ACTION ALERT

Rhode Island House Bill 5853: oppose the proposed ban on circus elephants

The Rhode Island state legislature is considering a bill which would essentially prohibit circuses from exhibiting elephants.  This bill seeks to ban the use of certain elephant training tools, including the elephant guide (or ankus) and tethers.  If this bill is passed into law, it would prevent Ringling Bros. and other circuses from visiting Rhode Island by preventing the use of widely accepted elephant management tools.  The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee which conducted a public hearing on April 10, but no vote has been taken yet.

Please take a moment to contact each member of the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee with a short e-mail or letter, and encourage your friends and family to do the same (especially those that live in Rhode Island or who have been to circus performances in Rhode Island).  Contact information for the House Speaker and Senate President is also included, and you are encouraged to contact them as well on this issue.  Sample talking points for your correspondence are listed below, but please use your own words and your own experiences as a circus animal supporter to politely express your opposition to an elephant ban.

House Judiciary Committee:

Rep. Edith H. Ajello, Chair                             (401) 222-3580, rep-ajello@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. John J. DeSimone, Vice Chair            (401) 454-1400, rep-desimone@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Peter F. Martin                                       (401) 924-2402, rep-martin@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Charlene M. Lima                                  (401) 222-6595, rep-lima@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Donald J. Lally Jr.                                    (401) 792-9090, rep-lally@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. J. Patrick O'Neill                                      (401) 475-0265, rep-oneill@rilin.state.ri.us   

Rep. Donna M. Walsh                                    (401) 364-6433, rep-walsh@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Michael J. Marcello                               (401) 647-5905, rep-marcello@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Joseph S. Almeida Jr.                           (401) 222-3580, rep-almeida@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Joe Shekarchi                                          (401) 222-3580, rep-shekarchi@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Robert E. Craven Sr.                             (401) 222-3580, rep-craven@rilin.state.ri.us

Rep. Christopher R. Blazejewski                (401) 484-8814, rep-blazejewski@rilin.state.ri.us

Additional members to contact:

Rep. Gordon Fox, Speaker of the House                               (401) 222-3580, rep-fox@rilin.state.ri.us 

Senator M. Teresa Paiva Weed, Senate President            (401) 222-6655, senpaivaweed@rilin.state.ri.us

Mailing address for Rhode Island General Assembly:  82 Smith Street, Providence, RI  02903.

Main phone:  (401) 222-3580

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 Committee members that you are OPPOSED to any measure that would prevent circuses and other travelling exhibitors with elephants from visiting Rhode Island. 
• 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 Rhode Island.  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 elephants and other exotic animals, including many thousands who attend shows in Rhode Island.  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.
• Circus elephants and other performing animals 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!