The Circus

Raiser

Hi All,

I have a two year old at home that loves animals and eating sweets - Now if the two pursuits were to coincide at the Circus she'd be deleriously excited, happy etc.

We decided at home a while back that we were anti-Circus due to the oft publicised issues of animal mis-treatment, cruelty, savage training methods etc. etc. [mainly on the strength of one UK TV programme I think.

Anyone know is this indeed the truth here ?

Alternatively - if you can vouch that the Circus behind Superquin in Limerick has decent standards and does not mistreat its cast I might make one exception and visit

Glowing

Hi Raiser, do you know what company it is?

I went to a circus once, a few years back and I swore never again. Unless its an animal-free circus then I wouldn't bother. Its the nature of the industry that they can't really provide a suitable environment for the animals, i.e travelling around the country on the back of trucks.

Since your daughter is only two, why not bring her to the zoo or to a petting farm instead .... not a whole lot better but at her age, it won't really matter where she gets to see them.

Sigma Force

Any circus that has wild animals in it is a no go after all what kind of near natural life do they have not to mention the stress of travelling and the noise of the public etc etc. Only choose non animal circuses is my advice.

2 years old don't need sweets, a 2 year old shouldn't really even know what sweets are, stick to strawberries and grapes if she has a sweet tooth it sets them up for life. (I sound like a horrible mother lol.
If you are near Wicklow try somewhere like Glenroe open farm it's a clean run place that has animals she can come in contact with. Being so young she won't know if she is or isn't missing out on something by going to the circus.

My 8 year old knows why we don't go and she has never asked to go even when her friends have gone. I will not let her go with us or with a party or friends instead we take her to places like animal parks in the UK or Fota which kids love, the fresh air the space to run around the animals and the wee train/bus thing that goes around a two year old would love that.

golden

Hi there, here is a link showing abuse to circus animals http://www.circuses.com. This link might make up your mind either way

Bernard Hopkins

gosh,.... never ever go to a circus , and spread the word too.

these wild animals are much like humans in emotions, ...they should have family structures, hierarchy , natural activities and diets.
theres not a circus in the world that provides for its animals.

the animals werent born in a circus,... its a big money business catching wild animals, and smashing their mentality, to train their minds to perform acts which children might find entertaining.

this summer there will be a circus in the sandyford area,... where the camp is based and you should go up and take a look at the animals "mobile home".
elephants cramped into a 20ft container like sardines.

they should be banned, anybody who thinks the life of a human is more important than the life of an animal is suffering from a superior ego.

dont go to the zoo either,... more of the same profit making operations at the expense of animals lives.
dont be fooled into thinking,.."ah sure they got a 20 metre stretch of grass to run about in".......... they should travel 100's of miles in thier natural lives.

the lions are like bag's of bones,... not tlike the muscle ball physique of the lions on the plains.

now thats my piece,...... anybody disagree ??

Bernard Hopkins

.

Raiser

Hmmmm - yeah, as I feared..........

......Will travel back to Buttercup Farm in Co. Limerick next sunny day, is a nice place to stroll around and the animals seem happy.

P.S. That is of course true re. the sweets etc. GPR, was included like that for comic effect I promise - she is allowed the very occasional treat though on days out etc.

skink

Bernard Hopkins wrote:

they should be banned, anybody who thinks the life of a human is more important than the life of an animal is suffering from a superior ego.

dont go to the zoo either,... more of the same profit making operations at the expense of animals lives.
dont be fooled into thinking,.."ah sure they got a 20 metre stretch of grass to run about in".......... they should travel 100's of miles in thier natural lives.

the lions are like bag's of bones,... not tlike the muscle ball physique of the lions on the plains.

now thats my piece,...... anybody disagree ??

Before i go into anything i would just like to point out i am not trolling, and am asking these questions out of genuine interest,

Bernard are you with ALF or some other such organisation?

do you really believe what i have highlighted in bold?

Rozabeez

Stick to your morals I'd say, my folks never took me to the circus (because of the animals.) and 17 years later I wouldn't go given the choice.

Bernard Hopkins

lol,........ no im not alf or anything like it !!!

that was just me being myself
actually i never heard of anybody opposing circus's before reading this thread !

but yes i do believe life is equally important to all,... mind you if im being bitten by a mosquito i'd kill it,.... but spiders freak me out and i'd NEVER kill one of them.
I prefer to save flies rather then kill them,.... and apart from the mozzies, i havent so much as swatted a fly in 20 years.

i do eat meat , but buy free range eggs, i dont like Cruff's , but id watch a horse race,...... so im not exactly at the point id like to be,.... but half way is better than average so im content enough !!

julesrtc

go here instead!!!!

http://www.fotawildlife.ie/index.html


FOTA Wildlife Park is situated 10km east of Cork City, just off the N25. Take the Cobh Road (R22) The entrance to the park is just before Belvelly bridge.



