At a November 18, 2014 City Commission meeting in Grand Rapids, MI, local animal rights activists urged the city to enact a ban on performing animals in circuses.  The issue was not a planned item on the Commission's agenda, but the discussion generated a lot of debate and press coverage.  The Commissioners did not take any further action on a possible performing animal ban at the meeting, but they may decide to set a time in the future to discuss the issue.  More information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

In the meantime, we encourage you to contact the Grand Rapids City Commissioners with a short e-mail, phone call, or letter to let them know you oppose any effort to ban performing animals in the city. 

Correspondence from circus supporters who live in Michigan, or who have attended circus performances in Grand Rapids, are especially encouraged to contact the City Commission.

Contact information for Grand Rapids City officials are below, as well as sample talking points for your emails/letters.  Please use your own words and your own experiences as a circus animal supporter to politely express your opposition to a performing animal ban.  Thank you for your assistance and support!

Contact Information

Grand Rapids City Commission members:

Dave Shaffer

dshaffer@grcity.us

Phone: (616) 456-3855

Walt Gutowski

waltgutowski@grcity.us

Phone: (616) 456-3035

Rosalynn Bliss

rbliss@grcity.us

Phone: (616) 456-3035

Ruth E. Kelly

Phone: (616) 456-3035

rkelly@grcity.us

Senita Lenear

slenear@grcity.us

Phone: (616) 456-3035

Elias Lumpkins, Jr.

elumpkins@grcity.us

Phone: (616) 456-3035

Other Grand Rapids City Officials:

Mayor George Heartwell

Email: mayor@grcity.us

Phone:  (616) 456-3168

City Clerk

Darlene O'Neal

doneal@grcity.us

Phone: (616) 456-3010

City Manager

Gregory A. Sundstrom

manager@grcity.us

Phone:  (610) 456-3166

City Attorney

Catherine Mish

cityatty@grcity.us

Phone:  (616) 456-3181

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Sample Talking Points

The following are suggestions for your correspondence, but please use your own words, and you do not need to include every bullet point.  Please keep all correspondence respectful.

·         Tell the City Commission members that you are OPPOSED to any measure that would prevent circuses and other travelling exhibitors with performing animals from visiting Grand Rapids.

·         All circuses are required to have a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) exhibitor’s license.  USDA conducts regular unannounced inspections of all performing animals and their stable areas, and their inspection reports are a matter of public record.

·         Circuses and other animal exhibitors are also subject to state and local animal cruelty laws and permit requirements in the local cities they visit and the state of Michigan.  Such regulations provide protection to all performing animals and allow for the prosecution of those who neglect or mistreat the animals in their care.

·         Millions of American families support and enjoy traditional circuses with exotic animals, including many thousands who attend shows in Grand Rapids.  It is wrong to deprive them of the right to choose to do so.

·         Circuses and other traveling exhibitors with performing animals contribute to the local economies of the communities they perform in and support hundreds of jobs for local arena and other workers.

·         If any animal is being mistreated in any environment, then the right answer is to enforce existing laws and regulations to punish bad actors, as opposed to punishing an entire industry and the public who enjoy circuses.

·         Performing animals in circuses are well cared for, and it only makes sense that circuses would take good care of them.  In fact, performing circus animals generally are healthier and live longer than their counterparts in zoos.

·         Proponents of performing animal bans mischaracterize or misunderstand the facts about the training and handling of circus animals. Most of the organizations that advocate such bans do so as part of a larger, animal rights agenda which opposes all or most human interaction with animals.

Thank you!