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Newsletter - Animal Writes � sm
5 December 1999 Issue

At Last ~ A Possibility of Hope For Circus Elephants
Source: [email protected]

Congressman Farr has introduced a very important and revolutionary piece of legislature, H.R.2929, the "Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act of 1999," that has the potential to end the exploitation of captive elephants, by prohibiting certain conduct relating to captive elephants, including banning the use of elephants in traveling shows and circuses as well as elephant rides.

Since the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is unable to prevent further suffering and is, according to its own documents, enforcing only "minimum standards," legislation is necessary to alleviate the suffering of elephants in traveling shows.

Directly below you will find sample letters asking House Representatives to cosponsor the Farr legislation and Senators to introduce a similar legislature in the Senate. Please type your name and address at the bottom of each letter and email them to your Representative and Senators. The animals are counting on you!

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Search for your representative by zip code:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

RE: Please Co-sponsor the Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act-H.R. 2929

Dear Representative (YOUR REP'S NAME):

United States Congressman Sam Farr has proposed a bill that would prohibit the use of elephants in circuses and traveling sideshows. I urge you to co-sponsor (if you have not done so already) Mr. Farr's Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act-H.R. 2929.

Elephants suffer terribly from the rigors of travel and training in circuses. In the wild they travel up to 30 miles a day. In captivity for entertainment they are deprived of their natural behaviors and are chained by one front leg and one back leg for 95-99% of their lives.

In circuses the elephants' complex social structure is destroyed. Many circuses and sideshows keep solitary elephants, which is extremely cruel. Elephants in circuses continually sway and exhibit neurotic behavior resulting from extreme stress from severe confinement. Elephants are often chained in scorching hot boxcars for 18 hours, unable to move from their own excrement. Elephants left for days in trucks and boxcars have been found dead inside. Elephants are beaten and broken to perform tricks for audiences who are unaware of the horror circus animals endure.

Elephant exhibits are very dangerous for people, especially children. In the last nine years captive elephant attacks have resulted in at least 18 deaths and about 100 injuries, including trainers, bystanders and riders. Elephants also pose a threat of infecting the public with tuberculosis.

I hope I can count on your support to outlaw the cruelty and the danger of wild elephant exhibits. Using animals in "entertainment" is not worth the harm caused to these sensitive, intelligent beings. It is not worth putting the public at risk.

Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)
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Search for your Senators: www.Senare.gov/contacting/index.cfm

RE: Please introduce Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act

Dear Senator (YOUR SENATOR'S NAME):

United States Congressman Sam Farr has proposed a bill in the House that would prohibit the use of elephants in circuses and traveling sideshows. The bill is called the Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act-H.R. 2929. I urge you to introduce a similar bill in the Senate.

Elephants suffer terribly from the rigors of travel and training in circuses. In the wild they travel up to 30 miles a day. In captivity for entertainment they are deprived of their natural behaviors and are chained by one front leg and one back leg for 95-99% of their lives.

In circuses the elephants' complex social structure is destroyed. Many circuses and sideshows keep solitary elephants, which is extremely cruel. Elephants in circuses continually sway and exhibit neurotic behavior resulting from extreme stress from severe confinement. Elephants are often chained in scorching hot boxcars for 18 hours, unable to move from their own excrement. Elephants left for days in trucks and boxcars have been found dead inside. Elephants are beaten and broken to perform tricks for audiences who are unaware of the horror circus animals endure.

Elephant exhibits are very dangerous for people, especially children. In the last nine years captive elephant attacks have resulted in at least 18 deaths and about 100 injuries, including trainers, bystanders and riders. Elephants also pose a threat of infecting the public with tuberculosis.

I hope I can count on your support to outlaw the cruelty and the danger of wild elephant exhibits. Using animals in "entertainment" is not worth the harm caused to these sensitive, intelligent beings. It is not worth putting the public at risk.

Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)

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