SANTA FE – The circus may no longer be allowed to come to town, but dog and pony shows would still be OK.
The Santa Fe City Council’s Finance Committee on Monday endorsed without discussion an ordinance amendment to ban traveling animal acts involving wild or exotic animals. Rodeos, dog shows or pig races are among the animal-based entertainment that would still be allowed.
The full council on Wednesday will consider issuing notice for a Sept. 13 public hearing on the circus animals ban.
The amendment outlaws exhibitions of wild or exotic animals performing tricks, giving rides, or participating “as accompaniments for the entertainment, amusement, or benefit of a live audience.”
The amendment does allow for animal exhibitions that are exclusively for educational purposes.
The amendment includes a definition for wild and exotic animals to include snakes – meaning, apparently, no Alice Cooper shows at the Lensic – ostriches, wolves, bears, seals, monkeys and elephants, among others.
It excludes from the ban “commonly accepted domesticated” cats and dogs, as well as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses and ponies – animals that often appear at fairs and rodeos.
“These are not domesticated animals we’re talking about,” City Councilor Signe Lindell, sponsor of the amendment, said in a phone interview. “This is totally targeted toward exotic animal acts.”
Lindell said many animals covered under the amendment are subjected to abuse or stress during training.
“It’s not natural to make an elephant stand on its head or a bear roll over,” she said.
There’s been a growing trend against such performances. According to Animal Defenders International, 71 jurisdictions in 27 states and dozens of countries all over the world have full or partial bans on performances by circus animals.
Just this year, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus folded its tent after 146 years, and SeaWorld San Diego ended its shows involving killer whales. Both had been under pressure by animal welfare groups to end the shows. A circus with elephants and other animals acts was scheduled in Santa Fe in July but canceled.
Jessica Johnson, of Animal Protection Voters, applauded the proposal. “No animal deserves to be tortured or harmed for entertainment purposes, whether it’s a circus, or rodeo, or anything that features animal acts,” she said.
Asked if it goes far enough by banning circus animal shows but not rodeo competitions, Johnson said, “I think in many ways it makes sense to separate them because there’s so much momentum (against circus acts) nationwide. I do think it would be smart for the rodeo industry to watch that momentum and consider how to adapt to the main values of people in New Mexico.”
She noted that horse tripping – an event in Mexican rodeos, or charreadas – wasn’t banned in New Mexico until the 1990s and it took 17 years to get legislation passed to outlaw cockfighting. “It takes a while for public opinion to change,” she said.
Johnson said that while Albuquerque has a ban on circus show animal acts, circuses are still held on the Expo New Mexico grounds because it’s state property.
