Dane County Board votes to ban elephant acts

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Dane County is First Wisconsin Community to Ban Elephant Acts

Last night, June 7, 2012, Dane County became the first Wisconsin community to ban the exhibition of elephants for amusement or entertainment. The County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance amendment banning such exhibitions by a vote of 23 to 9. (See how they voted here.).

No new elephant acts shall be allowed at the county's auditorium or exhibition center. Current county contracts with the Zor Shriners, who bring the George Carden circus to Madison every year, however, shall be honored until the final contract runs out in 2020.

Opposition for the ban, which came largely from circus supporters outside of Wisconsin, were greatly overshadowed by local public support.

Last night's passage of this ban marks the end of an era which included many years of AFA-organized public protests, educational leafleting, USDA complaints, and vigilant monitoring of elephants at the county's Alliant Energy Center when the circus came to town. The legislative effort was initiated in February of 2011 when AFA representatives presented the case for an elephant ban to the general membership of Progressive Dane and received a unanimous vote in favor of an immediate ban on elephant performances.

"This is a step in the right direction - the direction of ending cruelty against elephants at Dane County facilities," said Supervisor Al Matano, who introduced the ban.

He also stated that the work does not end today. "Members of the Dane County Board have pledged to monitor compliance with the contracts, by attending the circuses to observe the conditions the elephants experience."

AFA thanks everyone who took the time to come out and speak for the elephants and to all 23 Supervisors who voted in favor of the elephant ban. Eloquent oral testimony came from citizens of Dane County, members of the County Board, and members of Alliance for Animals.

We especially wish to thank Supervisor Al Matano for his courage in introducing the ban and for his steady efforts to see it passed. Many people worked toward this landmark change in county policy; we thank them all. The animals are fortunate to have them working on their behalf.

Please thank your supervisor if he/she cast one of the important votes in favor of this amendment.

County Board meeting can be watched here.

Alliance for Animals is once again proud to be a sponsor of the second annual Mad City Vegan Fest to be held on Saturday June 9 at the Goodman Community Center.

The schedule of speakers is now available online! You don't want to miss this exciting event. With restaurants such as Green Owl Cafe , Igo Vegan , and Ste Martaen you won't leave hungry. There are over a dozen vendors and exhibitors. Yoga demonstrations, food demonstrations, and inspirational speakers!

We just can't tell you how excited we are about this! Call all of your out-of-town friends and relatives and make this a day you will never forget.

When: Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa Street, Madison

Help MCVF advertise!

Download these Vegan Fest posters to hang up around your work area, neighborhood, or local stores to help MCVF spread the word!

• Vegan Fest flyer (color)
• Vegan Fest flyer (black & white)
• Vegan Fest bookmarks

UW-Madison Resurrects Cruel Maternal Deprivation

MOTHERS DAY CANCELED: UW SCIENTISTS REVIVE HARRY HARLOW'S CRUEL MATERNAL DEPRIVATION

Maternal deprivation -- crushing a monkey's spirit by raising him or her without a nurturing caregiver -- was invented and promoted by UW-Madison's Harry Harlow and his students in the 1970s and 80s. Harlow's experiments with maternal deprivation are widely acknowledged as being profoundly cruel.

Compassionate people everywhere are urged to speak out against this revival of Harry Harlow's cruel methods by calling and writing Dr. Robert Streiffer, Chair of the university oversight committee responsible for approving these experiments, and urging him to do everything he can to bring this outrageous ethical backsliding return to cruelty to the attention of the entire campus and to do everything he can to stop them.

For Dr. Streiffer's contact information and much more detail see:
Harry Harlow's Cruel Maternal Deprivation Returns to UW-Madison

 

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