Gallery: Royal Hanneford Circ...
The State News
James Hall, left, receives kisses from one of his Syrian bears as his wife, Tepa Hall, shows off Zuzu the bear walking on her front paws. James Hall first began working with bears at the age of 13 when he had to raise two abandoned bears. The Halls have been working with bears for more than 30 years.
The State News
Students Promoting Animal Rights members Nina Gucciardo, left, president of the Capital Area Animal Rights Society, social science junior Beth Rhodes, center, and studio art sophomore Chelsea McGorisk, hold up signs to protest the Caravan Circus on Sunday afternoon outside Breslin Center. Members of SPAR and other volunteers protested before each of the five circus performances this weekend.
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Convictions clash under the big top
Animal rights groups, circus argue for proper animal treatment as Royal Hanneford Circus entertains crowd at Breslin Center
This weekend, bears walked, danced and even rode bicycles across the floor of Breslin Center as part of the Royal Hanneford Circus. To some, the bears epitomized the image of what a circus is about — a couple of hours of wholesome family fun, dazzling acrobatic stunts and sensational animal acts. To others, the animals represented a capitalist culture gone haywire, where animal rights and morals are carelessly discarded in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Both sides of the spectrum were on display this weekend, each battling to make their voices loudest. Mitch Goldsmith, social relations and policy freshman and events coordinator for Students Promoting Animal Rights, or SPAR, said the circus is an old-fashioned tradition that promotes animal cruelty. Goldsmith said the government agrees. Royal Hanneford, he said, has previously been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for several offenses.
“Failure to provide veterinary care, failure to provide adequate space for animals, failure to give records, failure to treat the tuberculosis of elephants,” Goldsmith said.
“The list goes on.”
Because the circus is profitable, Goldsmith said, the mistreatment will continue.
“They feel like the animals aren’t important to them,” he said. “They feel it’s justified.”
But Ed Purchis, who’s been involved with bringing the circus to the Lansing area for almost four decades, said USDA citations were given, but not because trainers were acting cruel, and accusations of abuse are “flat out wrong.”
“Where is their source? Ours is personal experience with these animals and people over the years,” he said. “These people are getting their information off the Internet.”
Purchis is secretary of treasury for the Caravan Circus, a Lansing-area nonprofit organization that contracts with Royal Hanneford.
In the 37 years he’s been involved with Caravan Circus, Purchis said he’s never witnessed any acts of cruelty or violence toward any of the animals Royal Hanneford uses, including tigers, dogs, bears, elephants and kangaroos.
“In our experience with the Hannefords, they maintain a very safe environment for animals,” Purchis said.
“All animals are fed, watered, groomed, cleaned on a daily basis. The animal trainers use food rewards and praise in training, there’s an ongoing medical staff, there’s always veterinarians on call.”
While Goldsmith said the Internet has been a source for SPAR, he said it’s produced some compelling evidence against Royal Hanneford.
A video from 1999, available on YouTube.com, shows elephant trainer Tim Frisco, who Royal Hanneford has previously contracted, using hooks to strike squealing elephants during training and encouraging other trainers to “make them scream.”
“(Frisco) said to rip their heads off,” Goldsmith said. “He beat the elephants, and proof is online.”
Purchis and representatives from Royal Hanneford declined to comment regarding the video.
Purchis stressed that Caravan Circus is completely nonprofit, and has raised in excess of $1 million for local charities in 27 years, which this year included the Masonic Learning Centers for Dyslexic Children and Boys & Girls Club of Lansing.
“It’s a circus with a purpose, and it gives back to the community,” he said.
“If we don’t have animal acts, our customers don’t come.”
Goldsmith said the circus was hiding behind the charities in order to justify the animal abuse.
“We applaud any support for children’s charities, but not at the animals’ expense,” he said.
For the most part, the spectators attending the circus this weekend said they didn’t see any signs of animal cruelty, and were mostly focused on entertainment for their family.
“I thought it would be great for (my son) to see the clowns, the animals,” said Sara McKone, an East Lansing resident. “(The animals) looked like they were being treated fine. I didn’t really see a problem.”
Lansing resident Ricardo Muniz attended the circus with his wife, daughter and granddaughter.
“I’ve never seen more beautiful animals,” he said. “From what I see and hear, it looks to me these animals are well cared for, and I think they go above and beyond.
“There’s a lot of love between the trainers and the animals. I noticed that right away.”
