By Dan Murphy
The Royal Hanneford Circus has returned to the Westchester County Center for another set of shows coming in February, with Animal Rights groups upset that nothing has been done in County government to ban the circus from performing in a county owned building, or anywhere in Westchester.
Kiley Blackman, Founder, Animal Defenders of Westchester, (ADOW.org), said that her organization has been trying since 2004 to get action from county government to ban the circus in Westchester, and the animal abuse that comes with it.
“You can travel 50 miles in any direction from Westchester and the circus is banned. They have banned it in New York City, in New Jersey and in two cities in Connecticut. It’s a disgrace that here in Westchester, the circus continues. We have received no action from county government. All it would take is an executive order. We also have seen no action from the Board of Legislators,” said Blackman.
ADOW did not make any attempts to get former County Executive Rob Astorino to issue the executive order because, as one animal rights supporter told us, “look, if Astorino was allowing gun shows at the county center, we didn’t think he would ban the circus. Our focus for more than 10 years has been to try and get something coming from the County Board of legislators.”
New York State recently passed the Elephant protection act banning circus elephants from performances in the state effective this year.
We reprinted letters to our papers from last year to point to the lack of movement towards banning the circus, at least at the County Center.
“Circuses with wild animal acts are inhumane, outdated and for very good reason finally being banned. Elephants are highly intelligent, social animals who never signed up for show business are kept out of their natural environment, painfully prodded with bull hooks, and confined and transported in terrible conditions. Animals should never be mistreated and abused for the sake of our entertainment, and it is quite unfortunate that the Hanneford Circus is still permitted to perform in Westchester County,” said Westchester resident Rebecca Sunshine in a letter to our papers last year.
“Why do we need to see such a magnificent animal stand on her head and do stupid, unnatural ‘tricks’ – like the heartbreaking video of elephants running to help their friend who’s fallen off a circus ‘pyramid of stools’?? Aren’t animals’ lives worth more than an hour of people eating popcorn and laughing at them? Look beyond the popcorn. Thank heaven we are evolving toward decency and a far more compassionate, responsible world, but not fast enough in Westchester,” said Blackman in a letter to our papers last year.
“Circuses and rodeos, already wonderfully banned in Greenburgh for several years, were just totally banned in NYC – and the entire New Jersey state legislature voted them out; unfortunately the bill wasn’t signed by former Gov Christie, who also refused to sign a bill stopping sad, miserable extreme confinement crates for pigs. In fact we would have a bill right here, if not for a do-nothing, lying, negligent BOL who can only find the time to figure out who gets the biggest cut of money for Playland. For almost three years (Legislator) Margaret Cunzio (who calls herself ‘animal advocate’ to get votes) deliberately misled constituents on this issue. Indeed, we have asked County Executive Latimer to ban these horrible animal acts as he did the gun shows, etc, having no faith in the BOL’s word any more. It isn’t just circuses and rodeos. (former) Legislator Jim Maisano proposed a bill to get puppy mills out of Westchester pet shops three years ago – and that’s DOA.”
. “If new BOL Chair Ben Boykins means it when he claims he will be making the BOL ‘more progressive,’ we request and expect, as taxpaying resident constituents of Westchester, that he will join the rest of the world by including animal advocacy issues in this, one of the richest counties in the U.S.
“All animal ‘businesses,’ be it circuses, rodeos, zoos, etc are run for profit like any other business; when overhead and cost are factors, the animals lose – always. Just like the elderly and children, the animals are the most easily victimized. They are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment. Don’t express sorrow over your sad lost ‘entertainment,’ Everyone is empowered now – women, minorities, LGBTQ etc – the most voiceless of all, the animals, will not be left out,” writes Blackman.
Banning Circus’ or requiring animal free circus’ is happening across the country and the world. The famous Barnum and Bailey Circus performed its last circus at Madison Square Garden in 2017.
Animal Defenders International President Jan Creamer said: “Using wild animals in circuses is a recipe for disaster, putting animals and the public in harm’s way. ADI calls on governments around the world without bans in place to end wild animal acts without delay and stop circus suffering.”
