Costumed PETA ‘Elephant’ to Greet Bronx Schoolchildren With Anti-Circus Message
Supporters Will Ask Parents to Steer Clear of Cruel Circus
For Immediate Release:
March 17, 2015
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
On the eve of UniverSoul Circus‘ New York City opening, PETA’s lovable costumed “elephant” will greet schoolchildren outside P.S. 130 with elephant-friendly activity booklets and a powerful message for kids and their parents—that every family can do their part for animals routinely suffering from abuse and deprivation in the circus by avoiding UniverSoul’s upcoming performances.
Where: P.S. 130, Prospect Avenue and E. 156th Street, Bronx
When: Wednesday, March 18, 2:15 p.m.
“Most children would never choose to attend the circus if they knew that elephants used in shows are denied everything that’s natural and important to them,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “PETA is calling on parents—and anyone who’s concerned about the plight of animals—to steer kids toward circuses that have ditched animal acts for willing human performers.”
Last month, an animal control officer in Atlanta reported witnessing a handler traveling with UniverSoul who inserted a bullhook—a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook on one end—into an elephant’s sensitive mouth, for which a UniverSoul representative and the elephant handler are each currently facing a cruelty-to-animals charge. UniverSoul’s animal acts were not allowed to perform in the Bronx for a brief period last year as a result of failing to provide tigers with adequately sized cages. PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—will also hold a protest with Long Island Orchestrating for Nature at 6 p.m., just before UniverSoul’s opening.
For more information, please visit PETA’s website PETA.org.
