Should Animals be Used as Circus Performers

No, Animals should not be used as performers because it robs them of their natural freedom. We are using creatures that should be free and be able to live a natural life be used for our own entertainment. This is not living at all. It is proven that animals in the Circus live a depressing life of domination, confinement, and violence. We all see how some circus owners treat their animals that they are using for performance. Some animals are whipped and shocked just to preform tricks for our so called "amusement." Many animals in the circus experience horrendous living conditions.


Yes, I believe that animals should be used as circus performers, because the animals are protected. Not all circuses have animal cruelty. An article from theguardian.com had lots of research done with it that showed that not all circuses abuse animals for training. Bobby Roberts Super Circus for example, makes sure that their animals are treated well. For example, the author of the article in question went to see a performance of Great Britain's super Circus to find that the animals were treated well. When a trainer performed a trick with 5 Bengal Tigers, there was no whipping or chair brandishing, the trainer merely tapped on the table, and the tigers did the trick similar to a domestic cat doing a trick to get a reward. After the performance the author went to see the conditions of the animals and saw the audience petting the animals. The author asked a trainer if the animals were being abused in anyway to which the trainer replied, "if they were abused, wouldn't they be shying away from the people?" This gives us the side that animals are actually doing well in circuses and are being treated fairly.

I have surveyed many people and all of them said No for similar reasons. One said that the animals are not treated humanely and are lashed and abused and not taken care of properly. Another said that animals being used in circuses is cruel and inhumane. Another said that they get tortured and they are not in their natural habitat and are used for human entertainment that is unnecessary.

I believe that animals should not be used as circus performers unless it is clear that the animals are being treated well and there is no signs of abuse or neglect. Some circuses treated their animals performers well and fed them good food, take proper care of them and where they live, make sure that they get proper excersise and make sure that no one is abusing them. Other circuses don't care about the animal performers and only care about the wealth that they generate. This is immoral and inhumane.