Published on Sunday, April 13, 2008
Comments
Sean Cook : SPAR VP
04/14/08 @ 12:04am
To add to this article, and to help quell some of the inevitable banter that will follow, we know that the circus is done for charity, but there are circuses which do not use animals that are very popular and are very willing to do work for charities. Additionally, we have been in contact with the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, and we are working together now to ensure that the money raised in the future is from humane sources.
Now, let the battle begin blog-lovers.
Sean Cook: SPAR VP
04/14/08 @ 12:08am
Lastly, we are not eco-terrorists and we are not PETA. We are an entirely positive, non-confrontational organization, and the fact that PETA euthanizes animals has nothing to do with us protesting a circus. But, we do appreciate the dissent; it continually keeps us in check.
-Sean
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 1:05am
Sean, while I respect your right to protest, I was disheartened with the way that it was done. Your “group” succeeded in unnerving a lot of families. Way to turn a family event into something that you believe they should feel bad about. Congratulations on using a video from 1999 with someone that isn’t even associated with the group anymore. Had I had more time when driving by on Friday evening, I would have gladly jumped out and engaged your group in conversation. Scaring families is a great way to bring people to your cause.
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 1:10am
Also, you say you are not PETA, but you sure don’t mind being associated with them. That is according to your website, by the way.
Denise
04/14/08 @ 2:04am
Can people still be entertained by suffering? Do these “entertained people” ever consider how the animals are forced to live? Where they sleep? Eat? Defecate? Urinate? Do you not care at all? Do you realize that these poor animals, who have committed no crimes, are forced to eat, sleep, live in the same cramped cages where they urinate and defecate? They are forced to eat off the floor where they defecate and they have no choice because they are forced to be there to entertain you for 5, 10, 15 minutes. The living conditions alone for animals used in the circus is abuse … being kept in cages their entire lives, shuffled from city to city, forced to perform unnatural acts. How do you get a bear to perform? I assure you not from positive re-enforcement. How long can one be so superficial to ignore the facts of cruelty behind the use of animals in entertainment? Defending it you only dillude yourself … it does not change the facts.
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 2:27am
Did you read anything that I said whatsoever? I hope that “you” is a general you and not directed at me. You throw quotation marks around “entertained people” as if I wrote them. I hope that you are not that ignorant. I don’t condone poor treatment of animals. I just disagree with the methods of protest. It reminds me of the anti-war protesters who hold up traffic while walking in the middle of the street. It does not get the point across.
Reuben
04/14/08 @ 6:52am
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 8:09am
That’s fine. Let me know where you live and I will protest something in your driveway.
Ryan
04/14/08 @ 8:32am
AMAZING work, SPAR! Way to take those animal abusers to task!
Rick
04/14/08 @ 8:48am
Jerrod – Are you turning to violence to get your point across?
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 8:58am
Wait, what? Am I turning to violence? No, I just want to non-violently protest some injustices that I see in the world every day, and if someone doesn’t mind having to be inconvenienced by protesting, that’s where I should go. Are you turning violent?
Rick2
04/14/08 @ 9:17am
Jerrod – You seem to have a very aggressive personality. Not someone who might “non-violently” protest. Learn to take and accept criticism.
John Q.Public
04/14/08 @ 9:25am
Oh,poor little Reuben-boy!!You and your PETA wannabes are indeed making people think…How sad and lonely your puny lives are!!!Oh and by the way Denise..it’s DELUDE ,not DILLUDE!!!One would think that since you guys are the ones that think you hold the moral high ground,you would know how to spell the very term that sums up your entire platform.Go spike some trees!!!
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 9:27am
Are you serious? I have an aggressive personality? What is going on in here? First of all, you have no idea who I am, and I have no idea who you are. But by all means, draw conclusions based on some level-headed posts that I have made. What I am trying to get at is that upsetting and angering people is not exactly a great way to get your point across. I have no ill will towards anyone on here, but thanks for playing. I am not the fighting type. I have learned to control the situations that I am in without escalating them to violence. But if you, anonymous state news poster, think I should have my “aggressive personality” checked, how can I refuse? I’m not violent, I’m sarcastic.
Rick
04/14/08 @ 10:04am
“That’s fine. Let me know where you live and I will protest something in your driveway.”
That sounds like a threat but maybe I misinterpreted your meaning. Why is showing what happens behind the scenes of a circus inappropriate? You shouldn’t be able to attend one of these shows without knowing everything that’s going on. You should also have to tour a slaughterhouse and a factory pig farm before you can order your bacon cheeseburger. I know there will be callous jokes about that last sentence but seriously before you comment go visit one of these places. After you do that, then you have every right to laugh and tell me how wonderful your burger is.
