Thursday August 20, 2009, 6:58 am
*** Take action: *** *** Take action: ***

Please write immediately to Jim Fitzpatrick at Defra,
Nobel House,
17 Smith Square,
London W1P 3JR,

asking that the UK government not only honour the promise it made 3 years ago to ban wild animals in circuses, but also extend the proposed ban to include domesticated animals too.

All animals in circuses are compromised by the travelling and temporary nature of the circus, with severe confinement inevitable and physical abuse commonplace. They have no legal protection, as there are no regulations to protect them under the Animal Welfare Act.

Bolivia has recently become the first country in the world to ban the use of both wild and domestic animals and circuses. The UK should follow their lead and implement a ban as soon as possible.