who do these people think they are?

[Kristina]

Organizers of the Los Angeles County Fair are planning to have elephant rides provided by the company Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT), despite learning about video evidence that the company abuses elephants.

http://vimeo.com/23564589

this makes me wanna throw up. who do these people think they are to treat these animals this way?

[Tim Gier]

Hi Kristina,

I think Roger's right about this. Unfortunately, these people think they are perfectly normal and that what they are doing is also perfectly normal. They just don't recognize other animals as individuals who ought to be able to live their own lives as best they see fit.

[Kerry Baker]

Hi Kristina.  These things will continue to happen and all that can be done is to protest.  It's the same for example with rodeos and circuses.  The need is to get as many people as possible to protest to the event organisers to stop this happening and why.  So perhaps if you can post a website for the organisers and encourage people to put in a complaint they might think twice.  I'm in Australia and there has been some success in shutting down events by sending protests to local councils.

[Monique]

 

And if anybody wants to complain to the organizers, here is an easy way to do so:

 

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserActi...

[Marguerite Blake]

Thank you Monique for the link. I signed it and spread the awareness far + wide with my massive animal loving friend base.  I really appreciate all the quick links.

[Marguerite Blake]

Just my opinion,  but humans who do force non-human species in such servitude are greedy with their desires + will use any sentient life form that makes $$. Even if they have the awareness to "know better" they will still persist at this venture for any financial reward without a care for the sentient beings wellness. Petitions to stop this from happening, press/news awareness issues to bring the public knowledge of the abuses to the animals, and ALF members are some options that might help cease this from continuing.

[Kerry Baker]

Yes agreed.  The problem here is that it is important to make sure that the elephants, or any animal in that situation, gets to have a decent life after they are rescued.  My main caution is that a process needs to be put in place to relocate them somewhere they can live as happily as possible rather than, God forbid, being killed because of protest that puts an end to their use.  I'd perhaps also contact places like animal sanctuaries, or even zoos, to see what the options are and build that into the argument. These elephants may not be able to be sent back to their native environment if they have been captive for a long time and sounds as though they are.  There was research in Africa done on some rogue elephants who had killed people and behaving strangely, and eventually they found that these animals had been horribly abused and witnessed terrible things against elephants during the Idi Amin regime and they had PTSD.  So they will need healing if they get out and I'm not sure where that might be available.