Knena
04/14/08 @ 10:16am
They didn’t see any animal abuse??!! Why don’t they take a second to think about where the animals are going after the performance? Right back to a small, cramped trailer or left to sway and pace neurotically at the end of a 5-foot chain under a plastic tent.
There’s no pasture for these animals, they’re kept in warehouses during their winter off-season, which only last 2-3 months.
Extreme confinement for a lifetime, that’s the abuse and cruelty that no animal circus can deny.
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 10:32am
Rick, that was definitely a mis-interpretation. I was being quite sarcastic at that point. I was getting at that NIMBY principle for protesters. As long as it doesn’t slow them down, it really doesn’t matter.
Matthew
04/14/08 @ 10:38am
Jarrod, the problem some seem to have with your comments is their somewhat contradictory nature. You claim to support a group’s right to protest – so long as it is done on your terms, in a manner you personally approve of, and doesn’t inconvenience anyone. Basically, that adds up to your support protests that are completely ineffective (or where you agree with the protesters’ viewpoint). That seems a little contradictory at best, un-American at worst. Free speech zones, anyone?
Jerrod
04/14/08 @ 11:01am
Seriously, spell my name right. It’s right there in front of you. Done on my terms? Put yourself in the shoes of those kids walking by college kids with signs. Do you even remember what it was like to be young, or were you always this “grown-up”? I think you are missing my point. Protests that upset people are generally not effective in bringing said people to the cause of the protesting group. I never said I was the moral authority on protesting. I realize it may be difficult for someone to understand sarcasm, so I will type slower for those people. Let’s protest the anti-protesters who are protesting the protests. Also to the bacon comment, you are correct. Let’s release all pigs so they can roam the plains as they used to in the days of the wild west. Go hug a tree. I’m done here.
Come on...that is ridiculous
04/14/08 @ 11:11am
“You shouldn’t be able to attend one of these shows without knowing everything that’s going on. You should also have to tour a slaughterhouse and a factory pig farm before you can order your bacon cheeseburger.”
I’ll get on top of visiting that factory farm and slaughterhouse right after I get back from visiting the sweatshop where my shoes were made, the refinery where the gas I bought was produced, the forest where the wood my house is built from was cut down, the rainforest where the rubber for my tires was tapped, the mines where the coal that provides me electricity was mined…
But I’ll tell you what, by the time I get done personally interviewing every person (and animal) involved in everything I do and everything I consume, I can’t see where I’ll have any time left to do anything useful with my life. Excpet, of course, to post asinine and ridiculous comments on the state news forums.
JMCSpartan08
04/14/08 @ 12:37pm
Man…capitalism gone haywire…clashing interests…the State News is so like deep and stuff. Way to stick it to “the Man” guys!
College students who protest stuff are so awesome…way to be involved. Tune in, Turn off, and Drop out!
Casual
04/14/08 @ 12:44pm
This post is directed at Jerrod – And although he claims to be “done”, I’m sure he still checking this.
“What I am trying to get at is that upsetting and angering people is not exactly a great way to get your point across” – Does he not realize that protesting is EXACTLY the way to a point across? Think of the greatest protests in American History: Civils rights, Women’s rights, etc. Protests increase the visibility of the CAUSE – Who cares if a couple of children see some college students with picket signs? Uh. I’m pretty damn sure they won’t lose sleep over it. Protesting is the best way to GET noticed – Perhaps its the reason why the Statenews felt obligated to write an article about it. Zing!
The point is, if SPAR just sat around crying about how much circus animals are being mistreated, do you really think any of their goals would get accomplished? Absolutely not. SPAR, keep doing what you do, and please, don’t let ignorant people get you down for acting upon your civil rights.
surf n turf
04/14/08 @ 1:07pm
animals don’t have feelings
volunteer with animals for 4 yrs.
04/14/08 @ 1:16pm
yell at a dog and see the facial expression he gives you…..animals have feelings!
Rick
04/14/08 @ 2:17pm
One of the great things about the internet is you don’t have to visit all these places to know what’s going on. You should know something about the gasoline in your car, the wood from which your house is built, the rubber of your tires, etc.
Educate yourself and you may start to wonder about these things.
Brian
04/14/08 @ 3:31pm
God forbid these protesters would ever spend their time spent protesting volunteering at the Boys and Girls club or holding some sort of alternative event to raise money. Rag tag signs and criticisms spread in the State News are a great way to spread your cause. Maybe if they got a PR person they could draw more positive attention to their cause and actually make some money for their cause or other charities in the process. If your goal is to raise awareness and bring about change, do something original….and actually do something.
