DuPage should ban animal circus acts

Re: "Responding to call for circus ban, group says animals have been treated properly at DuPage fairgrounds": (June 11)

If the DuPage County Fair Association is serious about being "advocates for good animal welfare," it should support a ban on animal circuses.

Public sentiment has turned away from seeing elephants, camels and other animals beaten until they perform confusing, demeaning and often painful stunts, and municipalities from Los Angeles to New York have responded by banning those circuses that refuse to change with the times. In 2017, Illinois became the first state to ban all traveling elephant acts.

Garden Bros. Circus, which performed recently in Wheaton, is among the worst offenders. One whistle-blower testified to seeing camels kicked, punched and whipped, and another that manager Zachary Garden beat a zebra with a 3-foot rod until the animal collapsed. He's also been cited for denying adequate veterinary care to a camel with puncture wounds on one rear leg and dried blood on both.

Last year, the circus, which has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, was prevented from using two injured horses and one with a swollen eye.

While many circuses are thriving by featuring only willing human performers, Garden Bros. and others still cling to their cruel, archaic business model. DuPage County can make them see the writing on the wall.

John DiLeonardo

Norfolk, Virginia