Woman to Strip to Stripes in McAllen for Protest Against Ringling Cruelty

Wearing Nothing but a Skimpy Outfit and Bodypaint, PETA Beauty Will Bare the Truth About Animal Abuse in Circus 

For Immediate Release:
July 12, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

McAllen, Texas – Confined to a cage with her body painted like a tiger and a banner above her reading, “Wild Animals Don’t Belong Behind Bars,” local resident Christina Dijkman will protest the impending arrival of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in McAllen on Saturday. When tigers aren’t performing, they’re warehoused while confined to small transport cages. Eyewitness testimony and numerous inspection reports reveal that Ringling routinely fails to let them out of their tiny cages except when they’re forced to perform, an apparent flagrant violation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture requirement that tigers have daily exercise opportunities apart from performances.

When:   Saturday, July 13, 5:30 p.m.

Where:  Intersection of N. 10th Street and W. Nolana Avenue, McAllen

PETA has also released dozens of compelling photos taken at Ringling’s training center that expose how baby elephants are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with steel-tipped bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods. These abusive sessions last several hours a day in order to force the baby elephants to learn to perform tricks out of the fear of punishment.

“I’m baring my skin to lay bare the abuse of animals in circuses,” Dijkman says. “The best way to show that you care about animals is to stay away from this circus and any other that cages tigers and chains elephants.”

In late 2011, Ringling paid the largest fine in circus history—$270,000—for Animal Welfare Act violations.

For more information, please visit PETA’s website RinglingBeatsAnimals.com.