April 19, 2006

The Honorable Michael Johanns

Secretary of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independent Ave. S.W.

Washington, DC 20250

Re:  USDA Investigations into Ringling Bros. Circus

Dear Secretary Johanns:

Since 1993, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has cited Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for various violations to state and federal humane treatment laws no less than twenty-eight times.  At least twenty-four elephants owned by the circus have died since 1992; many were euthanized due to foot and joint problems of such kind as are known to be caused or aggravated by captivity.  In 2004 a lion died from heatstroke, brought on due to transportation in a poorly ventilated boxcar.  In 1999 a horse collapsed while being marched in a parade.  In January 1998 a Bengal tiger was shot to death by an angry trainer.  In August 1998 a sea lion was found dead in her transport carrier.  And so on.  Many of the animals who died did so prematurely; Ringling Bros. is known to be lax with regard to providing adequate veterinary care.  Indeed, Ringling Bros. is known to be lax with regard to providing its animals basic care of any form:  these animals, frequently members of endangered species, frequently taken from the wild, are instead subject to brutal treatment of many kinds, including, but not limited to, being beaten with batons and bullhooks; forcibly and prematurely separated from their mothers; prematurely bred; required to perform even when known to be seriously ill; and confined for lengthy periods of times by means of ropes and chains.  All this is but a short list of those cruelties which are inflicted upon animals compelled, by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, to perform grossly unnatural acts for the sake of human "entertainment," and to provide monetary profit to their owners.

It has at times been alleged that the USDA turns a blind eye to the many violations of basic welfare standards committed by Ringling Bros.; indeed, it has even been suggested that the USDA is complicit, via its lack of rigorous enforcement of the law, in covering up the abusive treatment commonly meted out to circus animals.  The 2005 audit conducted by the USDA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirms that the Eastern Region office of the USDA, which has oversight of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, has been extraordinarily lax with regard the performance of its stipulated duties.  The underlying problem with the Eastern Region's Animal Care (AC) unit is spelled out in the OIG audit in definite terms:  "Due to a lack of clear National guidance, AC's Eastern Region is not aggressively pursuing enforcement actions against violators of the Animal Welfare Act."  As Secretary of Agriculture, it falls upon you to provide guarantee that corrective action is taken, that the recommendations made in the OIG audit are adopted, and that enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act be strengthened.  I am writing to ask that you ensure these goals are accomplished.  Meanwhile, until such time as the Eastern Region's AC unit is fit to carry out its duties properly, I would respectfully request that you transfer all oversight and inspection duties concerning Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to the USDA's Western Region office; further, I would request that they undertake to monitor the four investigations now pending against Ringling Bros.  These investigations concern, specifically, the previously mentioned July 2004 death of a lion by heatstroke; the August 2004 beating of a chained elephant by a Ringling handler; the August 2004 euthanizing of an eight-month-old elephant subsequent to injuries caused during a training exercise; and the December 2005 case in which injuries were sustained by two elephants after they escaped from their trainer.

Circus animals lead lives of great physical and psychological difficulty.  Deprived of the right to live in their natural environments and social groups, kept in constant confinement, transported over long distances, and forced through coercive means  to perform acts entirely unnatural to them, the guidance given by the Animal Welfare Act as to their care is, in my opinion, woefully lacking in compassion.  That even such scanty provisions as are mandated by law should be violated, but not punished, does not tell well of our concern for the lives we have taken as "property" to be used for our pleasure.  Please help to ensure that such limitations as we have seen fit to impose upon the usage of that "property" are fully respected, and that when violations occur they are met with an appropriate punishment.

Yours sincerely & etc. . . .