MSU officials ban circus from Breslin

As someone who worked the circus at Breslin when I was at MSU as well as the Lipizzaner Stallions at my current job. I realize 1 thing. People who protest the these shows are stupid. PETA is all about condeming animal shows because they have no idea what goes on. They are a do what I say and we’ll be happy group but go against us and we’ll pitch a hissy fit and act like a 5 year old group. If you can see the way the circus and Lipizzaner Stallion crew treats the animals you would be amazed. They are treated better then must humans. However PETA is run by a pyscho leader who wants everyone to think like her. I however love the look in children’s eyes when they see the talents of animals at the circus and the beauty of the Lipizzaner Stallions. Maybe PETA should protect all the babies pro-lifers are demanding born. Animals or human babies……hmm which is more important?

MSU has let this show go on for 16 years and all of a sudden they stop it. Someone with deep pockets and a lot of grease is the reason behind this. Which is sad considering all the arena employees who are losing out on money and the university itself. But hey mybe you’re mommy and daddy will pay more so you can sleep better knowing that animals aren’t being used to bring pleasure to children.

I cannot believe MSU is paying any attention to SPAR, which is nothing but a terrorist wannabe group like PETA. Was it not PETA who fire bombed Ag. Hall a few years back?
I can’t support a public university that gives in to a terrorist group like SPAR. No more donation money from me.

Terrorist group? Please explain to me how SPAR is promoting any sort of terror. Demanding that animals have, at the very least, respect and a proper living environment is NOT an act of terror. Other than the fact that we feel that animals are not meant for human’s profit and use, we are not like PETA.

Animals ARE meant for human’s use and profit. What else are they for then?

Strange how a few self centered brainless people can rule over the majority. In this country it seems more and more that the minority groups seem to be able to over what the majority want in this so called free country we live in. It is hard to know that the heads of MSU are so spineless that they let this group of studenets dictate what goes on on campus. What next? Are they going to ban the stallion expo, the horse shows and every other animal related event that is typical of MSU? Personally I think this group should be banned from going to school at MSU. How about getting rid of all the trouble makers from campus?

The more I hear about PETA, the more I like my pets instead of people!

Carol,

Please back up your claim that we are “brainless people.” If you’d like to make a pro-circus point, I suggest you do so and refrain from name calling that only makes you seem immature and rude.

Ashley,

Carol exaggerates when she says you veganish animal rights hippies are brainless. But you do suffer from greater brain shrinkage

http://www.philly.com/philly/living/CTW_health_20081231_Veggies_and_the_Shrinking_Brain.html

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Will this stay at just the “wild animal” level, or will this trickle down to work, companion, and market animals? Will this agricultural university eventually cave to those who believe “better dead than captively bred?”

This is RIDICULOUS! MSU is a Land Grant Agriculture School. I can’t believe MSU is banning animal performances from campus, basically to please one small student group. Giving in to this group is horrible- what’s next, getting rid of the Horse Management and MSU’s world renown Arabian Horse breeding program because the horses are performance animals? How about the Dairy herd- some of the cows are also shown. Then there is the mink program – one of the few in the country (and it isn’t just about raising them for fur, most of the research is trying to increase mink populations in the wild). Then will the the Vet College go because “it’s just horrible that the students actually practice and learn medicine on animals”?

I am all for the humane treatment of animals, even if they are meant to wind up as food on someone’s plate, but PETA and SPAR thake things too far. PETA exgagerates things in is propganda and looks for the worse cases- they ignore the majority and only tell part of the story.
Should performance animals be treated humanely, live in clean and comfotable conditions, receive proper nutrition and health care- yes! Most performance animals get all this, especially ones owned by perfessional organizations, like a circus in the USA. Think of it this way- if the animals aren’t treated well, they won’t perform well. So even if it was only from a financial aspect- it is needful to treat performaning animals well. Most orgizations and people who have performance animals also treat them well because they value the animals for themselves and wouldn’t harm them even to make a few bucks.
This is the modern USA- not some 3rd world country or the Middle Ages. There are laws to help ensure performance animals are treated in a humane manner. Most circus, zoo, and rodeo animals are treated well in the USA.
I think SPAR needs to research their targets better. Go for the few bad apples out there and leave the good ones alone. Try to promote good treatment through education- like pets should be spayed/neutered, receive good vet care, and have good diets. Educate people on how to treat animals- not negatively bash/protest against/ populize the worse cases or all those who aren’t SPAR/PETA supports or agree with them. Organize fundraisers to help out animals in need (need expensive surgeries, need food, to be rescued) not those already in good “homes”.

Why don’t people like SPAR and PETA work for the good of animals or even fight against abortion? Why are you not out looking for the starving animals and abused animals? Take them home with you and feed them. Seems like you have enough money to cause problems, why not use that money for good instead. People’s rights in this country are slowly being taken away by groups like this. Find a cause, create all kinds of problems, scream and shout on rooftops until your tantrums get you what you want. Still amazes why the heads of MSU can’t get a spine and tell you where to go.

Ashley, where is your proof that these animals are being abused?

Ashley,

Has SPAR investigated the ‘allegations’? Does SPAR have documentation to show how the animals are being mistreated? If the allegations are true, then it is ethical to not have the circus perform. However, if these are only allegations, it IS NOT ethical to close the circus. SPAR is then guilty of ‘mistreating’ the circus.

Claim backed up- Yes, it is true that a strict plant based diet is low in B-12, but lucky for me I take a supplement. Therefore, your claim has no validity towards my own diet.

Carol- we DO fight for the good of all animals. One way to prevent the number of stray, starving and neglected animals is to spay and neuter your pets to prevent the mass homelessness that is running rampant in this country. There is no way we could take in all of these animals on our own and give them a healthy living space. It is a catch 22 with the homeless animals in this country. But yes, SPAR is involved in many different causes, the circus was just one of these.

