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CAMPAIGNS - ANIMALS IN ENTERTAINMENT
Sample Letters to the Editor
(Courtesy of Troy Seidle)
Cut'n'Paste from below, or click here to download the original MS Word file (72k).
Sample Letter #1
[date]
[name of newspaper]
[address of newspaper]
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the article [name of article] about the plight of animals in circuses.
I attended a circus last year and was filled with a deep sense of sadness and shame while watching animals "perform" for my supposed pleasure. I was relieved when the human acts came into the ring and entertained the audience with their impressive performances. They were truly amazing.
If there are other circuses that do not use performing animals but have outstanding human acts, such as Cirque du Soleil, why don’t we get them to come to our city, instead of sponsoring circuses that exploit animals? The only thing we are teaching our children about animals in the circus is how to dominate and control them. They are not seeing wild animals in their natural state.
I hope that other people, like me, will make this their last circus with performing animals.
Sincerely,
[your name]
[your address & telephone #]
Sample Letter #2
[date]
[name of newspaper]
[address of newspaper]
Dear Editor:
The circus is coming to town! But while you may see what’s happening under the big top, they don’t want you to know what goes on behind the scenes.
Animals in the circus lead lives of misery, boredom and extreme confinement. They can be transported thousands of miles each year in deplorable conditions. Most elephants spend the majority of their lives in chains. Tigers and bears are kept in cramped transport cages except when performing.
Animals in the circus don’t perform tricks because they want to; they perform them because they are afraid not to. Circuses typically use fear and intimidation to force elephants, tigers, and other animals to perform demeaning and unnatural tricks. Trainers have been documented using sharpened hooks, whips, clubs, electric prods, and other cruel devices to "teach" animals to perform.
Circuses are no fun for the animals. Teach your children to appreciate and respect animals behaving naturally, not performing stupid tricks for our amusement. Please don’t take your children to the circus.
Sincerely,
[your name]
[your address & telephone #]
Sample Letter #3
[date]
[name of newspaper]
[address of newspaper]
Dear Editor:
I read with interest the article [title of article] of [date] regarding a protest that was organized against the use of animals in circuses. This caused me to remember a story I’d heard about [description of a recent animal incident].
Such incidents highlight out the danger of using wild animals involved in circuses,
where both circus workers and the audience may be at risk. So long as circuses keep elephants, tigers and other animals under conditions of extreme confinement and deprivation, forcing them to perform demeaning and unnatural acts night after night, for weeks or months on end, is it any wonder that these animals rebel and try to escape?
Sincerely,
[your name]
[your address & telephone #]
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