Senate Bill No. 313, the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act, unanimously passed the California State Senate yesterday by a vote of 34-0.
Based on both animal welfare concerns and public safety concerns around circuses that force animals to perform, this bill will finally end this practice once and for all in the state of California.
“Animal acts in circuses are, by their nature, both cruel and unsafe, and they have no place in California,” stated Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), who authored the bill. “I’m glad my colleagues agree and have voted to approve this important bill,”
“We have no right to take animals from the wild or those born in captivity and force them to perform for our entertainment,” said Judie Mancuso, Founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation, one of the sponsors of the bill. “There is nothing fun about taking your family to see a lion that has been ripped away from hers. This practice is not only wrong, but outright dangerous for the animals and the humans involved.”
When wild animals are taken from their habitats and forced to participate in circuses, they can become obese, develop sores from lying on hard surfaces, may be injured or killed from fighting, and develop abnormal types of behavior to cope with their stress and frustration, such as constant pacing known as zoochosis.
As a result, public demand for cruelty-free circuses continues to grow. Dozens of localities across the country restrict the use of animals in circuses. In 2018, New Jersey and Hawaii became the first states to ban the use of wild and exotic animals in circuses, and similar legislation is being considered in Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and now California.
“California’s lawmakers are recognizing that no elephant should be chained in a parking lot, no tiger should be caged in a cramped trailer, and no camel should be whipped into performing tricks,” continued Rachel Matthews, Deputy Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a co-sponsor of the bill. “A kinder California is on the way, and PETA looks forward to seeing this progressive bill advance through the State Assembly and be signed into law.”
Local governments throughout California have already implemented bans or restrictions on the use of wild animals in circuses and or traveling acts, including Corona, Encinitas, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Marin County, Oakland, Pasadena, Rohnert Park, San Francisco, Santa Ana, and West Hollywood.
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