Shusterman Introduces Bill To End Traveling Animal Circuses In PA

A local state legislator has introduced a new bill which would end traveling animal circuses in Pennsylvania.

Newly-elected State Rep. Melissa Shusterman's (D-157) legislation would prevent large exotic animals from being transported around the state.

"These performing animals are kept in cramped cages for days, are trained using brutal methods, and their most basic animal instincts denied them," Shusterman, who represents parts of both Montgomery and Chester counties, said in announcing the bill.

The Shusterman Ban Traveling Animal Act bill specifically aims to protect animals like elephants, big cats, bears, primates, and kangaroos.

Increasingly, states around the nation are enacting similar legislation. It was proposed last month in California, while states like Illinois and New Jersey have already put bans in place.

Similar legislation was on the table in Pennsylvania as recently as 2017, introduced by State. Sen. Daylin Leach.

In response to public outrage and the ensuing legislative response, many major circuses have either gone out of business or stopped using exotic animals in their shows. Big Apple Circus, which has a show planned for Montgomery County this summer, no longer uses exotic animals.