Animal activists cry foul over "bloodless bullfighting" event in Artesia

Animal activists are taking issue with a so-called "bloodless bullfighting" event held last weekend in Artesia -- and they're urging Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley to press charges against the company that supplied the bulls.  The bullfight -- staged as part of the Festa da Bola, a three-day festival celebrating Portuguese culture -- was interrupted by a humane officer working with the organization Animal Cruelty Investigations.

The group says the officer "discovered the bull fighters were using long wooden sticks with several-inch sharpened nails on the end to stab, torment and infuriate the bulls.  [The officer] noticed the bulls were being stabbed when he saw blood and puncture wounds on the bull when the animal was being returned to the trailer from the ring.  The bull had been repeatedly stabbed with up to 8 sticks." 

In a bloodless bullfight, the animals are not killed in the ring, and their shoulders -- which are pierced with javelin-type implements in a traditional bullfight -- are covered with Velcro.  But despite their name, such fights are "anything but bloodless," Animal Cruelty Investigations spokesperson Jane Garrison told our colleague Carla Hall.  

Others say the bloodless fights are exactly what they claim to be -- a statement on the website of bloodless bullfighting company Ranch Cardoso describes the events as "'Nerf' bullfighting."  The bulls are treated with respect, the site alleges, adding that the fights it produces are "no different from rodeos, horse jumping events, horse racing, etc. An animal or a person can easily get hurt from a simple horse show just as easily as they would from the bloodless bullfight."

But animal advocates have doubts about such claims.  From Hall's story:

"They'll tell you that the padding on a bull's back is enough to keep from puncturing the bull," said Eric Sakach, a Sacramento-based Humane Society official. "But it's only an inch to an inch-and-a-half deep. It does hurt the bull. Is it enough to kill the bull? No. Is it enough to make the bull mad? Yes. And it's completely not in keeping with the law."

According to the California Penal Code (Section 597m), any bullfight exhibition -- even a bloodless one -- is against the law. There is one exception: "bloodless bullfights . . . held in connection with religious celebrations or religious festivals," the code states. And Artesia's Festa da Bola has its roots in religious traditions.

Jose Avila, editor of the Modesto-based Portuguese Tribune, said the bulls fight for about 15 minutes each and then go off to a slaughterhouse. But before that, he said, "For four years, that bull is free. He does what he wants. He eats what he wants . . . The bull is treated like a king."

--Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Venezuelan matador Leonardo Benitez during a 2002 no-kill bullfighting event in Artesia.

Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[International Movement Against Bullfights]

We always suspected that these so called bloodless bullfights are indeed not bloodless at all. All these bullfights that take place in California should be investigated properly because what happened in Artesia is not an isolated case.
The organisers of this bullfight should be prosecuted to the fullest extent and no other bullfight should be allowed to take place in Artesia or the rest of California.

[Santos]

The wording of this poll befits a publication that would run a feature on Michelle Obama's arms in its gradual shift to the teen magazine format.
Of course the animals are being exploited! As are the animals involved in the Triple Crown Races, the far more unnatural methods of which result in more injury, more suffering, and more death for the animals, whether they race or not. So if exploitation is what it takes, will the Portuguese community's bull breeders also be honored with an obsequious gush-fest by one of your sports writers? Probably not.
I find it disturbing that you allowed some of the more offensive and inarticulate defenders of the Artesia bullfights to have their say, but chose not to post those comments pointing out Carla Hall's lazy reporting. She simply regurgitated a watered down version of what Channel 5 had already run into the ground. I have no opinion on these bullfights, and if they were to disappear I wouldn't be inconvenienced at all, but to strategically target a small community in a big media market is questionable. Not to mention the fact that none of the reports have yet to point out the fact that, as they report on puncture wounds and blood, no such thing shows up in their photos or video. What gives? The Times might be accused of complicity in a racist witch hunt, but since we can't prove that, it may just be easier to note the lack of journalistic rigor that's infected your staff for years now.

[Fan]

B.S. I was there. The bull fighter showed the crowd the end of the stick with the velcrow every single time he got a new stick. If there was a nail sticking out everyone would have seen it. I didnt see any nail sticking out of the end of the stick. Maybe they used a nail to nail the velcrow onto the stick. Thats all i can think of. Either way if there were nails sticking out they woulda stopped the event. All they did was delay it. Good thing cuz damn it was a lot of fun!

[eric mills]

I've seen these so-called "bloodless" bullofights in the Central Valley. They are NOT bloodless. And the bulls "fight" only once, then are sent off to slaughter.

Often the bulls are fought from horseback. The horses are not padded for protection from the bull's horns, and risk disembowelment.

