Hello Kimikazu,
Nowadays, there is increased awareness in the public about
mistreatment of animals in the entertainment industry. While abuse of
animals is certainly acknowledged to exist in the entertainment fields
you have mentioned, the issue is still controversial. But the general
overview shows that animal rights groups are still against captivity
or exploitation of any animal in entertainment. Whether in zoos or
circuses, fighting or racing, the groups still say that mistreatment
of the animals has still been the norm for these institutions, such as
keeping animals in substandard and uncomfortable conditions, and
making them perform or act even if they are ill or incapacitated.
Prodding with discomfort-inducing devices seems to still be the norm
in controling these animals, though the circuses and zoos claim that
rarely do they treat animals badly, and say that they are still within
the bounds of acceptable behavior. They even complain that the animal
rights groups are sometimes irrational and even going to extreme
methods such as blocking vehicles carrying animals, trying to steal
animals away, etc. The accusations flow back and forth and until now I
believe there is no final resolution between these two camps. Other
groups that are concerned about animal welfare allow animals to remain
in entertainment, but they prescribe certain rules of treatment of
these animals.
From what I can see, all that the government can do is enact
legislation to ensure some humane treatment for animals, but the
problem here is enforcement. It is usually the animal welfare groups
that take it upon themselves to do the enforcement, and yet it would
seem they resort to extreme methods. The government itself seems quite
wary of animal groups itself. So I would say the situation is still no
conclusion to the matter.
I have collected links to websites below about the issue of animal
treatment in entertainment, and I hope they'll be of help as well as
the books:
General online references:
Animal Protection Institute - Animals Used in Entertainment
http://www.api4animals.org/areas.asp?c=2&ID=58
- Here's an organization that believes any animal in entertainment is
abused.
Animal Protection Institute - Animals in the Circus -- Dying to
Entertain You
http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=68
- Article linked to by the above page stating that circus animals are
regularly mistreated.
PETA : Campaigns : Circuses/Animals in Entertainment
http://www.peta-online.org/cmp/circ.html
Justice for Animals - Animals In Entertainment:
http://www.justiceforanimals.co.za/animals_entertainment.html
- Article about animal treatment in entertainment with links at the
bottom to other articles.
Open Directory - Society: Issues: Animal Welfare: Entertainment
http://dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Animal_Welfare/Entertainment/
- Click on any of the links: Organizations, Animal Fighting, Circuses
and Rodeos, Racing, Zoos and Aquariums, and they will bring you to
lists of websites about your topic
Google Directory - Society > Issues > Animal Welfare > Entertainment >
Animal Fighting
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/Animal_Welfare/Entertainment/Animal_Fighting/
Ananova - Entertainment - Animal welfare news
http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/?keywords=Animal+welfare
- Here's where you can see some news on animals being used in
entertainment.
@InterMall: Society Issues Animal Welfare Entertainment Racing
http://www.1mall.com/ODP/Society/Issues/Animal_Welfare/Entertainment/Racing/
- Links to anti-animal racing sites
Other items:
Elephants aren't amused by circus treatment - 4/5/2001 - ENN.com
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/04/04052001/elephants_42890.asp?site=email
- Long article describing alleged mistreatment of elephants by circus
handlers.
BBC New UK - Circus trainer condemned by experts, Jan 21, 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/260062.stm
- Here is a case of animal mistreatment caught on tape and discussed
in a case.
The Digital Collegian: Group protests circus outside BJC By Mike
Caggeso, Friday, April 26, 2002
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2002/04/04-26-02tdc/04-26-02dnews-16.asp
Mayor criticizes animal activists for ignoring mistreatment of people
http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/archives3/aug02/082202/n8.html
- In this news item, the tables are turned over the animal activists.
Published 13 February 1992 in The Carolinian (The University of North
Carolina at Greensboro) "Circus accusations show animal rights
irrationality" by James M. Wallace
http://www.compleatheretic.com/pubs/columns/nocircus.html
Citizens Against Animal Cruelty & Exploitation: The Plight of Circus
Animals
http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/roar/Page4.html
- Here is another page of an animal rights organization.
Animal Welfare vs. Animal Rights
http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.org/html/aw/rights.php
- Defines the difference between these two terms
The Stage | Behind the scenes | The Animal Welfare Inspector
http://www.thestage.co.uk/connect/behindthescenes/animal.shtml
- Profile of someone in animal welfare, probably someone you can
contact for an email interview or similar.
Literature:
While I could not really single out the best books for you to refer to
(except one maybe), let me just offer sites where you could find books
on animal rights:
Animal Rights by Peter Singer, Book Review by David Kopel
http://i2i.org/SuptDocs/Enviro/enanimal.htmneshobbies.com/desktop/index.html
- The classic work that gave impetus to the animal rights movement.
Anything by Peter Singer would give the essential philosophy of animal
rights.
Animal Rights Books & Videos - Your Purchase Saves Animals
http://www.animail.com/books_animal_rights.html
- Collection of some works offered on an animal conservation site
Animal Aid : online shop : vegan and animal rights books
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/shop/books.htm
- Here is a rich bibliography of animal rights books. Animal
Liberation may be helpful, as well as Animal Century. I'm sure you
don't need the vegetarian books, though. ;)
School Accused of Animal Mistreatment
http://www.labouranimalwelfaresociety.org/news_files/School%20Accused%20of%20Animal%20Mistreatment.htm
- News item with some books mentioned below.
