Please, support the Massachusetts bills H. 3245, S. 2197 and S. 2189 that will ban traveling circuses with elephants, primates, big cats and giraffes from coming into the state. Please, contact your representatives and ask them to support these bills.

The life of a circus animal is horrific, traveling from town to town in trailers in extreme heat, in small spaces where they can’t move, chained 23 hours a day, and then brought into a tent with bright lights and screaming crowds. The threat of being hit with a bullhook or whip is constant.

Forcing wild animals to do “tricks” for human entertainment is cruel and heartbreaking. These animals have a right to live their lives in peace, and to roam free with other animals at a sanctuary. It is past time that circuses with animals are shut down. Even Ringling Brothers learned that animal cruelty is no longer considered acceptable in our society. Please contact Rep. Dylan Fernandes at Dylan.Fernandes@mahouse.gov, and Sen. Julian Cyr at julian.cyr@masenate.gov.

Betsy Burmeister

West Tisbury