The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to Gainesville for the first time in its more than 100-year history, and many animal rights activists wanted to make sure it will be the last.
About 30 people of varying ages showed up to protest during the weekend and stood on the corner of Gale Lemerand Drive and West University Avenue holding signs that read “Ringling Bros. beats animals,” “Elephants are abused” and other objections against the circus’ treatment of animals.
On its website, Ringling Bros. states it “exceeds all federal animal welfare standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Animal Welfare Act.”
However, according to an Animal Rights Foundation of Florida news release, Ringling Bros. Circus parent company Feld Entertainment agreed to pay $270,000 in fines in response to allegations that it violated the same laws under the Animal Welfare Act that the circus mentions on its website.
Many protesters belonged to animal advocacy groups such as Helping Hands Pet Rescue, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Fort Lauderdale-based Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. Students and UF alumni were also among those protesting.
Jewel Midelis, a recent UF journalism alumna and a protest organizer, said she was surprised by the turnout.
“Everyone gathered together as a collective force to stand up for what we believe in,” she said.
Other protesters agreed.
“We want to be the voice for the animals who can’t speak for themselves,” said Daniela Perednik, a UF animal science sophomore.
Organizers put together the protests to shed light on what they believe is an issue that goes unnoticed by many.
“We hope to open people’s eyes who may be going inside to see the circus,” said ARFF Central Florida Coordinator Carla Wilson of Winter Springs. “We’re asking them to look behind the glitz and the glamor and think about what goes on behind the scenes and what the lives are like for the animals.”
Thousands of people attended the circus.
About 9,500 tickets were sold over the three-day period, according to the box office.
Some audience members didn’t understand the protests, like Santa Fe building construction student Jamilla Payne.
Payne said she didn’t notice any issues with the treatment of the animals during the Friday night show she attended.
“If I did, I would have left,” she said.
Others said they had a preconceived notion of how the circus treated its animals.
“Obviously there must be some kind of cruelty involved in training the animals and of course they are happier in the wild than in captivity,” said UF mechanical engineering sophomore Stefan Hochhaus while waiting to buy his ticket Saturday, “but at the same time, it is fun to come to the circus and see the animals.”
Several circus employees declined to comment.
Ashley Smith, director of corporate communications for Feld Entertainment, said the circus is regulated by the USDA and regularly faces inspections on the local, state and national level.
“A lot of the people who are protesting say that the animals should be in the wild, but the wild has been romanticized,” Smith said. “I’m sure they are very passionate and what I would hope they would see is that we are also passionate and proud of our animal care.”
As far as the USDA allegations, Smith said Feld Entertainment agreed to pay the $270,000 fine to close out disputed reports and that the circus was not found in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
“It was a business decision between us and the USDA to move forward in doing what we both want, which is providing the best animal care possible,” she said. “We’re coming from the same place. We both love animals. Our animals are our best spokespeople. You can see how healthy they are and that they are just thriving in this care. “
This story has been changed to include comments from Ashley Smith, director of corporate communications for Feld Entertainment. A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/13/2014 under the headline "Gainesville circus stop brings out fans, animal rights protesters"
A protester stands on the corner of West University Avenue and Gale Lemerand Drive on Friday in objection to weekend The Ringling Bros. Circus appearance in Gainesville. Protesters gathered with signs to voice their opinions on the circus’s treatment of its animals.
