Stop circus acts (From Bucks Free Press)

Wycombe District Council should ignore the statement from Animal Defenders International. HDC is only proposing to allow domestic animals after all - no reasonable person would suggest that horses, ponies and dogs cannot be kept satisfactorily in a circus where their training and transportation is no different to that for show horses, police horses and dogs. With so many local authorities relaxing their bans now, ADI sends out the same letter to all. It is surely aware that the Animal Welfare Act which came into force last year is wide-ranging and covers ALL animals except those used in agriculture and research so it is simply not true that "circus regulations under the act have not yey been written" It is now possible for any individual, agency or organisation (such as the RSPCA or even ADI)to initiate legal action if it thought the act is being contravened.There is no evidence that circus animal acts are considered unacceptable by 80% of the British public. Admittedly a tiny proportion of the population (1,000)said something like this when contacted by phone in a poll paid for by ADI, the methodology of which was immediately called into question. It cannot be over emphasised that circuses depend entirely on the support of the public. Fortunately people are not stupid and well able to judge whether circus animals are well looked after or not.Incidentally despite its grandiose title 'Animal Defenders International'is only a small organisation run more or less by two people - Jan Creamer who administered the National Anti-Vivisection Society from an office in Hammersmith and Tim Phillips, spokesman for the Central Animal Liberation League. In 1986 they got together, Ms. Creamer as Chief Executive and Mr. Phillips as Campaigns Director, to run ADI which seems to be a "nice little earner" for them.