Overwhelming Support at Public Hearing for Exotic Animal Performance Ban (ESB 5065)

Viola the elephant performing in a traveling circus act. Engrossed Senate Bill 5065 would prohibit such exotic animal performances in Washington State. Photo by Wes Burdett.

Olympia, WA (March 18, 2025) – Animal Rights Initiative (ARI) is celebrating an overwhelming show of public support following a House Community Safety Committee public hearing on Engrossed Senate Bill 5065 (ESB 5065) this week. ESB 5065 would prohibit the use of certain wild and exotic animals in traveling performances, making it a gross misdemeanor to allow specified animals to perform in traveling acts. They have been working on this campaign with Senator Liias and Representative Leavitt since fall 2022.  At the March 18 hearing, 367 individuals registered their position in favor of the bill, with only 64 opposed, underscoring broad public backing. The legislation has already passed the Washington State Senate with bipartisan support  and is set for a final committee vote (executive session) on March 27, 2025 .

Lack of Oversight and Ongoing Mistreatment of Circus Animals

According to a concerned researcher named Kris Cameron, there is virtually no oversight of traveling animal acts under current law. In fact, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official could not find any record of a circus inspection ever being conducted in Washington state . This means that for years, no federal inspector has been checking on the welfare of animals in traveling circuses, leaving countless instances of potential abuse unnoticed and unaddressed. Without any routine inspections, there is effectively no safeguard in place to ensure these animals are treated humanely or lawfully.

Trainers have been seen threatening elephants with these bullhooks—a steel-tipped rod resembling a fireplace poker - to coerce them into performing. As a result, these elderly, majestic creatures end up living in fear for nearly 99% of their lives under such constant intimidation and harsh training methods .

Two elephants, Viola and Isa, further illustrate the problem. At approximately 59 and 54 years old respectively, Viola and Isa have been performing in captivity for over half a century—making them older than most members of the House Community Safety Committee that is considering the bill . These intelligent animals have spent their entire lives on the road or under the big top, far beyond the average lifespan of a captive elephant. It is long overdue for them to be retired to a true sanctuary that prioritizes their care, rather than being exploited for every last performance until the day they collapse.

Using animals in entertainment also perpetuates a dangerous fallacy that animals exist for us rather than with us. Every circus performance with wild animals sends the wrong message—that these creatures are merely props for human amusement. In reality, lions, tigers, elephants, and other wildlife do not stand on stools, jump through rings of fire, or give rides by choice; they do so because they are forced through fear and punishment. It is essential to advance campaigns like ESB 5065 to end the commodification of animals and instead grant them true liberty to live as nature intended .

The track record of traveling circuses underscores why reform is urgently needed. For example, circuses such as Culpepper & Merriweather and Jordan World Circus—both of which have brought wild animal acts to Washington—have each amassed over 40 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) over the years . These violations include repeated failures to provide animals with adequate shelter, space, and veterinary care , showcasing an alarming incapacity to reform.

In recent years, Jordan World Circus has even attempted to evade accountability by leasing its animals from Carson & Barnes Circus. Because Jordan World Circus no longer holds a USDA exhibitor license, any citations involving its animals are now recorded under the leaseholder’s name (Carson & Barnes) rather than under the circus itself . This loophole allows the circus to escape direct scrutiny for animal welfare violations, further highlighting the urgent need for ESB 5065 to end this cruelty.

Powerful Testimony Highlights Need for Ban

During the hearing, a range of animal welfare experts, advocates, and public safety proponents testified in support of ESB 5065, emphasizing the bill’s importance for both animal welfare and community safety. Some key statements from the hearing included:

 • Amanda Fox (Executive Director, Animal Rights Initiative): “These types of traveling performances create a false narrative that these species are readily available in the wild and willing to comply with or naturally exhibit these performances. Reputable acts like Barnum & Bailey have already transitioned to fully animal-free performances.” 

 • Drew McCormick (Animal Defenders International): “Even with the best of intentions, traveling acts cannot provide wild and exotic animals with what they need to maintain their physical and psychological health. Circus animals perform through fear, brutal training, and violence.” 

 • Isabel Starnes (Local Advocate): “Viola was not acting out of malice—she is a wild animal subjected to unnatural conditions, stressful confinement, and denied any control over her life. Her desperate attempts to escape demonstrate the psychological distress these animals endure.” 

 • Wendy Linton (Local Advocate): “No Washingtonian should have to risk subjecting themselves or their children to potential violence, hysteria, trauma, or worse, simply by attending a circus.”

These testimonies brought to light the dangers and cruelty inherent in traveling animal acts. Advocates pointed out that wild animals in circuses endure brutal training and constant stress, and several speakers highlighted incidents where animals like Viola the elephant attempted to escape after being pushed to the brink. “This is not just a symbolic ban – it directly addresses real animal suffering and public safety risks,” one advocate noted. Even Committee members took notice; upon hearing that a circus touring Washington still uses live elephants, Chair Goodman expressed concern with the exclamation “Watch out!” – signaling awareness that traumatic accidents could be underway.

ARI Urges Final Passage and Highlights Broader Movement

ARI is urging the House Community Safety Committee to advance ESB 5065 in the upcoming March 27 vote, bringing Washington one step closer to ending the exploitation of wild animals in traveling shows. If enacted, Washington would join at least 11 other states and over 50 countries that have already prohibited or restricted the use of wild animals in circuses and traveling acts , reflecting a growing global movement toward animal-free entertainment. Reputable circuses like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey have reinvented themselves with fully animal-free performances, proving that circuses can thrive without animal acts – a point noted repeatedly during the hearing.

Animal Rights Initiative (ARI), a Seattle-based nonprofit “working to protect our natural biodiversity”, is committed to ending the exploitation of exotic animals for entertainment. ARI’s mission is to promote compassion, public safety, and conservation by advocating for laws like ESB 5065. The success of this hearing is a significant step toward making Washington a more humane place for animals, and signals to the industry that this type of entertainment is no longer appropriate for a civilized society.

Contact:

Amanda Fox, Executive Director – Animal Rights Initiative (ARI)

Phone: 808-367-5128

Email: amandafox@animalrightsinitiative.org