Campaigners criticise Arts Council funding of animal circuses

national | animal rights | press release Monday December 18, 2006 18:34 by Bernie Wright - Alliance for Animal Rights

Animal Rights groups criticise Arts Council

The Captive Animals' Protection Society and Alliance for Animal Rights have renewed their criticism of the Arts Council for again funding animal circuses, shortly after a major report detailing the poor conditions animals are subjected to in Irish circuses.

The Arts Council today announced they had given 230,000 Euros to circuses for 2007, 100,000 Euros more than in 2006.

The circuses funded include Duffy’s and Fossett’s, both of which use animals. Both CAPS and AFAR have called into question the Arts Council claim that circuses have to provide a copy of their ‘animal welfare policy’ when applying for funding. The Arts Council have refused to give CAPS copies of the policies and AFAR believe they do not exist.

The Captive Animals' Protection Society and Alliance for Animal Rights have renewed their criticism of the Arts Council for again funding animal circuses, shortly after a major report detailing the poor conditions animals are subjected to in Irish circuses.

The Arts Council today announced they had given 230,000 Euros to circuses for 2007, 100,000 Euros more than in 2006.

The circuses funded include Duffy’s and Fossett’s, both of which use animals.

In October, the Captive Animals' Protection Society (CAPS) launched the findings of a major study of animal circuses in Ireland this year. The report and video, based on visits to circuses by CAPS investigators and a vet found:

102 animals being used in circuses, 43 of whom were of wild / exotic species. These included 6 elephants, a giraffe, a rhino and a hippo,
Some of the animals are imported from across Europe, facing gruelling journeys of up to 1,000 miles,
A hippo kept solitary, housed in a small tank of dirty water, unable to even fully submerge.

Both CAPS and AFAR have called into question the Arts Council claim that circuses have to provide a copy of their ‘animal welfare policy’ when applying for funding. The Arts Council have refused to give CAPS copies of the policies and AFAR believe they do not exist.

Craig Redmond, Campaign Manager for the Captive Animals’ Protection Society, said:

“Our study of Irish circuses this year provides all the information necessary for the Arts Council to realise that they should not be funding animal circuses. Several countries have banned animal circuses and we have called on the Irish government to take similar action.

“There is simply no excuse for transporting animals all across Europe to appear for a few minutes in a circus ring in Ireland. The public will no doubt be concerned at the use of Arts Council money to promote animal circuses.”

Bernie Wright, spokesperson for the Dublin-based Alliance for Animal Rights added:

“Having spent two months attempting to obtain the circus’ animal welfare policies from the Arts Council I now believe that no such reports exist. If the reports do exist and the Arts Council are happy to fund animal circuses then why not put those reports into the public domain?

“Several exposes of the treatment of animals in Irish circuses this year show exactly why we must end this cruelty once and for all.”

CAPS and AFAR are not opposed to circuses, only to the use of animals. We would prefer to see the Arts Council recognise that animal circuses by their very nature cannot provide for the needs of animals and to instead fund circuses to convert to all-human acts.

Fossett’s Circus has had a number of animals in its shows, this year using camels. Duffy’s Circus has tigers, alligators, snakes, dogs and horses.

Fossett’s Christmas show, currently in Dublin, has no animals, and CAPS and AFAR are encouraging the circus to remain an all-human show in the future.

Animal circuses have become increasingly unpopular due to increasing awareness and concern at the way in which animals are transported from site to site, kept in temporary accommodation, and forced to perform in the circus ring.

For more information contact:

Craig Redmond, Captive Animals' Protection Society: +44 (0)845 330 3911 / +44 (0)7939 264 864

Bernie Wright, Alliance for Animal Rights: 087 265 1720

Notes to Editors:

[1] Details of the CAPS study of Irish circuses can be found at http://www.captiveanimals.org/irishcircuses/index.ht