Come watch an UPLIFTING and INSPIRING online event hosted by Daytime Emmy Award nominated, Kim Matula (The Bold & The Beautiful, Fighting With My Family) to launch TEAPSPA, to end the use of wild and exotic animals in circuses in the US. 

Kim will be joined by bill’s sponsors in the House, Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, Rep. David Schweikert and in the Senate, by Senator Robert Menendez; Dr. Betsy Coville (USDA-accredited veterinarian, 30+years with exotic animals, MA Veterinary Forensic Sciences) and special guests Chloe East (True Blood, HBO’s Generation, currently filming Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans); ADI Ambassador Jorja Fox (West Wing and known to 73 million viewers as Sara Sidle in CSI).

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It has been a long road for TEAPSPA – the evidence we have released over two decades includes undercover investigations and scientific, legal and economic evidence supporting the case to end the use of wild and exotic animals in US circuses.

Successes along the way have included four states with bans: New Jersey, Hawaii, California and Colorado, and 100 local jurisdictions have also looked at the evidence and concluded that cruelty for entertainment is not acceptable in modern society.

Meanwhile, approaching 50 countries have ended the use of either all animals, or wild animals, in traveling shows. 

Animal circus acts date back to a time when people were ignorant of the emotions, intelligence and communications of other species. Now, we know better. Studies have confirmed what we already knew – other species experience feelings like frustration, pain, fear, affection, joy and pleasure. No more excuses – when we keep intelligent, sentient, communicative, social beings in small, bare spaces, tied up, living lives full of fear and chronic stress, WE KNOW we are causing injury, pain and suffering. 

We can see the effects on the animals, the repetitive pacing, rocking, swaying and bobbing heads tells us they are going out of their minds because they cannot escape the abusive environment in which they find themselves.

The evidence is in. Traveling shows cannot provide for the physical, behavioral and psychological needs of wild animals. Severe confinement in barren conditions, malnutrition, lack of exercise and restriction of natural behaviors, results in animals prone to health, behavioral, and psychological problems. Welfare is always compromised. 

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Circus animals are routinely subjected to violence and brutal training methods; weapons include whips, shovels, golf clubs, iron bars, bullhooks, and electric shock devices; almost anything will suffice. And large, potentially dangerous wild animals present a clear public safety hazard, which is addressed with brutality. Deaths and injuries to animals, trainers and the public are far too common. 

Poor government agency oversight and monitoring to enforce existing regulations is extremely costly and has come under repeated criticism – including from the Inspector General. Nominal licensing fees and minimal monetary penalties do not cover oversight costs – so taxpayers bear the burden. Federal oversight of traveling animal acts is problematic, unmanageable, and costly for American taxpayers. Worse yet, it’s just not working. 

Let’s get the reluctant, unwilling animals out of entertainment – human-only performance shows are popular and creative, providing jobs for eager human entertainers rather than suffering for abused animals.  

If you are not in the US but have friends or family there, ask them to help.

Go to StopCircusSuffering.com and see what you can do. Do it now.

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