LA might ban circus elephants

Courtesy of Kristian Schuller

I have fuzzy memories of seeing the circus as a kid. The kind where I'll have to fill in the gaps as an old, senile grandmother someday.

When my sister and I were a little older my mom wouldn't let us visit the circus anymore. "They're not nice to the animals," she told us. Of course we agreed. We'd seen Dumbo, hadn't we? (If you haven't, it's heartbreaking.)

Los Angeles, California might be banning circus elephants by next year after decades of pressure from animal welfare advocates.

Southern California is already ahead of the game. Six cities have already banned circus elephants, more than in any other state. The Santa Ana Zoo and the Orange County Fair have also ceased giving elephant rides over this past year. Did you know that in West Hollywood the city government is officially calling pets "companion animals" and their owners are now called "guardians"? (Insert Hollywood cliché joke here.)

Courtesy of Richard Avedon

Ringling Brothers argues that their business undergoes frequent inspections by the Department of Agriculture, meaning their treatment of animals is humane. But then what about those undercover videos of elephants being beaten with a bull hook?

Not to get all PETA on you guys, but I'm going to have to agree with one of the organization's spokeswomen: "For the circuses, profit is always the priority. Anytime animals are used for profit, corners are going to be cut on their welfare because it's not the top priority." I have a hard time believing elephants are happier performing tricks in a hot tent instead of being in their natural habitat.

Do you think this ban is too extreme or LA is making the right decision? Let me know in the comments!

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox