Should Jersey Let PETA Take Over the Circus Drive-In? Shore Thing

The Jersey Shore’s Circus Drive-In Restaurant is up for sale, so PETA sent a letter this morning inquiring about leasing the site at a reduced rate and converting it into a museum showcasing the capture of wild animals such as tigers and elephants as well as the whips, chains, tiny cages, flaming hoops, and other implements used to dominate them and force them to perform in circuses. The group would use part of the property as a vegan restaurant and snack shop, which would sell products such as the new Animal Crackers that don’t feature caged tigers or other captive animals. The museum would also display a life-size model of the dark, cramped boxcars used to transport frightened animals across the country, among other tools of the trade.

“PETA’s vision to showcase the practice of capturing wild animals and training them by intimidation and sheer force would be a modern addition to the Jersey Shore—one that promotes compassion for tigers, elephants, and other animals,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “Children would see that the chains and cages in circuses deprive animals of everything that’s natural and important them, from the ability to play and socialize to the simple act of stretching their limbs.”