Big cat tamer, Ettore Weber died a horrible death. In July, the 61-year-old was training with his big cats in the town of Triggiano when
four of the tigers pounced on him, mauling him to death. Big cat maulings are not uncommon among those that work with wild animals for circuses or animal theme parks. But each time they occur, they force the public to reevaluate just whether or not these types of spectacles should be allowed —
not just because they are a danger to the trainers or spectators, but because they are innately cruel to the animals that are forced to perform. Animals are not entertainment. They have their own will and desires and deserve to live a life free from cruelty — preferably in the wild where they belong. Circuses, magic shows, and aquarium spectacles that use live animals reduce living, breathing beings into objects that can be forced to do as we want, when we want. It's not only cruel, it is wrong.
In 2017, Italy's parliament attempted to ban animals in circuses but failed. Now, after Weber's death, the government has again
decided to take aim at the practice. According to a 2017 study by the Italian Censis Foundation, Italy is one of the few European countries that have virtually no limits on the use of animals in circuses. At the same time, more and more
European nations have banned the practice altogether.
Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Greece, and Ireland are just a few of the countries where it is no longer legal to abuse animals for entertainment. It's time Italy join them. Tell Italy that it's time to make a better, safer world for both animals and people. Sign the petition and tell them to ban animals in circuses today. 