League of Humane Voters of New York City

Chris Bragg of The Villager writes in this week's issue:

In making their point on Saturday that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is cruel to animals, the League of Humane Voters of New York City was not subtle: Outside Madison Square Garden they chained and "beat" a person in an elephant costume with the same type of bull hook the circus uses to discipline elephants.

During the circus's first New York performance this year, John Phillips, the director of the N.Y.C. League of Humane Voters, said the group wants this to be the last year elephants and other wild animals are used in the circus.

"Ringling has been fined tens of thousands of dollars by the U.S.D.A. [United States Department of Agriculture] and is responsible for the deaths of at least 24 elephants since 1992," he said. "They cannot be trusted to take care of animals properly. In fact, the Bronx Zoo plans to retire its elephants to a sanctuary because they can't adequately meet the needs of their elephants. Who on earth believes that Madison Square Garden is a suitable environment for wild animals?"