Victories: Animals in Entertainment

At last: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus stopped dragging abused and exploited elephants from town to town, forcing them to wear silly costumes and perform stupid tricks.

Following a phone meeting with PETA, AmaWaterways agreed to remove all elephant activities from its tours.

In late 2015, PETA released a video exposé revealing the cruel training practices of the Bowmanville Zoo and its owner, Hollywood trainer Michael Hackenberger. PETA provided the Ontario SPCA with the evidence, and Hackenberger was charged with five counts of cruelty to animals for offenses including viciously whipping the young tiger in the video and … Read more »

A loophole in federal regulations allowed animal abusers to harm, export, and sell endangered tigers without federal oversight if they were considered “generic” (a mixed subspecies). Now, according to an FWS announcement, “generic” tigers will be subject to the same permitting requirements under the ESA as “purebred” tigers—such as those used in zoo breeding programs—are. … Read more »

In 2015, the FWS announced that it was eliminating a loophole that excluded captive chimpanzees from the protections of the ESA. Since the new rule went into effect, all chimpanzees—whether held captive or living in the wild—are now considered endangered. PETA and two concerned citizens filed an ESA lawsuit against The Mobile Zoo and its … Read more »

After Tarzan’s long-time chimpanzee friend Coby passed away at their home, Black Pine Animal Sanctuary in Indiana, Tarzan lived alone for six years. Thanks to a collaboration between Black Pine, PETA, and Save the Chimps sanctuary, Tarzan was retired to Save the Chimps, where he now lives on an island with his many new chimpanzee … Read more »

SeaWorld announced that it would no longer breed orcas, which means that this generation of orcas will be the last to suffer in SeaWorld’s tanks.

Following a PETA appeal, Collette immediately removed all elephant rides from its tours.

After PETA contacted Mayflower Tours, the company confirmed that it would make staff aware of its formal policy, ensuring that any future trips would be free of elephant rides and other exploitative activities with elephants.

After hearing from PETA, travel company Butterfield & Robinson confirmed its formal position against any activities involving captive elephants.

The Cambridge City Council in Massachusetts banned circuses that exploit exotic animals.

January 2015 After hearing from PETA, Shine Group made the decision not to air a segment of Gordon Ramsay’s show MasterChef that featured a chimpanzee provided by Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife.

January 2015 After talking with PETA, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins agreed not to renew the team’s partnership with SeaWorld. For the past two seasons, the Florida football team has partnered with SeaWorld in a ticket co-op and sponsored SeaWorld’s Football Family of the Year sweepstakes.

December 2014 Upon hearing that the toy and board game company Hasbro was airing a commercial featuring a baboon to advertise its Connect Four toy, PETA contacted the company to explain the physical and emotional distress that animals forced to perform in the entertainment business endure. Hasbro agreed to pull the commercial, which was airing … Read more »

December 2014 Thanks once again to the generosity of friend to animals Sam Simon, PETA has rescued two Himalayan black bears who were illegally imported into Tennessee by the owner of the Three Bears General Store—a notorious tourist trap in Pigeon Forge that confines bears to a concrete pit. The bears are now living at The Wild … Read more »