by Jody Spear and Kelly Meyer –
MASON CITY – The 2012 North Iowa Shrine Club Circus Spectacular is in Mason City at the All Seasons Building at the North Iowa Events Center through Sunday.
(PHOTO: Shriners selling ticket son Saturday, May 12, 2012)
The times that were scheduled for Saturday’s three shows were 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 PM. Two shows are scheduled for Sunday and they will be at 1:00 and at 5:00 PM.
The admission price for the George Cardin Shrine Circus is $16.00 for adults, $12.00 for children 12 and under and under 2 were free. Unless you were blind, there were discounted coupons all over town that you could save on admission price. One coupon where a child could get in free with an accompanied adult and the second coupon was for adults, pay for one admission and the second person is free. A great deal.
Ticket sales start one hour before show time. Saturday at the first show of the weekend, the crowd started lining up early and just grew from there. Many, many children with the smile of anticipation on their face were waiting for the time for the circus to start.
Adults, as well as the children stopped to look at the elephants that are camped outside the All Season Building. Some getting their first look at a real live, gigantic animal.
Raising money to help children in need is a very noble cause, but using circuses or any “entertainment” that employs animals supports animal abuse. No matter how circuses try to defend their use of the training and treatment of animals, overwhelming evidence and documentation dictates it is not only inhumane and cruel, but also a serious threat to public safety. “Shrine Circuses” contract their shows from outside companies: this being the George Cardin Circus. http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/pdf/George-Carden-Circus-pdf.pdf
Please do not support, promote, employ or attend circuses that use animals. Circuses that utilize animals epitomize animal cruelty – not family entertainment. There is no educational value for children who attend animal employed circuses. Seeing unnatural tricks performed by wild animals does not teach children the true nature of these animals or to respect and appreciate animals, only that it is acceptable to mistreat and exploit animals for entertainment purposes.
Animals in circuses and traveling shows are subject to inhumane confinement: magnificent big cats like lions and tigers are housed in cramped cages, majestic elephants are shackled and chained in trucks and train box cars; training methods utilize violence, fear, and intimidation to make animals perform ridiculous unnatural stunts. For the few minutes you see animals “performing” they suffer a lifetime of misery. Not only is the physical abuse appalling, but the deprivation of any natural behaviors, choices and instincts is cruel.
On November 2, 2011 Congressman Jim Moran introduced The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, H.R. 3359, a bill extremely vital to the lives of these animals, to ending this cruelty and protecting the public. http://breakthechainus.com/ If passed, this federal bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act to restrict the use of exotic and non-domesticated animals in circuses and traveling shows.
Those of us who care about and respect animals will continue to advocate for their welfare and protection by raising awareness to their suffering; the more knowledgeable the public becomes about the plight of circus animals, the less inclined they will be to attend circuses that abuse and exploit these magnificent animals.
Thanks for posting this!
The shriners do great things. People could learn from these guys!!!
I couldn’t help but notice the article written by skipper in the globe today about the circus. How he goes on about how these “Circus Animal Performers Get Excited” before a show. Not true. These animals are “Frightened” into performing. I think skipper needs to do a little research.
Jody and Kelly you two are the best!
View more photos
http://public.fotki.com/Meyer-SpearPhotos/our-opinions/
Although we do support most Shriner’s organizations however, we do not support shrine circus. We do realize some people enjoy a circus.