By Jaclyn De Candio for Protect The Harvest
Animals have been part of entertainment for thousands of years. In today’s context, animals in entertainment often receive better care than their human counterparts, as organizations have become sensitive to the demands of the public and animal rights crusaders. In America today, there is increasing public awareness, and some corresponding concerns, about animals in entertainment. For some animal rights extremists, existing laws and regulations protecting animals are not enough. To some, there could never be enough laws and regulations to satiate their thirst for an outright ban on animals in entertainment.
For those extremists, Massachusetts has a place in their hearts, as the state recently passed, and enacted, a statewide ban that restricts the use of wild and/or exotic animals in traveling acts. On August 8, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the bill into law, prohibiting the use of elephants, lions, giraffes, and other animals in traveling acts including circuses. It’s the seventh state to enact such a ban, the others being California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. Is it a coincidence these are all states with democrat governors and liberal state legislatures?
The Rationale Behind The Ban
According to the law’s supporters, the goal of the Massachusetts ban is to help prevent the mistreatment of animals. As of January 1, 2025, the bill prohibits all traveling acts, including circuses and fairs, from using specific animals, including elephants, primates, big cats, and bears. There are exceptions such as animals living at a zoo, film use, and the overall use of non-exotic animals such as horses and food animals.
Without citing any specifics or evidence, Governor Healey declared in a press release: “For years, circuses have harmed the welfare of animals for the sake of entertainment, allowing animals to suffer in poor living conditions and stressful environments. I’m thankful to the Legislature for taking the steps needed to prevent this kind of animal mistreatment in Massachusetts.”
Background Events Leading Up to This
Major exhibits and shows have steered away from including certain animals due to the widespread perception of harmful conditions and claim circuses and traveling shows routinely harm the animals they’re showcasing. So-called undercover footage from animal rights/vegan advocacy groups including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Mercy for Animals, and others, have targeted the entertainment sector, an industry that relies heavily on its image and reputation. While animal rights extremists have their own ethics and credibility challenges, their attacks on animal entertainment can sway public opinion and place pressure on elected officials and government agencies to act.
In America today, public education about exotic animals and their long history of human interaction is severely lacking. Asian elephants, as one example, have been domesticated for thousands of years and used for military and draft purposes. The same can be said of camels and certain primates. This knowledge void makes the entertainment sector an easy target for animal extremists to leverage for public support. Sadly, several years ago misinformation and disinformation by animal rights extremists resulted in the end of a 142-year-old tradition with the closing of the Ringling Brothers circus.
Equally sad is Governor Healey’s reference to this tragic Ringling Bros. circus end when she included in her press release: “…why the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey no longer exhibit live animals, the Topsfield Fair stopped displaying elephants after a municipal ban in 2019, and King Richard’s Faire ended its exotic cat show in 2020.” The governor seems to wear her action to end exotic animals from entertainment use as a perverse badge of honor.
Entertainment is Only One Animal Extremist Target
Animal extremist groups aren’t going to stop with bans on certain animals in entertainment. It’s a useful stepping stone in their crusade to end human/animal interaction, give animals human rights, and prevent animals as a food source. They believe that no animals should be owned or used for any human purposes be it work, pets, research, entertainment, or food.
The push to ban animal entertainment events raises concerns about a potential trickle-down effect on food animals and agriculture, as animal extremists often target these industries as well. Inflaming public sentiment through misinformation/disinformation campaigns helps these groups raise large sums of funding for lobbying, lawsuits, ballot initiatives, and advertising. HSUS raises about $250 million annually, yet spends less than two percent on animals.
These are the same groups who attack rodeo, equine sports and attractions, pet breeding, animal agriculture, scientific research, and zoos. Placing bans on which animals can be used in entertainment, no matter how responsibly done, is a step toward banning animal ownership.
Whenever there are additional regulations and restrictions in agriculture, there is also a corresponding increase in food prices, availability, and accessibility. Massachusetts citizens have felt the economic and food insecurity sting of a 2016 ballot initiative that dictated space for housing egg-laying hens, veal calves, and gestating sows, increasing the price of eggs, pork, and veal products. These changes required farmers to make costly investments, with those costs being passed along to consumers.
Awareness of these issues is imperative to understanding the threats to businesses that rely on animals. Once the facts are disclosed about legislation such as the recently enacted law in Massachusetts, one cannot help but to yearn for December 1773, when Boston citizens upset with being ruled by the British government fiat tossed tea into the harbor. This time it’s an ill-conceived law passed by the legislature and enacted by a governor.
At Protect The Harvest, we embrace our role as America’s 21st century version of Paul Revere, alerting people to the threats waged by various groups and organizations against A Free and Fed America™.
Additional Reading:
What the closure of the circus means HERE
The saddest day on earth HERE