As far as proof that these animals have been abused, I quote:

“Though it’s true SPAR accuses Royal Hanneford Circus of animal abuse, the circus does not deny being cited more than 20 times for USDA violations, nor does it deny employing elephant trainer Tim Frisco. Frisco was caught on tape beating elephants and instructing other would-be trainers to “hurt ‘em!”- State News April 2008

It is also true that these animals do not perform a certain number of tricks (i.e. bears riding bikes) without the use of fear. Animals do not instinctually or naturally stand on their front legs and trunks, or walk on the their hind legs.

SPAR did in fact investigate the circus while it was in town and got photos of the chained elephants, who were expressing physical signs of discomfort (shaking thier heads). I can get you more information if you’d like, I don’t have it handy as of now.

I would appreciate everyone’s respect on this topic, as I have been respectful to everyone else’s opinions and statements.

Massive kudos to Ashley and the rest of SPAR for helping to end this cruel “tradition”.

With so many non-animal circuses thriving these days, such as Cirque du Soleil, it’s wonderful to see that companies like Royal Hanneford that profit from the abuse of animals are running out of places to peddle these shabby business.

Ryan & Ashley – what have you personally done to help the homeless or abused dogs, cats, and other animals in this country? Have you been to the rescues and help clean or feed? Have you donated your time or money to see more animals spayed or neutered? It seems to me you could focus more on the prevalent issues like these than the “glamor” issue of the circus that your group has now profited from.

What have I done? I have two rescue cats, a rescue turtle (hit by a car), two purebred rescue dogs, and one rescued horse. I volunteer my time to a cat rescue. Oh, and two show horses. My life profits from all these pets of mine.

You don’t get rid of the whole because a small part is broken. You fix the problem not destroy the whole thing. Instead of trying to get rid of of preforming animal events you need to just concerned only that the animals have humane training and treatment. You should never be allowed to dictate who owns what or where. Just that the animals are not abused or starved. It is a God given right to have animals for our pleasure and use. Almost all animal owners love and care for their animal very well. It must be time to form a people’s rights organization to fight back against high minded people that think they have the rights to tell the world how to live and what to own.

I find it intriguing that no one seems to be commenting on the intrinsic irony (and double standard) involved in this decision. Specifically, MSU supports both factory farming AND animal testing! But we’re not going to allow a CIRCUS? So, animals can be caged and shackled, living lives of torment, for our profit and consumption, as long as this all happens outside of public view (and not in Breslin). This decision on the part of our administration smacks of concern over public self-presentation, rather than any type of devotion to higher moral principles.

Carol, please avoid commenting, you are stupid.

Ashley Kudos to you and to all Animal protecting organizations,
there is no probe that GOD (like some people claim) put animals in this world for “our pleasure and use”…are you kidding me? that is exactly why this world is the way it is…

Thanks to MSU Admon. for banned this unhumane Circus to be schedule on MSU campus.

“tell me how you treat your animals, I will tell you the cultural level of your country” -Mahatma Ghandi.

OK Ashley…you win. Perhaps you would like to take Zeke The Wonder Dog’s place and jump for frisbees at Spartan Stadium? Let’s ban another tradition, eh!

I can barely believe how incredibly fucking stupid this is on MSU and SPAR’s account. Last I checked PETA website only listed allegations, with no proof what so ever. Sounds like a lot of these SPAR students need to either find something better to do with their time, or research allegations accordingly and admit when they are wrong, rather than push the bull shit to forward their own agendas. How exactly does SPAR respond to the fact that they cut one million dollars in local charity donations? I can’t slap an elephant on it’s ass anymore, and the children will pay for it. Great trade off there.

I agree with Voice of Reason. It seems that people forgot about the significant local charity donations. I think members of SPAR should use their efforts to help raise the money that they ultimately took away from the Caravan Youth Center.

Also, was it necessary to say Drew Winter is a columnist for The State News? He is the president of SPAR, which is the topic of the news story. This story could have been better developed and the fact that you interview a writer for the paper makes the story one-sided.

We want to know if there was actual proof of animal abuse. Where is the documentation that led to the ban or was it just a small angry group of students with allegations? Did you, as a reporter, even try interviewing someone in charge of the circus?

Steven: very astute! I was looking at it merely from PETA’S “better dead than captively bred” philosophy and never considered the animal testing argument.

Michigan State University should not be dealing with a group that would, if it could, eliminate many of the activities, programs and courses of study that the university offers.

PETA does indeed have an odd agenda towards animals. IF the performance animals are humanely treated, there is no reason to stop the Circus. But PETA was instrumental in bringing to light many atrocities committed in various slaughter facilities throughout the United States. It is a double edged sword.

Carol, you make comments about people interfering with your “God Given” rights. But, you thought people should put their time to good use fighting abortion. Give me a break. I would say a woman’s reproductive decisions are far more important than animal ownership. Unless you are willing to adopt a couple of unwanted children, STFU.

I have a dog, two cats and three horses. They have great lives. If I could be reincarnated as one of them, I would do it. Free food, shelter and medical; its a pretty good gig.

This is stupid to even think of abusing performance animals. An animal like an elephant that weighs a few thousand pounds is abused then it will lash out not perform like it should. As for the Lipizzaner Stallions, those horses are wort thousands of dollars, hey are treated like kings. I know i have worked with a stable that housed them when they come to town. There are many practices that seem like they are cruel to animals, if you don’t understand how our world works. I raise beef cattle, we show and slaughter our own animals and i don’t find a problem with that. If you don’t want to eat animals that is fine i don’t care, but pushing others to do the same is wrong.