36 Hours To End Circus Animal Cruelty

— EDIT 23 June – 9:34am

In a few hours, MPs will vote on whether the government should ban wild animals in circuses. It’s going to be close. The Independent warned yesterday that government officials are leaning hard on MPs to stop them voting for a ban.

Thousands of us have already emailed our MPs asking them to end the suffering of lions, tigers and zebras in British circuses. It looks like it’s starting to work – some MPs are now speaking out saying they’ll back the ban.

A flood of calls from thousands of us – all telling our MPs to turn up and vote the right way – could be the thing to tip the balance and win the vote!

Call your MP now.

— END EDIT

Tomorrow evening, Today, MPs will vote in parliament on whether or not to ban the cruel use of wild animals by circuses. If the vote goes the right way, it would be a massive step towards ending this cruel and outdated practice.

We need to use the next 36 few hours to persuade our MPs to protect the tigers, lions and zebras suffering right now in British circuses.

Forcing wild animals to perform in circuses causes needless suffering. Beautiful wild beasts – like tigers, lions and zebras – are shunted around the country in trailers, kept alone in small cages, and forced to perform.

The best circuses have long abandoned this cruel practice and wow their audiences with talented acrobats and clowns. This Thursday’s vote is an opportunity to finally tackle those few dodgy circuses that still exploit wild animals. If we work together we can persuade our MPs to do the right thing.

Animal welfare experts like the RSPCA and the British Veterinary Association all back a ban on circus animal cruelty and they and many other animal welfare organisations have done fantastic work campaigning for a ban on wild animals in circuses. But in April this year, the government suddenly dropped plans to take action. This is despite evidence that 7 out of 10 people want circus animal cruelty stopped.  This Thursday’s vote is our chance to persuade the government to act.

We know that when 38 Degrees members work together, we can change government policy. Recently, thousands of us have been voting in an ongoing poll to decide what new campaigns 38 Degrees could be running, alongside standing up for the NHS. Nearly 85% so far have said circus animal cruelty is something we should work on together. With a critical vote tomorrow, there’s no time to lose!

Too often, circus animals are deliberately abused. For example, earlier this year Animal Defenders International revealed footage of Anne, an elderly circus elephant, being beaten with a metal pitchfork.  Luckily Anne was rescued after a people powered outcry. But the best and simplest way to stop all wild animals suffering in circuses is to ban circuses from keeping them. Please ask your MP to back a ban tomorrow.