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At a time when circuses are dropping cruel animal acts, Loomis Bros. Circus is still forcing animals to perform. It has a history of contracting with exhibitors––such as Tarzan Zerbini, Brian Franzen, and Brunon Blaszak––known for abusing animals and violating animal welfare laws.
Tarzan Zerbini has been cited for multiple federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) violations involving dangerous interactions between elephants and humans that resulted in serious injuries to humans. Franzen has also been cited for numerous AWA violations, including for repeatedly striking an elephant around her eyes and ears. He was convicted of cruelty to animals after emaciated ponies were confiscated from a filthy trailer, and he’s been filmed repeatedly whipping and jabbing a tiger. Blaszak has also received citations for violating the AWA––one example is when his company confined six tigers to transport cages for two days without letting them out.
Tigers are majestic, inspiring awe around the world for how skillfully they range across vast habitats over hundreds of acres in nature. Yet Blaszak continues to violently threaten these cats with whips in order to make them display unnatural behavior, causing them emotional and physical distress. They’re forced to perform terrifying acts, such as walking on a tightrope and jumping through a ring of fire. When they aren’t being forced to perform, they’re confined to small travel cages in close proximity to other big cats and often denied proper nutrition and exercise.
Tigers used for entertainment are torn away from their mothers as cubs and forced to perform for human enjoyment from a young age. Causing them to suffer this way is a clear form of speciesism––a human-supremacist worldview¬¬––that needs to end now.
The Highlands County Fair Association in Florida canceled scheduled Loomis Bros. shows after hearing from thousands of local residents and PETA supporters about this cruelty, and the University of South Carolina–Aiken committed to not hosting another animal circus following Loomis Bros. performances there.
Please politely urge Loomis Bros. to join the many modern, humane circuses that only use willing human performers, by ending its cruel animal acts.