Animal Behavior farm livestock welfare behaviour books:
http://www.pighealth.com/MEDIA/P/BOOKS/BEHAVBKS.HTM
- I'd recommend the Animal Minds book, plus the others on animal
welfare in this list.
Animal Welfare Books
http://www.ccforaction.com/book_recommendations.htm
- Try The Modern Ark and Animal Underworld.
Other references:
SB9 - Defines Animal Mistreatment & Allows a Person Charged With
Mistreatment of An Animal to be Sentenced w/a Class D Felony
http://www.senate.state.mo.us/97info/bills/SB009.htm
Animals: Humane Education
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/AWE.html
- An article showing tips on teaching children about humaneness toward
animals.
I feel I have listed as much as can be helpful, so I'll stop here.
Google search words used:
animal welfare entertainment
animal rights books
animal mistreatment books
animal mistreatment circus
animal treatment circus
animal welfare circus
animal entertainment books
animal welfare books
I hope this has been a most helpful answer. If you need anything else,
or have a problem with the answer, do please post a Request for
Clarification and I shall respond as soon as I can. Thank you. |
Clarification of Answer by
techtor-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 01:04 PDT
Hello again, Kimikazu,
I see you are keen on the books. I had hoped the books I mentioned
briefly in the "Literature" part of my answer gave you what you need.
But have you seen it? Well, in case not, I will relist them in my
clarification here. I will use the bibliography of the API and may
repeat some of the books I mentioned above.
I found a book that text of which seems to have been put up online:
Animals in Circuses and Zoos: Chiron's World?
http://www.polbox.com/k/kiley/
Animal Protection Institute - Animal Rights: An Annotated
Bibliography:
http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=687
Animal Welfare Institute. Animals and Their Legal Rights: A Survey of
American Laws from 1641 to 1990. Washington, DC: Animal Welfare
Institute, 1990. This excellent resource provides a description of
major federal and state laws affecting the treatment of animals.
Although somewhat outdated, nothing comparable has replaced it.
Bekoff, Marc, ed. Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Welfare. Greenwood
Press, 1998. A compilation of multidisciplinary essays. Provides a
broad-based and exhaustive overview of the primary issues central to
the animal rights movement.
Finsen, Lawrence and Susan Finsen. The Animal Rights Movement in
America: From Compassion to Respect. New York: Twayne Publishers,
1994. Probably the best book written on all aspects of the moral
crusade of animal rights. This scholarly yet eminently readable book
uniquely melds the historical and the contemporary, the empirical and
the conceptual, advocacy and objectivity, to provide an unequaled
overview of the theory and practice of social ethical concern for
animals.
Orlans, Barbara, Tom Beauchamp, Rebecca Dresser, David Morton, and
John Gluck. The Human Use of Animals: Case Studies in Ethical Choice.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. An in-depth look at the wide
range of animal uses by humans. The authors discuss animal use from
various perspectives, including the users', animal welfare and rights
advocates', and the animal's.
Regan, Tom, ed. The Case for Animal Rights. Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1983. A rigorous and thorough defense of rights of
animals. Essential reading for anyone serious about the philosophical
foundations of the notion of animal rights. The first part takes an
extended look at the nature of animal minds. The second half develops
a theory of the value of animal lives and carefully worked out
applications of the theory to the issues of vegetarianism,
vivisection, hunting, and so forth.
Singer, Peter. Animal Liberation. New York: Avon Books, 1990. One of
the definitive books of the animal rights movement, presenting
detailed descriptions of the institutions of animal exploitation, and
the suffering they cause, and a clear statement of the utilitarian
approach to animal liberation. (This is a must-have for those studying
animal rights)
Spiegel, Marjorie. The Dreaded Comparison: Human and Animal Slavery.
New York: Mirror Books, 1988. Powerfully illustrates the similarities
between the enslavement of blacks and the enslavement of animals. As
Alice Walker, who supplies the preface, says, "The book can be read in
an hour but will take a lifetime to forget."
Other books on other sites:
Amazon.co.uk: Books: Defending Animal Rights:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/025202611X/qid%3D998849360/ukhousehunter/026-6931634-0229244
Amazon.co.uk: Books: What Should We Do About Animal Welfare? by Mike
Appleby
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0632050667/ukhousehunter/026-6931634-0229244
Seen here:
http://www.ccforaction.com/book_recommendations.htm
The Modern Ark: The story of zoos: past, present & future
Author: Vicki Croke
ISBN: 0-380-73131-2
Seen here:
http://www.pighealth.com/MEDIA/P/BOOKS/BEHAVBKS.HTM
Animal Rights: The Changing Debate
by (Editor) Robert Garner
Amazon.com: Books: Caught in the Act: The Feldberg Investigation
Melody MacDonald, Animal Cruelty Investigation Group, Michael Fox
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/189776605X/103-9036127-6518204
Amazon.com: Books: Animal Cruelty: Pathway to Violence Against People
by Linda Merz-Perez, Kathleen M. Heide
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0759103038/103-9036127-6518204
I assume that you are looking for books specifically about animals in
entertainment. Unfortunately, I could find no animal rights books
focusing primarily on that topic. All of the books relating to animal
rights discuss the topic in general. If you are looking for anything
centering on animals in entertainment, the factsheets and leaflets by
PETA ( found at http://www.animalactivist.com/circ.html ) would
probably be the best sources to use.
New Google Search term applied:
circus animal books
I hope this has cleared up my answer. If you need anything else, just
post again here. Thanks for the four stars too.
|
