Stop House Bill 468!

It’s a bad day for the elephants.

Representative Richard Lawrence for Lyndon has introduced a bill into the Vermont legislature (H. 468) that would make it easier for circuses to bring these animals into the state to be bullied and abused.

Lawrence is president of the Caledonia County Fair. He wants kiddies to see the big beasts, or maybe even ride on the back of a pachyderm.

But circus acts featuring elephants are condemned as inherently cruel by the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and every other reputable animal protection organization.

Dozens of trainers and spectators have been injured and killed in recent years when elephants have gone berserk, driven mad by the sharp-pointed iron bars called “bullhooks” that are used to beat them into submission. Creatures that would roam hundreds of square miles in their natural territories are stressed beyond bearing by years of constant confinement and trailer-truck transport from town to town.

Maybe Rep. Lawrence should read news from around the country. Just two months ago, last November, an elephant that escaped from the “Family Fun Circus” at the Garfield County Fairground in Enid, Oklahoma, ran down the highway and caused an automobile collision.

The proposed legislation would eliminate the need for import permits to bring elephants into the Green Mountain State. But elephant shows ought to be outlawed, not encouraged.

You can call Representative Lawrence directly at (802)626-5917. Or contact your own legislative representative, asking them to oppose this misguided bill. To find the email address for your legislator, listed by district, go to: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/lms/legdir/districts.asp?Body=H.

For public safety, and for the sake of the health and safety of these magnificent wild animals, contact your elected officials today!