Future of circuses with animals on county ballot
Friday, December 2, 2011
ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) -- Animal rights activists in Clatsop County have convinced the board of commissioners to put the future of circuses featuring animals on the ballot.
Voters will vote on an ordinance to ban such circuses in May, the Daily Astorian reports (http://bit.ly/ufGGLD ).
At the center of the controversy is the use of certain animal taming techniques and tools.
Those include a "bull hook," used to guide elephants by driving the hook into the elephant's skin.
The company that operates the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus says in a letter to the commission that the company's elephant management practices are in line with federal guidelines.
County leaders say they've looked at Redmond, Wash., as a model of a city that has banned the exhibition of wild or exotic animals.
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