Dublin, IRELAND-There has been another victory for the protection of wild animals. Councillor Noeleen Reilly introduced the bill to ban wild animals in Dublin circuses. Dublin City Council voted in favor of stopping the practice last night.
Dublin now joins Cyprus, Greece, Malta, and Bolivia as a country that no longer allows wild animals to be used in circuses. Countries that imposed a nationwide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses include Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Singapore, Israel, and Mexico. The U.S. should be next!
Councillor Noeleen Reilly said she was delighted with the support for her motion, and has now called on the Minister for Agriculture to introduce legislation to ban wild animal circuses from the state entirely.
Ms. Reilly said: “I am delighted my motion was passed. This is a cruel outdated practice that holds no place in modern Ireland.”
She continued: “Training and torturing animals to perform tricks for our entertainment in an unnatural environment is inhuman and degrading. Not only that but animals are chained or caged for up to 24 hours a day and are only let out to perform. I want to commend all the local Authorities who have passed similar motions to date and now call on the Minister to listen to what the councils are telling him and to ban this practice from the state immediately.”
John Carmody, a spokesman for Animal Rights Action Network, said: “Thanks to the progressive views of Councillor Noeleen Reilly and those who voted yes at Dublin City Council to the motion, we are now steps nearer to a national ban on the use of animals in Irish circuses. With countries all over the world introducing such legislation, Ireland still has much to do to bring our outdated and old-fashioned views of using animals for entertainment into modern century thinking.”
He added: “What is wrong with using animals in circuses? With the very best intentions in the world, a traveling circus is unable to adequately provide for the animals in their care.”
We stand with Dublin, Ireland and the many other countries who have passed legislation to ban the use of wild animals in circues, in hopes to see a day where every country around the world will stand together to ban circuses who use wild animals for entertainment. -World Animal News
