Circus tiger show shut down

First the elphants; now the tigers.

A circus in Panorama City saw its tiger show shut down Wednesday by Los Angeles city animal services.

The five-tiger act, set to appear with the traveling Circus Vazquez parked across the street from Panorama Mall, was found to violate the Los Angeles permit requirements, city staff said. Investigators began reviewing the circus’ permits last week, after they shut down its elephant act.

The circus’ three elephants have a long history of abuse and neglect, all documented in official U.S. Department of Agriculture records, said Ed Boks, general manager of Animal Services. After inspecting the circus, Boks said, "We felt they were still keeping the tigers in too close proximity, and that represented a danger to them and to the public."

A circus spokeswoman said their attorneys are still negotiating with the city, and they plan to stay in town and mount daily shows through Monday, when they plan to leave for Oakland, then San Francisco. They have been in town since April 4, she said, and on a national tour since February.

"Every city we have been in, we have their respect," said spokeswoman Sandra Espana, adding, "Circo Vazquez is very careful with the animals."

Boks said that when he contacted the USDA, he was told that the elephants’ owner, Will Davenport, acting under different names and business aliases in Arizona and Texas, had a history of numerous Animal Welfare Act violations. Investigators later discovered that the circus had been cited by the USDA earlier this year for keeping its six tigers in close quarters after one of them was found dead March 31 after a show in Huntington Beach.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske

Comments

[Mary Ewing]

I think this good news for the animal world and for people.
Well done LA for doing something that is right. When are people going to stop wanting to watch animals being tormented in thhe name of entertainment? There are enough talented people in circuses, brave and fit and willing to entertain of their own free will.

[Carol]

Oh come ON! Why would someone abuse the animals that are providing their livelihood! How would tigers kept together make a danger for the public - they're not in close proximity to THEM! This is just another ploy to take away human-animal contact! Wake up LA! You are being used - and abused!!! Follow the money!! Look behind the curtain!!! THis is BUNK!!!

[Alicia]

"Oh come ON! Why would someone abuse the animals that are providing their livelihood! How would tigers kept together make a danger for the public - they're not in close proximity to THEM!"

You know why they treat their animals the way they do? Because they're considered "property", that's why. These people don't really give a monkeys whether they're living creatures or not....these animals exist for one reason and one reason only...TO MAKE THEM MONEY. And, just like other property, if one breaks down or wears out, they simply go out and buy another to replace it. The profits these characters generate make it disgustingly easy to go out and get another tiger , bear or elephant already beaten into "training" by some roadside zoo or animal broker....do you honestly think that it's in a 600 lb. animal's best interest to live inside a cage no bigger than a parking space for 11 months out of the year with no ventilation, no exercise except when they're in the show ring? AND share the same quarters with five other animals of the same size in a space that's barely even big enough for ONE? Sorry, but that's NOT the way you provide good healthy care for your animal. I've seen the cages these tigers were in...believe me, if they haven't already gone cage mad yet, I can guarantee that they will soon enough. This fact makes them a danger...tigers are unpredictible in the best of times, but a stressed out cage mad animal that's known nothing but fear and intimidation is much worse than that, especially in the hands of people who don't know shite about what they're really doing. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with "separating" animals and man...it's about providing decent care and quality of life for these creatures...if they do have to be in captivity, we have a responsibility to make sure they have the best care that we can offer.

[nikki]

THIS IS SICK. Circus animal trainers are the most SICKENING thing in practically the whole world. I don't understand why the animals don't just attack them and do what I would do if I were them. Like, you would think the elephants would go balistic on the trainers, but their instinct tells them not to, I guess. Crazy, but true. I feel so bad for the circus animals. They're so helpless, and it's those little.... (here's one nice way to put it:) disgraceful little inhumane, unpowerful, cruel, loner, have-no-life circus freaks fault. I can not wait until circuses are COMPLETELY band. And hopefully all the animal trainers will be arrested. Then the song "Hallelujah" will play in my head.

[Mikayla varley]

I think that this issue should be banned everywhere because these poor elephants and tigers go through tons a tons of to torture for little kids enjoy them until they are old enough to relize what these poor animals go through! circus animal performance should be banned EVERYWHERE!!