Animal circuses force wild animals to perform confusing and painful tricks through violence and intimidation. Circuses that treat animals cruelly are a poor example for our communities, and Carson & Barnes, in particular, has a significant and repeated record of animal abuse and neglect.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/18/2018
Contact: Alan Edmonds, Cruelty Case Manager
Cell: 877-548-6263
alan@apnm.org
The Carson & Barnes Circus and its cruel and controversial animal acts are headed to New Mexico this month. Carson & Barnes Circus has a history of animal abuse, including citations for failing to provide animals with adequate veterinary care and forcibly striking an elephant with a bullhook—a sharp steel-tipped weapon resembling a fireplace poker. https://secure.mediapeta.com/peta/PDF/CarsonBarnes_fact.pdf
Animal Protection New Mexico is encouraging the public to take a stand against the suffering of intelligent, sensitive elephants and other captive wildlife by requesting the shows be cancelled or for Carson & Barnes Circus to perform without animals.
Carson & Barnes Circus has failed to meet minimum federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Carson & Barnes Circus over 100 times for failure to provide veterinary care and minimum space, for failure to provide shelter from the elements, for failure to maintain transport trailers, for inadequate ventilation, for unsound fencing that failed to protect spectators and animals, for rusty animal cages, for giving animals unclean water, and for failure to keep animal care records.
For example, Carson & Barnes paid a penalty of $3,714 in a settlement agreement with the USDA for AWA violations in 2012. The Carson & Barnes Circus animal care director was videotaped viciously attacking elephants with a bullhook and shocking elephants with an electric prod.
Also, in January of 2018, Carson & Barnes was transporting four elephants from Oklahoma to a show in Iowa when the floor fell out of one of the trailers on U.S. Route 69 in Oklahoma, causing sparks and a small grass fire. The elephants were then transported to a local farm before they were eventually taken to Iowa.
Animal circuses force wild animals to perform confusing and painful tricks through violence and intimidation. Circuses that treat animals cruelly are a poor example for our communities, and Carson & Barnes, in particular, has a significant and repeated record of animal abuse and neglect.
The New Mexico tour schedule can be found below:
Carlsbad 4-19 Eddy County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo
Las Cruces 4-20 to 4-22 The Grapevine Plaza Event Center
Deming 4-23 Southwestern NM State Fairgrounds
Alamogordo 4-24 to 4-25 Otero County Fairgrounds
Hobbs 4-26 to 4-27 Lea County Event Center
Roswell 4-28 to 4-29 Eastern NM State Fairgrounds
Artesia 4-30 Eddy County Fairground
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