USDA fines Ringling Bros. Circus (Parent Co. of "Greatest Show on Earth") over Treatment of Animals

[Turborama]

Source: CNN

By Leigh Remizowski | updated 7:20 PM EST, Tue November 29, 2011

-- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has slapped the parent company of the "Greatest Show on Earth" with a record penalty for alleged animal rights violations.

Feld Entertainment Inc., which produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, has agreed to pay $270,000 for allegedly violating the Animal Welfare Act on several occasions from June 2007 to August 2011, according to a USDA news release.

The USDA can levy fines of up to $10,000 per violation of the act.

"This settlement sends a direct message to the public and to those who exhibit animals that USDA will take all necessary steps to protect animals regulated under the Animal Welfare Act," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/29/us/ringling-bros-fine/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

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And Ron Paul et al want to eliminate federal agencies such as the USDA. Go figure.

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[catgirl]

2. They should be shut down

This is just a slap on the wrist.

[ZombieHorde]

3. Hopefully, this loss of money will inspire decent treatment of animals. nt

[niyad]

4. mother jones did an expose two issues ago that made me cry/

that piddling little fine they got (and will they EVER pay it???) is (no pun intended) peanuts compared to the horror that is their treatment of animals. they should have been shut down years ago.

http://nhne-pulse.org/mother-jones-details-elephant-abuse-by-the-greatest-show-on-earth/

[2banon]

5. I saw Ringling Brothers, and I hoped this was an expose of one of the CIA's (Florida)

"safehouse" neighborhoods..

wrt to subject, the fine is such a paltry amt as to be laughable. probably is being laughed at.

[ret5hd]

18. hmmmm...tell me more.

[Seedersandleechers]

6. All the elephants should go here

http://www.elephants.com/


All the big cats could go here.


http://www.turpentinecreek.org/

[LeftyMom]

8. or here

http://www.pawsweb.org/

[Tunkamerica]

14. elephants are smart and all, but i doubt they're very internet savvy

[alp227]

7. Circuses should be obsolete. nt

[marasinghe]

9. humans.

[kas125]

10. I just read an article in MotherJones about their treatment of

elephants. It's horrible and heartbreaking. I'm glad the USDA is finally doing something, but I doubt that it'll be enough. Link to Mother Jones' The Cruelest Show in Earth - http://motherjones.com/environment/2011/10/ringling-bros-elephant-abuse

[SoapBox]

11. We actually went to Circus Vargas last month...they use NO animals.

It was fun...LOTS of aerial stuff. Their motorcycles-in-a-cage, has us holding out breath.

[No Elephants]

12. About damned time.

[blueclown]

13. $10,000 per act?

Not nearly punitive enough. During one of their shows, how quickly do they make $10,000? A minute?

How about $100,000 per act?

[Tunkamerica]

15. the law applies to everyone, and one offense by an employee could bankrupt a smaller outfit

[saras]

16. So how about a fine of "one month's profits"?

I think it's, in general, a fairer system than monetary fines, especially in a society with economic disparity.

[Tunkamerica]

17. that makes more sense

[blueclown]

20. We are not talking about a single offense.

We are talking about a repeat offender. In light of that evidence, the punishment does not meet the crime. The penalty is not nearly punitive enough.

[MrsBrady]

19. i haven't been to the circus

in forever, since I was a child.
I just can't see the animals being used like they are in a circus.

And while the two major local zoos here do a good job, that I know of. I can't stand to see them in cages. Breaks my heart.

I don't like the pet store either.