When the Circus Comes to Town | #BtC4A

Typist: Bethany
Circuses have been on my radar lately, though, besides seeing the occasional tweet or e-mail about yet another animal cruelty photograph, trainer account or video surfacing, they're usually not. On our recent trip to Boise, Idaho, we encountered animal rights protestors outside of the CenturyLink Arena because the Shrine Circus was in town. This weekend, a friend told me it was a bit of a moral dilemma for her, but she took her kids to a circus while visiting family in the mid-west. Both of these recent experiences made me ponder the moral dilemma that many people have with circuses. They want to go to the circus, maybe it's a family tradition or they just truly enjoy the clowns, but they also don't want to support the cruelty that has been documented in the circus animal training and travel world. There's a whole lot of very good reasons not to go to the circus. And if we stopped going, and tickets stopped selling, the animal cruelty would stop too. But what else can you do? Well, here are some ideas:

• Attend animal-free circuses. There are lot's of them! Search for acrobat, trapeze, aerialist, tight-rope and juggling acts in your area. Here in Cascadia we even have many youth circus groups and schools that do amazing (and often free) shows. And athletes that are very closely related to circus stars are gymnastics and track stars. You and your family might be just as in awe at seeing a record breaking pole vault or award winning balance beam routine at a local meet as in seeing the man on the flying trapeze or the tight rope walker.
• Go to the fair. The very best way for you and your family to get up close and personal with amazing animals is at a county or state fair. Every year, I learn something new about animals from the 4-H, school or community center projects people enter in the state and county fairs. Then there's the animals themselves- wow- Guinea Pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, chickens, ducks, swans, geese, peacocks, rabbits, llamas, alpacas, cows, horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, goats, pigs, sheep and more of all shapes, sizes, ages and colors. You might be lucky enough to pet or hold a prize winner and you can often meet and talk with the owners.

Leo entertains a crowd

• Go to the zoo. We are fortunate to have four excellent zoos and aquariums here in Washington and nearly a dozen in Cascadia. If a quality zoo or aquarium isn't an easily accessible day trip for you, save the money you'd spend on the circus and plan a weekend road trip to one near-by soon.
• Go to a farm. Search for farm tours or historical farms in your area. This can be another great learning opportunity for the whole family and it's a great way to support your neighbors instead of the circus.
• Go to a pet-friendly event like a street fair or outdoor concert even if you don't have pets. I am always happy to allow kids who ask (or to help them learn they should ask) to pet the dogs and to say "hello" to Leo. I love to talk about my pets and I take them out to be around people. You get summer entertainment (there are often clowns, jugglers and acrobats at street fairs too,) my pets get some socialization and you get cruelty free animal time.
• Find a pet day at your local library, school, park or community center. You might find and enjoy and event as small as aReading with Rover Day or one as large as our local Petapalooza. Clubs, municipalities, shelters and other non-profits hold fundraisers and events with pet parades and races all year around all over the globe. Your family can have awesome animal time and possibly even support a good cause.
  
• Join an animal hobbyist group. This could mean you volunteer at a rescue or begin a project with 4-H. There are so many ways to get involved with, learn about and be in awe of animals besides buying a ticket to a circus.

Wilhelm offers cruelty-free animal time for the whole family

What ways do you think families can enjoy time together without purchasing a circus ticket? How do you spend time in awe of animals without supporting the cruelty involved in circus animal training and travel?