Break the Chain Campaign
ANIMAL DEFENDERS INTERNATIONAL ‘BREAKS THE CHAIN’ AGAINST
ANIMAL CIRCUS ATTENDANCE IN LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES, Apr. 8, 2011 – Animal Defenders International (ADI), a leading global animal protection group, asks Los Angeles residents to ‘Break The Chain’ of animal suffering by not attending the Shrine Circus at the Shrine Auditorium, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles on Apr. 8-10, 2011. ‘Break The Chain’ aims to raise awareness of the reality of animal suffering in traveling circuses in the U.S.
Just last weekend, ADI released shocking new undercover footage revealing the terrible suffering of Annie, the UK’s last circus elephant, chained and being repeatedly beaten. Public outrage led to the circus signing over her ownership in the past few days and Anne is now at a safe place.
Jan Creamer, President of ADI said: “Annie’s tragic story symbolizes the plight of circus animals and is a shocking indictment of the circus industry. Time and time again, our investigations of these circuses all over the world produce similar evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, and suffering and it’s now time to ‘Break The Chain.’ We are asking audiences to vote with their feet and stay away.
“Together with local partner organization Orange County People for Animals, ADI’s mission is to stop circus suffering by communicating the behind-the-scenes facts to local communities where traveling circuses hold performances.
ADI will be handing out “Stop Circus Suffering” leaflets to circus-goers. To join the Shrine Circus leafleting outreach groups for the weekend circus performances, please contact Matt Rossell of ADI at 323-804-9920.
As the leader of the ‘Break The Chain’ campaign, ADI works with animal rights and welfare organizations across the U.S. to bring awareness on a local grassroots level to the communities in which animal circuses perform. Providing campaign assistance, program guidance and educational materials to local campaigners, ADI also reaches out to local governments to communicate its scientific findings to end circus suffering.
For more than 18 years, ADI has effectively produced overwhelming evidence of suffering of animals in circuses as a result of extreme confinement, the constant traveling nature of these shows, and cruel training practices. ADI’s groundbreaking two-year undercover investigation on circus cruelty shocked the world, resulting in major changes in the U.S., South America and European countries.
Courts in many countries have used ADI’s evidence to prosecute offenders while governments have been compelled to change laws in favor of partial or complete bans, such as the recent passing of Bolivian law 4040, which prohibits any and all use of animals in Bolivian circuses.
Though ADI opposes circuses that utilize animal performers, it remains fully supportive of arts and entertainment and circuses that use only human performers.