Lewis & Clark Circus Cited for Vet-Care Failures, Cruelly Confining Camel

Notorious Circus Has History of Federal Citations—PETA Says, ‘Stay Away!’

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Notorious Easley-based animal abuser Lewis & Clark Circus has been slapped with six new citations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). According to the USDA inspection report, which recently became publicly available and was obtained by PETA, the circus failed to give necessary veterinary care to two goats who were limping as a result of painful, untreated injuries, which handlers blamed on a dog attack that occurred a week earlier. The USDA also reported that a camel was being transported in a trailer with a ceiling so low that he couldn’t lift his head. In addition, he was tied outdoors with ropes so short that he was unable to turn around or even lie down, and members of the public were allowed to handle animals without supervision—a safety risk to both animals and visitors.

“These latest citations show that Lewis & Clark is still dragging animals around the country and denying them adequate shelter and veterinary care, even for painful injuries,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that ‘animals are not ours to use for entertainment’—is calling on families everywhere to give this cruel outfit a wide berth, along with every other circus that still forces animals into the spotlight.”

Lewis & Clark Circus’ long history of AWA violations includes, among other issues, failing to provide animals with adequate enclosures that have proper ventilation and failing to provide them with shelter during a thunderstorm.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.