And surely these fights are unconstitutional. What's this nonsense about their being legal only when connected with a Portuguese religious ceremony? Jesus must be whirling in his grave.

Bill Maher was right: "Americans are too stupid to be governed."

Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland

[Bea Elliott]

With ipod and blackberries and every other gadget to amuse ourselves one must ask: "do we really need to use animals for amusement?" The sad truth is, these bulls are soon destined for the slaughterhouses - where 95% of all avoidable animal cruelty occurs. If one truly wishes to end the exploitation of innocent beings the first best step is to go vegan. It is better for human health and certainly better for our fellow earthlings.
www.humanemyth.org

[JMG]

Help me understand why tauting, teasing, poking and hurting a stray dog or your own dog is considered animal cruelty - yet these organized events are not? Bull Fighting, rodeos, etc - they are all causing the animals mental and often physical pain and anguish. Maybe our laws need to become more consistent?

[Paul]

I am seeing that many of the arguments against the bloodless bullfights are NOT based on facts:
A) The horse is protected by the cavaleiro who steers it away from the bull and by protective covers on the bull's horns that keep any contact with the horns from causing an abrasion of any kind on the horse. The horse is only at risk when the cavaleiro is at risk.
B) There is no such practice of pulling the bull by the tail until he collapses. The bull is actually held by the tail in order to help bring him under control. At the end of the process, the bull is actually in a calm submissive state.
C) The bullfight is bloodless
D) If these bulls would not go to the slaughterhouse, others would. In fact, thre is no direct trip to the slaughterhouse. That decision is completely up to the owner of the bulls. He / She has to make that same decision about all of his / her cattle as well.
E) Taunting, teasing and poking a dog is not illegal. When we play with them, we tease them and poke them. When we groom them, we hold them against their will. When we taunt them, they don't understand what we are saying. It is the degree with which we do this that makes it cruelty or not.
D) Constitutions protect the rights of citizens not animals.
E) Stab, torment and infuriate the bulls are not what is done with the banderilhas. The bull is a naturally fierce beast. If you stand in front of him and blow kisses, whisper sweet nothings and massage him with a feather, he'll still try to kill you. No need for banderilhas.

[catherine turley]

inciting rage in an animal is not "treating it with respect" and i don't know too many kings who get stabbed and slaughtered by the people who care for them. i think i'd rather be treated like a peasant and allowed to live my life. i never can understand how any nation whose majority claims belief in god can take part in something so obviously godless.

[Bullfight lover]

You guys all don't know what your talking about, i'm full blooded portuguese and have been to hundreds of these, it's none of what all you americans are making it out to be. All i knowis if this great tradition coming to an end there is going to be a lot a very unhappy portuguese people.

[Andrew]

Wow, there is a lot of misinformation being spread here! The fight wasn't stopped, the spears were not tipped with nails, and the bulls are not slaughtered after the show. Relax people, the only thing that gets hurt out there are those guys that get charged by the bull inbetween fights.

[CL]

All sporting events which exploit animals should be banned. The animal has no choice to participate and all animal-sporting events result in animals getting injured or killed. It's slavery and not fair. Ban horse racing, show jumping, bull fighting and dog racing. PLEASE!

[Rory]

It is incomprehensible that people are attempting to justify this practice. These animals exist for their own purposes; they are not here to "entertain" sadistic humans who find pleasure in watching exploitative, abusive, barbaric behavior.

Anyone participating in, watching, or defending these events should be ashamed.

[Alyne Fortgang]

This is barbaric and medieval. Shame on those who find pleasure in making others suffer.

[Emiliano Castro]

Los animales no son para diversión de los humanos. Basta ya de barbarie taurina, Porque aunque el toro de casta no se manipulado, la corrida y sus continuaran siendo un retroceso etico y moral.

[Billet]

HOW CAN WE BE ASHAMED WHEN THIS IS ALL WE KNOW. WHEN THIS IS OUR TRADITION FROM MANY MANY YEARS AGO!! YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO SAY SUCH THINGS TO PEOPLE WHEN YOU HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTLY CLUE HOW IT WORKS!! YOU CAN'T TRUST THE PAPER ON ANYTHING ONLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE!!!! ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT IS GOING TO KILL THE U.S.A!!!!!

[Outraged]

I am an animal lover and I support Portugese Bullfighting 100%. In fact I work in the animal health field. You will find that it is only uneducated people that will preach that any sport that uses an animal is cruel. The animals that are used in bullfighting, rodeos, horse racing or cattle shows for that matter are all happy and quite spoiled animals if you will. These animals are trained and bred to perform to the best of their abilities. If an animal is unwilling to participate the owner does not force the animal to compete. I would challenge any animal rights activist to force a bull to do anything that it does not want to do. Then, I challenge you to educate yourself first before sticking your foot in your mouth by pointing your finger at people that are undeserving.

