Victory! Avon Summer Festival Host KevaWorks Dumps Cruel ‘Banana Derby’ After PETA Appeal
For Immediate Release:
June 25, 2024
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
After learning from PETA that capuchin monkeys experience fear and anxiety when strapped to dogs forced to race at high speeds in exploitative events like the “Banana Derby,” amusement event coordinator and Avon Summer Festival host KevaWorks informed the group that it “values the ethical treatment of animals” and pledged that it will no longer book the notorious spectacle at any event it manages in the future. In thanks for the compassionate move, PETA is sending the group delicious vegan banana bread.
“These despicable spectacles terrify sensitive capuchin monkeys and put them at serious risk of both physical and psychological harm,” says primatologist and PETA Foundation Senior Director of Captive Animal Welfare Debbie Metzler. “PETA is celebrating KevaWorks for taking a stand against this cruel stunt and urging everyone to stay away from seedy sideshows that exploit animals.”
PETA notes that Banana Derby owner Philip Hendricks has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to provide animals with adequate space, environmental enrichment, and clean, wholesome food. The capuchins are also often forced to pose for photos with tourists, which is highly stressful for the monkeys and dangerous to both them and humans.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
