Animal activists from across the Southern Highlands plan to come together outside Stardust Circus in Moss Vale on October 19 to demand an end to the use of animals for human entertainment.
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Some members of the Southern Highlands community have rallied around the new NSW parliamentary inquiry into exotic animals in entertainment and expressed their relief that the inquiry would finally shed light on the conditions captive animals including lions, monkeys and dolphins face.
Animal Justice Party Southern Highlands group leader Leon Gross said animal exploitation was not entertainment.
"Dying businesses like Stardust Circus which profit from imprisoning animals and forcing them to perform for baying crowds have no place being in the Southern Highlands or in New South Wales," he said.
"Animal circuses play no meaningful role in education or conservation, instead they promote lifelong suffering of wild animals, dominance and disrespect. Our community has a no tolerance stance on animal cruelty.
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"We do not appreciate these businesses, which force animals to live and travel in small cramped cages and make them carry out unnatural, mindless tricks in loud, frightening circus tents, setting up shop in our region. Paying to see a circus which exploits animals is paying for animal torture. The majority of the New South Wales community finds the exploitation of animals in the circus completely unacceptable.
"Over 40 councils across Australia have banned the use of animals in the circus. But this isn't enough for these tortured animals, we need a state wide ban."
Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who will be serving as deputy chair of the inquiry, expressed her gratitude to the community for helping bring the issue of animals in entertainment to parliament.
"The inquiry into the use of animals for so-called 'entertainment' is long overdue, but it is thanks to animal activists like those here in the Southern Highlands region it is finally on the parliamentary agenda," she said.
"The Southern Highlands community knows that circus living conditions are hugely detrimental to these animals, causing severe stress, boredom, and frustration. That's why they're exercising their right to protest this animal cruelty.
"Our weak laws have failed these animals long enough. This inquiry is the first step to ensuring enslaving animals for "entertainment" ends once and for all.
