The days of taking the kids for a fun day under the big top might be a thing of the past in L.A. if new rules banning animal entertainment go into effect. Originally the proposal before the City Council was designed to protect the welfare of animals being brought out for house parties and other questionable activities, but the ban would also include more ‘traditional’ animal entertainment, like circuses.
“This legislation is intended to protect the welfare of the exotic and wild animals. And entertainers, whether it’d be Ringling Brothers or somebody in the street who doesn’t uphold these same values, aren’t welcomed to the city of Los Angeles,” Councilman David Ryu told KPCC in defense of the regulations he initiated.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, predictably, doesn’t think any new rules are a very good idea. It accuses Ryu of staging a political stunt that won’t really do much to protect animals, and suggests that instead of booking the Staples Center for its next round of performances, it'll be taking its show outside city limits.
Councilman Ryu’s district includes some of the Hollywood Hills’ most notorious party houses and he’s been doing his best to shut down some of the crazier antics, including putting forward more restrictive rules for noise violations at parties. Several of the most-publicized cases of out-of-control parties that precipitated those ordinances were reported to have involved wild animals rented for guest amusement, something that might seem like a dodgy idea, but isn’t explicitly banned under current L.A. law.
As written, the rules would pretty much ban using wild or exotic animals for any type of entertainment. The only exceptions would be accredited zoos and licensed animal handlers for filming work.
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