By Christina M. Russo (y) Earlier this week, PETA staged a demonstration in Washington, D.C. Staffers dressed in fluffy gray sweat suits, huddled together, and arranged on the ground under a banner which read: “USDA: Confiscate Crippled Elephants from the Circus. They were splayed on the grass in the shape of an elephant. The crippled elephant at the center of the protest is a female pachyderm named Nosey. According to numerous articles, petitions and blog posts, Nosey is suffering abuse and neglect from her owner and simultaneously crumbling under her wrenching arthritis (chronic foot problems and musculoskeletal disorders are one of the leading causes of deaths for captive elephants). Despite this, her Florida-based owner Hugo Liebel is towing Nosey from city-to-city so she can lug gobs of children on her back. Furthermore, according to PETA, Liebel has been slapped with a grand display of Animal Welfare Act violations over many years — 200 violations. Meanwhile, PETA argues, the USDA is being “unresponsive” to Nosey’s plight. “We have been complaining about Nosey for more than a decade, says Rachel Matthews, council for the Captive Animal Law Enforcement Division for PETA Foundation. “PETA has supplied the USDA with documentation that Nosey is lame. The USDA has the authority to seize animals who are suffering under exhibitors and can revoke or suspend an exhibitor’s license. And the USDA has taken no action on behalf of Nosey.” Read more: https://thedodo/circus-elephants-get-blackfish-831344633.html
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 14:55:12 +0000