[Pam]

There have been many cruel and inhumane human activities and traditions that have thankfully gone the way of history and this is one more that should join the others in the dusty pages.

[Aida Pour Kian]

I think it is distgusting that humans engage in this type of activity - causing another living creature pain on purpose. How sick and twisted can society be - it is not OK to cause pain to a living creature on this planet fo entertainment.

The world really needs to take another look at how it treats animals. Ghandi had it right, you can tell the morality of people in how they treat animals.

People that torture or use for entertainment, breed to make money or fight, whatever humans do to harm animals - is morally and ethically wrong! Where did this train of thought come from - that it is ok to torture and harm living creatures.

This saddens me for future generations. The current generations do not lead by expample. The animals suffer due to humans being selfish - whether they want a pure breed of dog vs. saving a life from a shelter or breeding their dog to make money off of the puppies - really is distgusting behavior.

When are we going to open our EYES and see that this is wrong!

[Isabel Torres]

Tauromaquia Abolición por torturar animales en espectaculos publicos por tradicón cruel legalizada, sin que los politicos españoles hagan nada ignorando a la mayoria de la poblacion que odiamos el maltrato animal y nos avergonzamos de que se nos relaccione con esta aberración.

[Michel Michaeljohn]

Bullfighting is the most indefensible type of animal abuse. Bullfighting is not a "fight" at all, but a systematic "torture-killing" that pits a gang of armed thugs wielding "razor-sharp barbed spikes, spears, swords and daggers" (these weapons are designed to "inflict intense pain and cause blood loss" to weaken the animal) against a lone, terrified; confused; "fatally" disabled and wounded animal.
So-called "bloodless bullfights" are practiced in the U.S., but the bulls are still "terrified; teased, harassed; confused; tormented" and killed outside the arena "after" the bullfights: in a Mexican bullring, a slaughterhouse or elsewhere.
Bloodless Bullfighting in our country of America should be, and remain "BANNED" because it is a "Tradition of Cruelty."
In these events bullfighters perform who also "torture and kill" many bulls during "regular" bullfights.
They promote the bullfights in America just as they would with "regular" bullfights. The bulls are imported from Mexico, where breeders breed bulls that are normally killed in the many "bloody" bullfights in this country.
Although the bullfights in America are "bloodless," bulls and horses are still subjected to large amounts of "abuse and stress" and the risk of getting "wounded."
The bullfighting industry is losing ground in the bullfighting countries and that is why they are trying to export their "bloody business" to other countries. Since it is prohibited to "torture and kill" bulls in the United States, they have invented "bloodless" bullfights, to promote their "sadistic" industry in an "innocent" form.
However, the same industry does not have a problem with "killing defenseless animals." The money they generate from the bullfights in America is used to promote their "blood" sport. Furthermore, people who visit the bullfights may "mistakenly" think that bullfighting is not that cruel, while it is one of the most "cruel forms of animal abuse": "GRAPHIC -- Bullfighting Cruelty and Cowardice Exposed": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3WvFaG2j8E
We must not allow the bullfighting industry to continue promoting their "bloody business" in America.
We must call for a "Ban" on all future bullfighting events planned in America and let the bullfighting industry know that America is not interested in bullfighting.
The bullfights that have already been organized in Las Vegas, Nevada were a "big failure": only a few people attended the events and the bullfighting industry lost money.
This is reason enough to "Ban" all bullfights in the USA: people want this "abuse" to "stop."
Please help these suffering animals – STAY AWAY FROM BULLFIGHTS and speak out against them.

Michel Michaeljohn; California; United States.

[Marta]

Please leave bulls in the fields, that's where they should be.

Bloodless bullfights cause stress and all kinds of injuries to bulls and then they are killed at the end.

http://www.slideshare.net/MartaEstebanMiano/spain-and-bullfighting?from=comment_email

[Soraia Costa]

I am Portuguese, I love horses and I've been riding since I was five. Everyone I know that's connected to the equestrian world in my country supports bullfighting, claiming it's culture, it's a portuguese tradition, a big happy party.

Well, I, for one, am totally, 100% AGAINST bullfighting and animal cruelty of any kind, and I am eager for the day when this barbaric activity is erradicated completely. And I think it's just preposterous that the mentioned law in the article above allows such events to take place in religious traditions. Makes me hate religion even more! What right do they have to torture innocent creatures? They make me sick to my stomach and I hope Humankind realizes soon what we are doing to sentient, innocent, living creatures.

Torture isn't art, sport or culture! Stop the madness!