Bullhook and Chaining Ban

TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF SACRAMENTO, CA

TO PROTECT CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS I N CIRCUSES AND TRAVELING SHOWS, WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, SUPPORT A CITY ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BAN THE USE OF THE NOTORIOUS BULLHOOK AND LIMIT THE USE OF CHAINS.

This device consists of a rod ending in a steel hook. Both ends are used (the handle as a bat, the hook for jabbing extremely sensitive areas) to inflict damage and pain in violent training sessions. The bullhook's presence in the ring intimidates and reminds the conditioned elephant that failure to obey will result in severe punishment later.

Beatings are standard circus industry practice to break these intelligent, sensitive and social animals, who spend most of their lives in chains; and to train them to perform unnatural and degrading tricks.

Baby elephants are torn early from their mothers, and tied down for days and beaten with a bullhook daily. Many have died prematurely.

We reject, as unsuitable entertainment for our children, that these gentle giants and their babies should suffer the cruel violence of beatings with the bullhook - a relic of a barbaric age, which should be unacceptable in a civilized society. We request a ban on the use and presence of the bullhook, and use of other standard circus-industry tools, such as electric prods (shocking devises); baseball bats etc.

THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS CALL UPON YOU TO ENACT AN ORDINANCE THAT PROHIBITS THE USE OF BULLHOOKS OR SIMILAR DEVICES THAT MAY HARM THE ELEPHANTS SKIN AND PROHIBITS THE USE OF CHAINS OR SIMILAR DEVICE TO RESTRAIN AN ELEPHANT EXCEPT FOR THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ACTUAL MEDICAL TREATMENT WITHIN THE ENVIRONS OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO, CA.