Council ban on animal circuses another milestone in campaign to end cruelty to circus animals

national | animal rights | press release Thursday April 03, 2008 12:41 by Nuala Donlon - Circus Watch nualadon at hotmail dot com 086 3985761

Cork council Bans animals in circuses, following Fingal and Belfast

Circus Watch Ireland today hailed last night’s decision by Cork City Council to ban circuses using wild animal acts from public lands in the council area as ‘another milestone’ in the campaign for an end to cruelty to circus animals.
The motion banning animal circuses, which was passed by Cork City Council last night (Monday March 31st), follows similar bans by Fingal Council in Dublin and

Andersonstown Council in Belfast earlier in the year and is the fruit of years of campaigning by Circus Watch Ireland and other animal rights groups on this issue.
Ms. Nuala Donlon, spokesperson for CWI congratulated the members of the council who supported the motion for taking a humane and enlightened decision and for clearly indicating their opposition to cruelty to animals and she called on county and city councils throughout the republic to follow their example and impose similar bans.
“The decision by the city councillors in Cork reflects the large growing concern which many people in this country feel in relation to the enormous suffering endured by circus animals” said Ms. Donlon. “It is another step closer to getting a countrywide ban on circuses containing wild animals using public land, and we hope this and the Fingal decision will encourage other local authorities to take similar action to end circus animal misery,” Ms. Donlon continued. “We also hope it will send a clear message to our national legislators that it is way past time for national legislation to be introduced which would end the keeping of all animals, but especially wild animals, in travelling shows.”

Local authorities throughout the United Kingdom and continental Europe as well as several national governments have already introduced such bans.

The impoverished conditions in which circus animals are forced to live and travel have been well-documented by now and a 2006 investigation of Irish circuses by the UK based group Captive Animals Protection Society revealed just how appalling the lives of circus animals are – see the report on www.captiveanimals.org and www.irishcircuses.org

For further information contact Nuala Donlon on 086 – 3985761

April 1st, 2008