Animals Used for Entertainment

Animals aren’t actors, spectacles to imprison and gawk at, or circus clowns. Yet thousands of elephants, bears, apes, and others are forced to perform silly, difficult tricks under the threat of physical punishment; carted across the country in cramped, stuffy semi-truck trailers; kept chained or caged in barren, filthy enclosures; and regularly separated from their families and friends—all for the sake of entertainment. Many of them are even forced to perform until the day they die.

Each of us can help prevent suffering and deaths by refusing to buy a ticket to watch broken animals languish in captivity or perform stupid tricks, demanding that government agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture do their jobs, and urging companies not to do business with animal-exploiting operations.

With the help of our members and supporters, PETA works globally to expose and end the use of animals in entertainment. Some of our efforts include the following:

• Conducting groundbreaking undercover investigations and colorful advocacy campaigns to inform the public

• Persuading government agencies to hold circuses, roadside zoos, marine parks, and other operations accountable when they apparently violate the law

• Encouraging companies to refuse to promote or sponsor elephant rides, tiger encounters, “swim with dolphins” excursions, the Iditarod, or other animal attractions

• Advocating for pro-animal legislation

• Organizing spirited protests outside businesses and company headquarters to help prevent new animal-exploiting attractions from opening

• Calling on roadside zoos and traveling menageries to do the right thing by retiring animals to reputable sanctuaries

• Persuading county and state fairs to exclude wild animals from their attractions

This multifaceted approach yields scores of victories for animals imprisoned and used by the entertainment industry around the world.