I'ts a Sad Life for the Animals in the Circus

To my surprise I was able to cover the Animal Open House where Ringling Brothers allows ticket holders to see the animals up close and meet with the trainers. They do this for publicity and to give the public a sense that they care for their animals. When I started to take pictures I was immediatly associated as a PETA member and told by one of the trainers "to take only positive photos."
And this one women kept saying "how well they care for their animals." So why would they be threatened by me taking negative photos if they took such wonderful care of their animals? There was about 12 animal activists there from Citizens for Cruelty-Free Entertainment and PETA passing out literature. For 3 days they kept a steady and powerful presence and made a strong impact on the people coming in and out of the circus. Much respect to them for their dedication! Seeing the animals face to face was heart wrenching. There was elephants, tigers, zebras, horses and some goats. All these animals are magnificant creatures and to see them used as a slave and commodity for a meaningless entertainment makes anyone with a conscience say this should stop. They spend their whole life in confinment, perform unnatural tricks, experience humilaition and abuse from trainers, are beaten into submission and taken away from the wild. I just caught a glimpse into their painful life through the careful watch of their oppresors. The abuse they have to endure on a daily basis I only hope will be exposed further and shown to the public.
This is a small collection of images I took from august 18-19th 2007
to learn more information contact
Citizens for Cruelty-Free Entertainment 415-311-5000 ext.909
and
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals