ASDA-JOHN LEWIS-TESCO please stop promoting Elephant cruelty at Christmas

Its Christmas, the time for peace and love to all.......unless you’re a circus Elephant.
So how inappropriate is it that ASDA, Tesco and John Lewis are selling Christmas decorations which represent cruelty, abuse and misery for one our most intelligent iconic wild animals

Elephants used in circuses live a dismal life in which they are dominated, confined, and violently trained. Workers often beat, kick and restrain them in order to force them to learn how to perform meaningless tricks. Circus Elephants are usually denied everything that is natural and important to them - natural surroundings, bathing pools, family members and socialisation. Many elephants become ill, depressed, and aggressive as a result of the cruel conditions in which they are kept.

Is this the image ASDA, Tesco and John Lewis want to promote - perpetuating the false belief that Circus Elephants are happy and somehow enjoy doing these tricks ?

Circuses often take babies away from their mothers.
Trainers use bullhooks, ropes, and electric prods.
Elephants spend most of their lives in chains.
Elephants are beaten for the slightest disobedience.

When challenged about selling Circus Elephant Christmas decorations a representative from John Lewis said “we wish to promote a more child friendly approach to our traditional Christmas decorations”. – should we not be educating our children to understand and respect these magnificent creatures, - not encourage them to keep the cycle of abuse and cruelty going, and perpetuating the wrong message that Elephants enjoy performing at Circuses.

ASDA describes its product as - “all the fun of the fair” - this little chap stands proudly on a yellow and lilac-coloured beach ball," – not much fun if you’re an elephant getting beaten, kicked or prodded with hooks to make you perform unnatural meaningless tricks like standing on a ball.


http://www.peta.org/features/ringling-bros-elephant-cruelty/

This is a report about just one circus in the USA, you can imagine the cruelty that is happening in other parts of the world where animal welfare standards are much worse.

Retailers, you have a great opportunity to promote the right images of Elephants at Christmas.......family groups, in the wild wandering through moonlit savannahs with their young.

We are calling on ASDA, John Lewis and Tesco – please clear these products from your stores and promote Elephants in the magnificent natural way they should be living.

Please sign and share as much as you can - this is a time limited opportunity to change outdated attitudes about using Elephants for our entertainment.

Update #17 years ago
After 13 days of waiting ASDA have finally responded to my complaint.....its now being passed to their buying team. They don't seem to be too bothered about the issue of promoting animal cruelty.
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