05/30/16 Stop the Animal Circus in Pozega
Animal Friends reacted to the announced animal circus in Pozega
- Pozega has been warned of its violation of the Animal Protection Act and a restraining order has been required at the city level
As the wildlife circus Safari arrived in Pozega, Animal Friends reacted by pointing to a clear, strict and publicly known provision on the ban of circuses with wild animals. The association has raised this problem with the Mayor, the County Prefect of the city of Pozega, the Administrative Department for social activities and the veterinary inspection of Pozega-Slavonia County, requesting these parties implement and comply with the provisions of the Animal Protection Act.
The current Animal Protection Act states: "It is forbidden to keep wild animals in circuses and use them in circus performances and other performances involving animals." With the same Act, domestic animals are defined as "animals tamed by man and that are grown for food production, animal food, animal by-products and other economic purposes."
From the above legal provisions, Croatia clearly prohibits circuses from keeping wild animals, regardless of whether the animals perform a circus act or not. Further, the law demonstrates that camels, llamas and similar animals in Croatia are not local but wild animals and, as such, should not be part of circuses on the territory of Croatia. Therefore, the entry of the circus on Croatian territory is illegal. The public has been under the impression that the city of Pozega and other competent institutions don't care about the implementation of the Animal Protection Act, watching as it's been openly violated.
Circus animals and related entertainment animals are forced to behave unnaturally, held in unsuitable conditions, and made to suffer from imprisonment, long-distance transport and mistreatment. They are regularly deprived of food, which is used as a training incentive to improve performance. If the animals cannot complete their designated performances, they're subjected to a system of punishment.
Given the fact that more than 30 Croatian cities decided to ban all circuses with animals, Animal Friends believes that even the city of Pozega, which is famous for its culture and prosperity, does not want to "entertain" its citizens with scenes of shabby, thirsty and exhausted camels and other animals used for mindless circus entertainment.
Animal Friends expects that the authorities will respond and show they care not only for the implementation of the law, but also about sending a clear message to citizens that the use of animals in circuses to gain profits is considered primitive and an unacceptable form of entertainment that should remain part of the shameful past and, as such, is not welcome in their city nor in Croatia.
Also, Animal Friends invites circus visitors to open their eyes to the suffering and lost dignity of circus animals and to stop attending circuses that exploit animals. In this case, even participation is a violation of the Animal Protection Act.
If the city of Pozega wants to provide entertainment for its citizens and thereby teach children to have the best fun watching circuses with human acrobatics and without torturing animals, it should host circuses that lure thousands of visitors with spectacular shows and without any animals. An example of one of many such circuses is the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, which has a very clear position against animals in circuses: "We don't agree with the way the animals are dressed to do their tricks. We prefer to give jobs to human beings."