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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 4, 2020 03:01 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Melissa L. Shusterman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Banning Traveling Animal Acts in Pennsylvania |
| After traveling for hours in a cramped truck, a bear is prodded into another ring in another town. A reluctant young elephant, frightened by the attention and yelling, has her skin torn by a metal hook while she is “trained” to perform. Increasingly, caring Pennsylvanians have become aware of the inhumane treatment, confinement, and transport of animals in traveling circuses. While the larger acts have largely voluntarily closed down due to lack of demand and competition from cruelty free entertainment such as Cirque De Soleil, small operations with even less oversight still haul neglected animals from state to state. This legislation will prevent the transport of elephants, big cats, bears, primates, kangaroos, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, zebras, tapirs, seals, sea lions and sharks for public performances. This legislation will not prevent zoos from exhibiting animals at their facility, nor does it prevent nonprofits, educators, or wildlife rehabilitators from traveling for educational programs featuring birds, lizards, or other exempt species. Please, join me in taking a stand against animal cruelty and join me in ending the suffering of these beautiful creatures within our boarders |
Introduced as HB1812