Taylor Red-Lights Kelly Miller Circus

No Circus Permit Issued, to Delight of Animal-Protection Groups

For Immediate Release:
August 12, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

When the notorious Kelly Miller Circus sought permission to perform in Taylor, PETA pointed out to officials that city ordinances prohibit exotic animals and treating any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, and the city did exactly what it should have—it declined the circus permission to perform.

Elephants and tigers don’t do uncomfortable and often frightening tricks, such as balancing on two legs and jumping through hoops of fire, because they want to—they know that they must obey or pay the consequences, often being jabbed with sticks or beaten with bullhooks (sharp fireplace poker–like weapons). Last year, an eyewitness testified to observing a handler beat an elephant, who was traveling with Kelly Miller in Ohio, until the animal screamed. Kelly Miller leases elephants from an associated circus, Carson & Barnes Circus, which is infamous for abusing animals and has a history of violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

“The Taylor City Council’s decision not to support animal abuse and exploitation is welcomed by everyone who cares about elephants and other animals,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “PETA’s motto says, in part, that ‘animals are not ours to use for entertainment,’ and more and more cities are doing what Taylor did by voting to keep wildlife where it belongs, in the wild.”

An undercover video of a Carson & Barnes training session shows its head trainer, Tim Frisco, viciously attacking elephants with a bullhook and shocking them with electric prods. The elephants emit agonizing screams while they recoil from the assaults. Frisco can be heard instructing his protégés to strike the elephants forcefully with bullhooks and to sink them into the elephants’ flesh and twist them until the animals scream in pain.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.