Elephant performing in Christmas event at the Phoenix First Assembly of God was abused, says Animal Defenders International
DECEMBER 12, 2014, PHOENIX, AZ – An elephant supplied for performances titled “Celebration of Christmas” at the Phoenix First Assembly of God has been filmed by Animal Defenders International (ADI) being beaten and electric shocked with stun guns by their owners Have Trunk Will Travel during training. ADI is asking the public not to pay for a ticket to the shows which continue through this Sunday.
Jan Creamer, ADI President: “Paying to see an abused elephant is not in the spirit of Christmas and we are asking audiences to stay away from this holiday show. We believe that once people see how these animals suffer behind the scenes, they will not endorse such behavior and hope that event organizers will take a responsible position and end the unacceptable use of exotic animals.
ADI has released a video about the suffering behind elephant rides and performances, “No Fun for Elephants,” with award-winning TV legend Bob Barker, who observes: “To many, it looks like harmless fun, but elephants pay a heavy price for the few minutes of entertainment they provide. [OMITTED: ‘when giving rides’] Isn’t it especially tragic when animals are suffering and being abused simply to entertain us?”
ADI has reached out to the pastors at the Phoenix First Assembly of God urging them to cancel the elephant and other exotic animal appearances at this and all future events. Event organizers have been invited to watch the No Fun For Elephants DVD and online video. http://bitly.com/nofunforelephants
Elephant rides and appearances have been abandoned by several events after responsible board members viewed the evidence, including Orange County and Los Angeles County Fairs, the city of Fountain Valley, CA, and the Santa Ana Zoo.
About Animal Defenders International
http://www.ad-international.org
With offices in Los Angeles, London and Bogota, ADI campaigns across the globe on animals in entertainment, providing technical advice to governments, securing progressive animal protection legislation, drafting regulations and rescuing animals in distress. ADI has a worldwide reputation for providing video and photographic evidence exposing behind-the-scenes suffering in the industry and supporting this evidence with scientific research on captive wildlife and transport. ADI rescues animals and educates the public.
