Watsonville-Bound Circus Continues to Rack Up Animal Welfare Citations
USDA Cites Ramos Bros. for Endangering Animals, Public and Operating Without a License
For Immediate Release:
May 30, 2013
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Watsonville, Calif. — The notorious Ramos Bros. Circus will soon drag its menagerie of abused and neglected animals to Watsonville, and PETA wants residents to know about the circus’s history of endangering animals and members of the public as well as illegally operating without a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) exhibitor’s license. In 2011, the USDA cited Ramos Bros. for operating without a license—which recently was again canceled—and in April, Moreno Valley, Calif., prohibited Ramos Bros. from exhibiting animals without a license. Also in April, the USDA cited the circus for failing to address camels in its veterinary-care program.
“Whether it’s operating without a license or denying animals adequate veterinary care, Ramos Bros. has repeatedly thumbed its nose at the law,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. “Ramos Bros. is trying to sell its shoddy and negligent operation as entertainment, and we’re urging residents not to fall for it by steering clear of this shameful circus.”
In January, the USDA issued the circus an official warning for violating the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) after a camel was allowed to escape and head toward traffic, endangering herself and the public. PETA has received numerous reports from the public indicating that Ramos Bros. regularly abuses animals, including tying them up so tightly that they cannot stand, forcing them to live amid their own waste, and failing to provide them with adequate water and shade.
In June 2012, an appeal from PETA prompted the city of Corona, Calif., to shut down Ramos Bros.’ illegal exhibition of zebras and camels. That same month, the USDA cited the circus for having insecure animal enclosures in violation of the AWA.
For more information, please visit PETA.org and PETA’s blog.
