The AVMA only supports the use of tethers for the shortest time required for specific management purposes.
I am not sure, but is this what the AVMA meant when they say the "shortest time required" for specific management purposes?
Ringling Bros.' own internal train records show that the
elephants are
chained in boxcars for an average of more than 26 hours, and
often 60-
70 hours at a time, when the circus travels from city to
city.
-- The records also show that in some cases, the elephants have
been kept
chained on trains for 90-100 hours.
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4 comments:
Wade, I think it could be argued that transport is a specific management purpose for which restraints are part of the protocol. Is 100 hours excessive? It isn't ideal, however several states and insurance carriers also require restraints during transport, so might Feld not argue that they are attempting to comply with the letter of the law? I imagine they would also argue that they are working in accordance with the spirit of the AVMA position.
Now, getting down to brass tacks... Certainly on truck shows leg restraints are rarely in place for anything approaching that amount of time. Even if elephants are chained overnight inside the truck and then make the jump eight to ten hours is more the norm. However elephants in-transit to spot dates are another matter. Leaving a Shrine date in Texas for example and moving to a date in the northeast for example, tethered hours are going to approximate the numbers you;re citing for the train. Truck transport has an advantage in that it's far easier to off load animals along the way to break up the trip, though weather considerations sometimes make that impossible.
We've talked a bit in this blog and elsewhere about animal care standards and self regulation. I'd have a hard time opposing a standard mandating periodic offloading for animals transported either by train or truck. And the issue isn't just elephants or circuses or leg restraints. I think it's hard to argue against standards requiring periodic visual inspection requiring the off loading of animals in-transit over long distances. I've seen horse transporters carrying very expensive equines who do an outstanding job, and I've seen transporters carting horses from small track to small track who are just awful. Likewise it's a joke to pretend that merely looking at a cat through an access panel in the side of a truck intended for sliding a water pan into a transport cage tells you much of anything after a couple of days. If it's too much of a pain in the ass to offload cages, it's time to redesign your trailer with enough space move around inside.
Ben
Ben,
Our cat doors are. Our cat truck door weren't. I think the only way proper regulation can be mandated is if organizations like the Vet Association don't make statement's that they will not take a stand on. They truthfully really walked a tightrope on that statement. If you are on somebody's payroll good, but get off the wall. I hate to tell you Ben but a lot of damage has been done because of it. They say "not excessive", which leaves it open for you to ask, is 100 hrs excessive? When we let these "organizations" play like that we get it jambed up our kester. Look where we are at against other animal organizations. I don't think one rodeo points out how the other one is worse. When the Derby horse broke its leg, I don't recall them pointing out, "well some horses, that can't run are sold to a packing plant." Or, you should see how the circus/rodeo/show horses do it. Leaves it open to say, no more trucks, no more trains. The Noble Vet association says, damn that's to bad, let's move on to other things.
Wade
Wade when the Derby horse went down the question I didn't hear was, "Should any horse be racing as a two year old?" Because to be a serious contender as a three year old, that's when it starts. How many Thoroughbreds break down and can't run because they're too young? How would racing be damaged if a horse had to be a true three year old before going to the track? I'm not by the way trying to take the focus off circus issues. The state of racing genuinely bugs me.
Ben
Ben,
Yes, they did ask that, and it is something that is being addressed. As it has for a few years. Like all things, they are dragging their feet, as not to offend someone, and it takes time, but they are addressing it. I personally have never cared for horse racing, for no other reason then it doesn't interest me, except studying the bloodlines. Other horse "industrys" have addressed the 2 year old industry, and have stopped showing horses under saddle as two year olds, instead opting for a "lunge line class" where the animal is judged moving for conformation, and now putting them under saddle as late 3 year olds as a Jr. horse.
It is important to address "why" something happens/happened instead of years and years of the same thing, because somebody did it 50 years ago. We as an industry, I don't think have ever address that. And I think that may be the downfall.
Wade
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