City bans circuses from Huntington Beach

Jose Paul Corona

The City Council passed a law last week banning any circuses,

fairs or livestock shows from setting up in Huntington Beach.

Impassioned animal rights activists flooded City Council Chambers

imploring city leaders to prohibit circuses within city limits.

But the fight goes well beyond Surf City’s limits. Activists from

outside Huntington Beach came bearing a bull hook -- an elephant

training tool that looks like a giant fireplace poker. Trainers often

jab it into the animals’ skin, activists said.

The law, introduced by Councilwomen Pam Julien Houchen and Grace

Winchell in June, was brought to them by concerned citizens from the

Save Our Strays organization.

The group, which has long sought to open a city-based humane

shelter, contends that such animal shows are cruel.

“These animals are treated shamefully,” Surf City resident Maureen

Shrubsole said. “Circuses just really degrade the animals. They’re

made to perform tricks that they wouldn’t do normally. It’s just

wrong.”

Tom Rider, a former Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus

employee, detailed the abuse of animals at the circus and urged

council members to pass the law.

Rider was a barn man for more than two years, during which time he

took care of the elephants.

“The main reason I quit was because they wouldn’t stop beating the

elephants,” Rider said.

He saw elephants mistreated and beaten. At times, anywhere from 20

to 30 hook marks could be seen on an animal’s hide.

“I was able to witness everything that was going on,” he said. “It

was terrible.”

Linda L. Roberson, an elephant handler with Circus Vargas,

disputed the claims of cruelty.

“Our elephants are in a huge exercise pen,” she said.

Roberson said she has never seen any animals at her circus

mistreated, and contends that animals would not perform if they were.

She did concede that such practices probably go on elsewhere, but

still couldn’t imagine animals responding.

“Your common sense will tell you, we wouldn’t get any cooperation

[if they were being abused],” she said.

Councilman Ralph Bauer was the only person to vote against the

law, saying circuses are as American as apple pie.

“I feel the circus, Ringling Brothers, that’s America,” he said.

But Bauer wasn’t surprised by the large turnout of animal rights

activists.

“There’ s a strong pro-animal feeling running through our

society,” he said. “It’s pretty typical these days.”

The last time there was a circus in town, however, was in 1995 in

the parking lot of the Huntington Center Mall, Bauer said. With the

construction of the new Bella Terra mall, that wouldn’t even be

possible now.

“We don’t have a good place to put them,” Bauer said. “I don’t

believe any circus was coming to Huntington Beach.”