Circus Lobby Targets Durham Fair and Milford

If you have attended or plan to attend the Durham Fair, this should be of particular interest to you. 
    Local opposition to two proposed elephant acts in Connecticut has caused the Circus Fans Association Of America (CFA), a national lobby group for circuses with animal acts, to post a call to its full membership for action in Durham and Milford. As you may have heard, there is sreadily-growing opposition to the proposed Elephant Encounters “circus” act at the Durham Fair with a petition of almost 3000 names and counting ready to present to the Fair’s board this Wednesday calling for the cancellation of the elephant act. Similarly, the town of Milford, reacting to public pressure, is considering an ordinance banning circuses with animal acts. 
    Consequently, Gary Payne, Chairman of the CFA’s “Animal Welfare Committee” and a frequent commenter on the Durham and Milford Patches championing exotic animal acts, has sent lists of the names and emails of the entire Durham Fair Executive Board and the entire Milford Board of Alderman to the full CFA national membership calling for each of them to contact all board members and urge them not to bow to public pressure. Payne even provides “talking points” in case some CFA members don’t fully understand what is at stake. This is nothing new for the CFA; it has used similar tactics in dozens of communities around the U.S. and Canada. Check out the CFA website (www.circusfans.org) and scroll down to “Urgent Action Needed In Connecticut” for details of its organized strategy to resist opposition to exotic animal acts in our state. 
    Understand that these CFA members are not members of our local communities just promoting good wholesome education and family fun for their neighbors; they are a national lobby for the circus community, and they dare not let too many of these public oppositions succeed. Too many holes in the dike and the whole exploitation-of-exotic-animals-for-entertainment industry could collapse.  
    What can you do? If you have not already done so, sign the petition to the Durham Fair Association calling for the cancellation of the Elephant Encounter show. You can find and sign it at:  http://www.change.org/petitions/the-durham-fair-association-cancel-the-elephant-encounter-show . If you want to appreciate more fully the opposition to wild- and exotic-animal acts, Google the HBO special on YouTube, “An Apology To Elephants.” It’s heartbreaking. Wouldn’t it be nice if Rachel Mann of Durham, who started this petition could get 5000 signatures? Tell your friends. 
    In a way it’s nice to know we’ve got them worried.
Terry and Don Bourret, Durham