of cruelty is how many roadside zoos and traveling circuses do business.

Thankfully, the New York State legislature began to address the issue with the passage of a law in 2017 that bans elephant acts. Sponsored by Assembly Member Amy Paulin and Senator Terrence Murphy, the law went into effect in October of 2019.

The driver of that law was the cruelty inherent in the captive elephant trade and performance training. The legislation was lauded by animal welfare groups including the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA.

While a great start, the state lags behind New York City and states like New Jersey and Hawaii in protecting captive wild animals from abuse and as the Royal Hanneford Circus returns to Westchester County, similar issues surrounding cruelty and the horrific breeding and trade culture will again be on full display in white tiger performances they prominently promote.
White tigers in the wild are rare and occur when two tigers with a recessive gene mate.

Unfortunately, this rarity has made them a desired target of big cat breeding farms that supply circuses, roadside zoos, canned hunting operations, and private collectors.

Profit-driven mass inbreeding of these majestic creatures results in genetic deformities in most, if not all white tigers in captivity. Big Cat Rescue, a prominent organization that both rescues and actively seeks legislation protecting abused big cats stated in an issue paper, “all white tigers are inbred and not purebred.” And, the American Zoological Society has banned the breeding of white tigers among its members due to the damaging genetic effects stemming from the practice.

The Royal Hanneford and UniverSoul circuses, among others, have faced accusations regarding cruelty in their training methods and the living conditions of wild animals used in their performances. Inhumane training methods, poor veterinary care, and substandard living conditions are unacceptable, whether it happens to elephants, lions, tigers, zebras, bears, chimpanzees or any other animal. Profiting off of such practices is morally wrong and should be illegal.

A 2019 Monmouth University poll found that a majority of Americans favor a ban on using wild animals in circuses with 72% of self-identified liberals and 56% of moderates supporting such a ban. As we evolve as a society and as more people are informed, animal cruelty becomes more unacceptable and greater numbers of people speak out.

It’s time for both the Westchester County Board of Legislators and County Executive Latimer to ensure that cruelty-for-profit has no place in Westchester and acts now to ban live animal acts anywhere within its borders. It’s also time for state legislators to expand the legislated protections for all animals by passing a comprehensive statewide ban on live acts involving all captive animals.

For a county and a state that embraces progressivism, they come up short when it comes to ending the inherent cruelty of circuses. It’s time to change that.

Hank Miller
Mount Vernon, NY