You did it! LAST show for Ringling Bros. will be May 21, 2017
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Bryan Monell, Animal Rights Activist
January 2017

From Ringling.com: "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME will conclude its tour at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., on May 7, 2017, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Out Of This World will conclude its tour at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 21, 2017."

You did it! Ringling is finally being tossed into the dust bin of history.

One of the days I will never forget is a sweltering June day in 1998. A colleague and I were down in Mexico City investigating and surreptitiously recording Ringling Brothers. I was laying under a black blanket in the back of a pickup truck on one of the hottest most humid miserable days I have ever experienced in my life. It was hard to even breathe. Watching the animals on the back lot I distinctly remember thinking it's going to be tough but the AR community will put an end to the Ringling elephant shows and it will take 10-20 years.

It took 18 years. I remember thinking after the elephant acts had been eliminated Ringling would hold out for no more than another decade. I figured Ringling would be gone in 30 years or so. Instead it took 19 years to put them out of business.

I have never been more happy to have been wrong.

Thank you to the countless people and groups who have worked and sacrificed so hard for this day.

Thank you to every family who asked for refunds after having being educated by protesters standing in front of arenas all over the country.

I apologize to all of the animals at Ringling who never made it out while we were working to end the cruelest show on earth. I failed you by not working harder.

We kept our promise to end the circus but the only consolation I can give you is that you will be the last ones to bear the scars of the bullhooks, whips and chains. We will not forget you once the show ends. We will do whatever it takes to get you sent to real sanctuaries away from the hands of your abusive captors.

We will not stop working harder than ever to free the rest of the animals still being held captive in circuses around the world. This is a historic occasion and reason for everyone to celebrate, but like the elephants, we will never forget that total liberation for all the animals in all the circuses is what we are working for. We will prevail.

Thank you again to the tens of thousands of people around the world who have made this happen. Thank you to all the activists who laid the ground work for this day but sadly passed away before their dream of Ringling being shutdown came true. We are forever in your debit. It has been an honor working with so many of you over the years. A toast to you.

To all the animals still at Ringling don't give up hope, we will do whatever it takes to get you to a better place.

Cheers my friends.

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