Local grassroots group, Citizens For Cruelty-Free Entertainment, organized educational leafletings at all of the Circus Vazquez shows in San Jose in June. They urged the public to not support circuses that use animals — and to tell the circus they will not come back until the circus is animal-free. The group had leafleters at all the entrances each day to educate patrons about what they call the cruelty of using animals in circuses. This year Circuz Vazquez had horses, camels, zebras and tigers. Tigers are kept in cages just big enough to turn around and horses and camels are kept in small stalls on concrete parking lots. The activists report that violence and intimidation are standard training and handling practices. Whips and other devices are used to induce pain when the animals do not obey their trainers. If not for the threat of punishment, the activists charge that the animals would never participate in such circus shows. Looking towards future animals-in-entertainment demonstrations, the group put out the following call to action: If you care about animals and haven't come out to a leafleting please consider joining us at our upcoming leafletings at Ringling Bros in August.

Photos | Watsonville Circus Gatti Demonstration in May