Listed below are suggested talking points for letters and e-mails to Fulton County Commissioners.  These are only suggestions -- please feel free to use what you wish, and your own insights and experiences as a Circus Fan are encouraged.

Talking points:

• There are already local, state, and federal laws and regulations in place to effectively deal with animal welfare violations.
• All circuses are required to have a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) exhibitor’s license. USDA conducts regular unannounced inspections of 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 Fulton County and the state of Georgia. Such regulations provide protection to all performing animals and allow for the prosecution of those who neglect or mistreat the animals in their care.
• A ban on elephant guides would prohibit circuses and other elephant exhibitors from returning to Fulton County.
• Circuses contribute to the local economies of the communities they perform in and help support municipal areas.
• The elephant guide is a widely accepted elephant husbandry tool, approved by USDA and used by elephant handlers in zoos, preserves and circuses throughout the world.
• A positive, healthy environment is the only acceptable and successful method of training elephants. Therefore, the cornerstone of all circus elephant training is positive reinforcement through praise, repetition and reward.
• Circus elephants are well cared for and it only makes sense that circuses would take good care of them. In fact circus elephants generally are healthier and live longer than their counterparts in zoos.
• Proponents of such legislation mischaracterize or misunderstand the facts about the training and handling of elephants in circuses. 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.
• The so-called Wild is rapidly disappearing as people and elephants are forced to compete for the same land and resources. Circuses contribute to public awareness of elephants and the challenges they face and the need to support conservation.
• The County should not take away the right to choose whether or not to view animals in entertainment.
• The circus has been coming to Atlanta regularly for over 30 years.