water for elephants
OH JOY!!! THE SHRINE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN!!!! (read that with a tone of sarcasm)
I have tried really really hard not to come off as too preachy on here, I don't particularly like people telling me what I shoud and should not do. I get annoyed when people try and tell me I shouldn't eat something because it's not healthy or that I'm parenting my child wrong because I didn't breast feed until he was 10 (sarcasm again) BUT sometimes I just can't hold my tongue/fingers.
Rick had been walking the dogs earlier behind the community complex and told me the circus was setting up and the elephants were outside. Of course I had to grab my camera and go have a look. Now, I don't usually spend my days worrying about the welfare of animals, I'm aware and do what I can to help, but I'm not obsessed about it, that is until I see and hear abuse with my own eyes and ears, then it's difficult for me to remain sane.
I watched and listened to this guy for maybe 5 minutes as he got the elephants ready for the show. The entire time he was yelling at them to "move up", "get down" "move back" all while hitting them with that stick thing they use to control them. I will admit I haven't the foggiest idea how to control an elephant, but in my mind, what he was doing was abusive - heck, just having these animals out in a parking lot and being forced to perform is abuse in my mind. They should be in their homeland on a savanna, where they belong. FREE!
The handler looked over at me a couple times as I was watching, I waved and he nodded, then he and his associate took the elephants inside. Hmmm....wonder why?
Years ago, when the Shriners would call trying to sell tickets I would tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine, but had a change of heart when David was little and I cracked and took him. I had read that the circus was regulated by the Humane Society and figured if they said the animals were treated well, who was I to say there weren't? All the animals were treated OK during the show but I had visions of the elephants getting loose and going on a rampage through the crowd. I was shocked that at the end of the show they were giving rides and people were putting their little kids on top of these wild animals.
Over the years I forgot about the circus and never paid much attention to it when it came to town, but seeing those elephants today (not to mention all the dogs tied out on short ropes and horses boxed up in small stalls) made me cry. I will never, ever support the circus again, and I highly suggest you don't either. I guess that makes me a hypocrite of sorts, asking others not to do something that I did, but I like to think of myself as a hypocrite who has seen the light.
I wish I could have gotten closer to get a better pic, but the guy there in the photo, the elephant handler, yeah, he actually scared me more than the elephants did.
water for elephants
OH JOY!!! THE SHRINE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN!!!! (read that with a tone of sarcasm)
I have tried really really hard not to come off as too preachy on here, I don't particularly like people telling me what I shoud and should not do. I get annoyed when people try and tell me I shouldn't eat something because it's not healthy or that I'm parenting my child wrong because I didn't breast feed until he was 10 (sarcasm again) BUT sometimes I just can't hold my tongue/fingers.
Rick had been walking the dogs earlier behind the community complex and told me the circus was setting up and the elephants were outside. Of course I had to grab my camera and go have a look. Now, I don't usually spend my days worrying about the welfare of animals, I'm aware and do what I can to help, but I'm not obsessed about it, that is until I see and hear abuse with my own eyes and ears, then it's difficult for me to remain sane.
I watched and listened to this guy for maybe 5 minutes as he got the elephants ready for the show. The entire time he was yelling at them to "move up", "get down" "move back" all while hitting them with that stick thing they use to control them. I will admit I haven't the foggiest idea how to control an elephant, but in my mind, what he was doing was abusive - heck, just having these animals out in a parking lot and being forced to perform is abuse in my mind. They should be in their homeland on a savanna, where they belong. FREE!
The handler looked over at me a couple times as I was watching, I waved and he nodded, then he and his associate took the elephants inside. Hmmm....wonder why?
Years ago, when the Shriners would call trying to sell tickets I would tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine, but had a change of heart when David was little and I cracked and took him. I had read that the circus was regulated by the Humane Society and figured if they said the animals were treated well, who was I to say there weren't? All the animals were treated OK during the show but I had visions of the elephants getting loose and going on a rampage through the crowd. I was shocked that at the end of the show they were giving rides and people were putting their little kids on top of these wild animals.
Over the years I forgot about the circus and never paid much attention to it when it came to town, but seeing those elephants today (not to mention all the dogs tied out on short ropes and horses boxed up in small stalls) made me cry. I will never, ever support the circus again, and I highly suggest you don't either. I guess that makes me a hypocrite of sorts, asking others not to do something that I did, but I like to think of myself as a hypocrite who has seen the light.
I wish I could have gotten closer to get a better pic, but the guy there in the photo, the elephant handler, yeah, he actually scared me more than the elephants did.