The CHamp
04/14/08 @ 5:35pm
SPAR sucks. they should be arrested for disturbing private enterprise.
SPAR = just plain ol’ bad people with big time character flaws.
Ken
04/14/08 @ 7:00pm
“...arrested for disturbing private enterprise.”
This is the most idiotic singular statement I’ve ever read. Complete non-sense and devoid of thought. Kudos.
CLAMPS
04/14/08 @ 7:31pm
If these idiots of “SPAR” (funny name by the way) don’t like innocent little circuses, then they sure would hate me for fur trapping.
gary
04/14/08 @ 8:59pm
haha Ken sucks
MSU
04/14/08 @ 9:11pm
So you mean to tell me that members of SPAR have never been to a circus as a child or ever thought about attending one? I don’t know about you, but when I was a child, circuses were innocent events. Will we soon have protestors standing outside of zoos?
J. Edward Tremlett
04/14/08 @ 10:33pm
“SPAR sucks. they should be arrested for disturbing private enterprise.”
Wow, Champ. You get less intelligent with each new thread. How DO you do that?
Leonidas
04/15/08 @ 12:16am
Nancy
04/15/08 @ 8:50am
Hi Jerrod,
I want to address your concern about protesting in front of children.
Years ago I attended a Ringling Bros Circus in New Haven, CT with a friend and his young kids. I was disturbed watching the animals and left with a feeling of sadness but I had no idea about training methods, exploitation etc. It was just a feeling that made me very uncomfortable.
Years later, my son was invited to Ringling Bros. at Madison Square Garden. We live in CT and I hadn’t taken my kids to NYC so I told my son that I didn’t like the circus because the animals didn’t seem happy but he coudl go if he wanted.
Well, he went and he and his friend saw protestors outside the Garden. They watched a video and took some literature. They were so upset by what they had learned, they actually booed during the show. My son came home with a flyer to show me and told me what happened. I was shocked at what I read.
He and I did some checking around, thought about the animals and the fact that they are given no choice in this, most of the elephants have been taken from the wild, from their families and they just were not deserving of this life of hell and neither were any of these animals being held captive.
I am so pleased that my son at the young age of 11 was able to open his mind, think about what he was learning and act on it. Was the fun taken out of his day and his friend’s day and the parent who brought them there? You bet it was. And it was one of the best things that my son has experienced in his life.
Next thing you know, I’m in Hartford, CT protesting at Ringling. It’s been 8 years now and I protest at every circus event I can.
So children seeing protestors is a good thing. It might ruin your night, or someone else’s, but in the greater scheme of things, it makes the world a much better place when we are open to new ideas and will take the time to think.
thank you for listening.
Nancy
Julian
04/15/08 @ 11:30am
Does anyone know if this “show” is still being held at MSU, I’d like to join efforts towards letting people really know what they are paying for. Thanks!
Sean Cook: SPAR VP
04/16/08 @ 10:47am
There is a ton more I was hoping to say, but it would take much more time than I have right now. But essentially, Jerrod, I’m sorry that the world of State News blog-commenting is so frustrating. But, I very much appreciate your role as catalyst to the conversation, and I think if you and I had a chance to talk about these things in a less frustrating way (like via email) I think we would probably both learn a lot about the other’s side. I have my email address below in case you wanted to talk more one-on-one; you seem like a reasonable person who would be willing to actually hear out SPAR’s side.
Nancy, well said. Though not an entirely accurate portrayal of SPAR’s protesting, I think there is a lot to learn from your story. Thank you.
Julian, if you are not already, you should join our facebook group “Cruelty is note entertainment”. We send out information on there pretty regularly. Also, you can just email me personally and I can give you more information.
For everyone else who had something to say and actually wanted our side of the story and not just spout out some “your whole purpose must be flawed because of this unfounded point that I just made” phrase, you can also contact me. We’re all about spreading awareness and understanding, as well as learning from people who feel otherwise. So, if you are actually interested in a discussion, feel free:
Sean Cook,
cooksean@msu.edu
Sean Cook: VP SPAR
04/16/08 @ 10:48am
Also, thank you to everyone else who had kind words to say. It has not gone unnoticed. We really appreciate everyone’s support.
Sean Cook: VP SPAR
04/16/08 @ 10:51am
Haha, and as I proofread my comment, I see that I put “note” instead of “not” in the group “Cruelty is not entertainment”.