There is a Direct Rail Service to FOTA Wildlife Park Station. Cork to Fota only 15 minutes. This train connects to intercity trains to Dublin. Click here to view timetables.




Fota is only 15 minutes from Cork Airport.

cowzerp

Irish Big Top wrote: »

There is nothing wrong with animals in circus. They have been part of traditional circus entertaiment for generations. All the irish circuses look after there animals with the utmost sincerity and they have the very best in housekeeping practices. all animals that work in circuses are born in the circus and well cared for by their handlers. the ISPCA in the south of Ireland and the USPCA in the north of Ireland have visited irish shows on many occassions and never once have found any incidents of cruelry or abus of animals on irish shows.

Training Lions and Tigers etc to do tricks is definetly done by harming these animals, there not dogs that would do it to make you happy!

Anyone who goes to a circus with wild animals is just supporting wild animal abuse, 1st them been taking from the wild, then treated poorly and been made to do stupid things that there not meant to do.

Circuses with wild animals in it wil be banned eventually and lots of councils already oppose them as it stands..

Traditional means nothing-Someone could say they do dog fighting as its an old tradition, does that make it ok?!

Lauragoesmad

Hi OP,
Maybe an dog day out would suit your child more. There are plenty of agility trials and shows coming up during the summer. I think dogsaid and PAWS have an open day every year. This would reinforce your childs love for animals and promote awareness for shelters too. Everyones happy!:)
And plus, ya can bring as many sweets as ya like.:D

ncmc

dont go to the zoo either,... more of the same profit making operations at the expense of animals lives.
dont be fooled into thinking,.."ah sure they got a 20 metre stretch of grass to run about in".......... they should travel 100's of miles in thier natural lives.

While I am not a massive fan of zoo's, I think it is wrong to lump them in the same category as circus's, most modern zoo's are very much into conservation and breeding the animals in a safe environment. I suppose in an ideal world, there would be no need for zoo's, but the reality is that where it not for zoo's with their breeding and conservation programmes, there would be a lot of breeds of animals that would not be around in our life-times. I know this isn't the case for all zoo's, but most, certainly in the 1st world are doing a lot to prevent extiction.

An example:

http://www.dublinzoo.ie/inside.asp?pageId=4&sectionId=2&level=1

G&T

The camel's grazing on the waste ground
beside B&Q in Limerick look neither healthy
or happy.

I would only take my family to an animal free
circus.

Sigma Force

Just in case people didn't see it the origional post was posted in 2007.

"There is nothing wrong with animals in circus. They have been part of traditional circus entertaiment for generations. All the irish circuses look after there animals with the utmost sincerity and they have the very best in housekeeping practices. all animals that work in circuses are born in the circus and well cared for by their handlers. the ISPCA in the south of Ireland and the USPCA in the north of Ireland have visited irish shows on many occassions and never once have found any incidents of cruelry or abus of animals on irish shows."

Just because something is a tradition doesn't make it right.
Just because an animal is born into a situation doesn't always make it right.
You don't have to hit an animal to have it cruelly treated, confining a wild animal and not providing the space and enrichment alone is bad practice.

Ban wild animals in circuses I say..they might of been born in a circus environment but they are still wild.

bigpinkelephant

Irish Big Top wrote: »

There is nothing wrong with animals in circus. They have been part of traditional circus entertaiment for generations. All the irish circuses look after there animals with the utmost sincerity and they have the very best in housekeeping practices. all animals that work in circuses are born in the circus and well cared for by their handlers. the ISPCA in the south of Ireland and the USPCA in the north of Ireland have visited irish shows on many occassions and never once have found any incidents of cruelry or abus of animals on irish shows.

Vested interest? :rolleyes:

sorella

Our thoughts exactly...

bigpinkelephant wrote: »

Vested interest? :rolleyes:

bigpinkelephant

Irish Big Top wrote: »

the ISPCA in the south of Ireland and the USPCA in the north of Ireland have visited irish shows on many occassions and never once have found any incidents of cruelry or abus of animals on irish shows.

Aah, there's no obvious cruelty (beating etc) at the shows, in front of hundreds of people, but what about behind the scenes?