Thousands of cases of animal abuse are filed each year, but less than a quarter of them lead to convictions (Friedman 34). Many of these cases filed are due to the use of animals in entertainment. Today, places like zoos, circuses, bull fights, horse races, and others use animals as amusement. These entertainment industries thrive on well trained and compliant animals, which is difficult to achieve. Trainers then use punishment and cruelty to train and care for those animals. Entertainment industries--with the exception of television and movies--should not use animals because they treat animals cruelly, they train them unethically, and they violate their rights unlawfully. Although many people agree that entertainment industries are unfair
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Trainers use many awful tactics to gain control over the animals, for example, “[Circus animals] are trained and kept under control through the use of such devices as bullhooks, clubs, whips, chains, electric ‘hot shot’ prods, food and water deprivation, and other forms of what is unemotionally labeled ‘negative reinforcement’” (Merritt n.pg.). These animals are facing extreme abuse everyday only so that they can serve as amusement for people. The listed torture devices used by trainers are not at all uncommon in entertainment industries, which is why using animals in these places must stop. Tom Rider, as well as many other former Ringling Brother employees, has spoken out about what he had witnessed while on the job. He does this when explaining, “The complaint charges that ‘Mr. Rider has identified several handlers and trainers by name who he has personally witnessed repeatedly beat the elephants in the Blue Unit, including the babies’” (USDA qtd. in Merritt n.pg.). These animals are treated cruelly and witnesses have come forth to stop their suffering, yet little has changed. Trainers teach animals in harmful and dangerous ways, which could stop by taking the animals out of
Trainers use many awful tactics to gain control over the animals, for example, “[Circus animals] are trained and kept under control through the use of such devices as bullhooks, clubs, whips, chains, electric ‘hot shot’ prods, food and water deprivation, and other forms of what is unemotionally labeled ‘negative reinforcement’” (Merritt n.pg.). These animals are facing extreme abuse everyday only so that they can serve as amusement for people. The listed torture devices used by trainers are not at all uncommon in entertainment industries, which is why using animals in these places must stop. Tom Rider, as well as many other former Ringling Brother employees, has spoken out about what he had witnessed while on the job. He does this when explaining, “The complaint charges that ‘Mr. Rider has identified several handlers and trainers by name who he has personally witnessed repeatedly beat the elephants in the Blue Unit, including the babies’” (USDA qtd. in Merritt n.pg.). These animals are treated cruelly and witnesses have come forth to stop their suffering, yet little has changed. Trainers teach animals in harmful and dangerous ways, which could stop by taking the animals out of