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Washington lawmakers are looking to pass a bill that would prohibit using big cats, bears and other wild animals in traveling circus acts in the state.
Senate Bill 5065 would ban animals like lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and apes from being used for performing tricks, giving rides, or other entertainment purposes in front of live audiences.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, is not clowning around with the legislation. Like many others during the COVID-19 pandemic, he watched the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” and was surprised to see large felines being treated so poorly.
“I think you measure a society by how it treats the most vulnerable members of that society, whether it’s our kids or our elders or how we treat animals,” said Liias.
Opponents say they want more clarity on the bill’s language and its potential unintended consequences.
In Washington state, traveling circuses are still allowed to bring these animals for performances. For example, the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus travels with tigers and lions and has visited Washington multiple times in recent years, testified Dan Paul from The Humane Society.
Federal officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have cited Culpepper & Merriweather multiple times for failure to provide animals with adequate shelter, space, and veterinary care.
Cities in Washington like Spokane, Snohomish, and Port Townsend and states like New Jersey, Hawaii, Colorado, and Massachusetts have passed laws to prohibit these practices.
The Washington bill is written to have teeth. Those who violate the proposed law could face gross misdemeanor charges, with penalties of up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.
The bill would not target existing certified animal facilities, like the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle or Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, which are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Animal advocates argue that the practices involved in traveling circus acts with wild animals are outdated and inhumane. Liias also pointed to the risk of injuries for animals or people if animals escape.
“Taking care of animals is an act of empathy and compassion, but boiled down it’s also science,” said Debora Munguia, a spokesperson for the Woodland Park Zoo.
“Are these traveling acts making decisions about their animals based on science and research and not in consideration of financial gain?” Munguia asked.
Opponents, however, say the bill walks a tightrope when it comes to how it would apply to organizations that work with certain cat breeds and other animals that cross between domestic and wild species.
Rebecca Faust pointed to cat breeds like Bengals and Savannahs that are crosses between domestic and wild cats and are commonly kept as pets. She suggested the bill could keep these felines from cat shows in Washington.
Debbie Goodrich, president of the Flight Club Foundation, is concerned about language in the bill that would allow cities to pass laws that are more restrictive than the state measure.
Her organization brings parrots to classrooms of low-income kids who cannot afford to travel to zoos and other facilities where they can learn about animals.
Goodrich said the term “ traveling animals act” is too broad and that the practices the bill targets should be stopped using existing animal cruelty laws.
Liias said that local governments already have the power to create stricter laws and that the bill doesn’t prevent parrot shows.
The bill passed the Senate Law & Justice Committee and, as of Friday, was in the Rules Committee where it awaits a possible floor vote.
— By Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero, Washington State Standard
Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com.
How about rodeo’s bull riding, calf roping, hunting dog competitions, all the animals at the fair. Why just these select few animals? This really makes no sense.
It makes plenty of sense, if you don’t let “perfect” get in the way of “good”.
So no steps until taken until the whole journey is done? Don’t do anything until you do everything? How does that work? Leave it to you find fault – I was betting myself you’d post something negative.
I have no problem with pets be it a bear a elephant or a dog, we have been domesticating animals for thousands of years doing everything from protecting us to feeding us and even entertaining us to us treating our pets better than we treat ourselves. Certainly I don’t want cruelty to animals any more than necessary. I would love to ride a elephant but the chances of that happening are like zero unless just maybe a circus comes to town.
Critters in the ground, critters in the trees, fungi on the stumps…morel mushrooms lined up as if “little soldiers,” gone…for the blades of a bull dozer contain no empathy. The raucous call of the pilleated wood pecker no longer echos throughout for it is destined to follow the path of the Ivory billed. The Orca mother who has carried her still-born calf hundreds of miles before she has to let it…sink to the oceans floor. Yes, these are amongst the most vulnerable members Senator Liias. Thank you recognizing the “thousand mile stare” of a caged or mistreated animal.
The perfect getting in the way of the good, this bill will affect very few animals if any in this state it still allows us to have zoos and aquariums we will still be caging and abusing animals at best this bill is virtue signaling.. add to that the hypocrisy as we continue to bulldoze land for more housing. How about we do something meaningful like getting rid of commercial fishing or getting rid of the whale watching fleet, you know save the orcas, well save the local ones seems the transient orcas are doing just fine. I want my elected leaders focusing on getting things done not wasting our time grandstanding. I got it how about we double down on our efforts to bring back our bear wolf and cougar populations instead, lots of food for them to eat trampling the woods everyday especially weekends.