The Austin, TX City Council recently passed a resolution denouncing the use of elephants and other performing animals in circuses.  This ordinance directs the City Manager to examine the feasibility of enacting an outright ban on circus elephants in the future, and is up for discussion again at the December 11 City Council meeting.  

You will notice in the resolution’s language (attached) that the City Council is basing their findings on materials provided by “leading animal rights organizations.”   Ringling Bros. staff is providing the Council members with factual evidence regarding performing and exotic animals to refute the false claims of animal activists.  It is important for City Council members to hear from other circus supporters on this issue as well.

Please contact Austin City Council members (and the Mayor) to let them know you support circuses that use performing and exotic animals and request that they not support any proposal that would prevent circuses from being able to visit Austin.  Polite communications from Austin-area Circus Fans and supporters are especially encouraged, especially those who have attended circus performances in Austin.  Sample talking points are included at the end of this alert, but please use your own words where possible.

The contact information for the City Council members is below.  To email all Council members at once, use this link: http://www.austintexas.gov/mail/all-council-members.  It also appears that each member can be found on Facebook.  Thank you for your help!

Austin, TX City Council members:

Mayor Lee Leffingwell

Mayor Pro Tem: Sheryl Cole

Council Member Chris Riley

Council Member Mike Martinez

Council Member Kathie Tovo

Council Member Laura Morrison

Council Member Bill Spelman

Mailing Address:  301 W. Second Street, Austin, Texas 78701

Email (for all Council members at once): http://www.austintexas.gov/mail/all-council-members

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.

·         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 in Austin and the state of Texas.  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 performing animals, including many who attend shows in Austin.  It is wrong to deprive them of the right to choose to do so. 

·         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. 

·         A positive, healthy environment is the only acceptable and successful method of training performing animals.  Therefore, the cornerstone of all circus animal training is positive reinforcement through praise, repetition and reward. 

·         Circuses contribute to the local economies of the communities they perform in and help support municipal areas.