*The Circus*

[Cookiebaker]

We just got back from the circus tonight, and it was AWESOME!!! It lasted 2 hours, and some of the acts were amazing.

There was a whole scene with trained mini-poodles. (All I could think of was Pam's Ripley ;)) They were ADORABLE, running around on their back legs, jumping through hoops, picking up the hoops and carrying them. The highlight was when a poodle came running out, with a CAT on a leash and ran around the ring.

And there were trained horses. They were so graceful and so, so, so OBEDIENT!! I could watch them all day. They didn't allow cameras or anything, or I would have taken tons of pictures.

The acrobatics were so fun to watch as well. It was a great night (cotton candy included :p). This was the first time I've ever been to the circus.

[I Love Brian, Forever <3]

Sounds like you had fun........... :) :)

I don't agree with circuses. :o :o

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by I Love Brian, Forever <3

I don't agree with circuses. :o :o

Same here, glad you had fun. Sounds like it was interesting.

Ash

[moosmom]

Sounds like you had fun...........

I don't agree with circuses

Ditto!

[zanzanfergie]

I love the circus, as long as the animals are treated right. I mean, those poodles probably wouldn't have such a bad life compared to some dogs. Sure they're working, but so are farm dogs, and sniffer dogs. At least they're not left in a backyard all day. They have each other, and the circus people, and they're always busy. I don't think it would be such a bad life for them.

I don't agree with larger animals in circuses though. Lions and tigers etc. I saw a camel in a circus once, when I was little. I thought it was cool at the time, but the poor thing can't have been too happy.

In any case, it sounds like you had a great time Cookiebaker, and the poodles sound gorgeous (especially the cat on the leash!). I love the circus too. :)

[Cookiebaker]

I don't agree with larger animals in circuses though. Lions and tigers etc.

I don't agree with that either! For that matter, I don't really agree with zoos.

This one only had small poodles and 4 horses. You could TELL that they were well treated, well groomed, well fed.

[lovemyshiba]

Sounds like fun!!!!
A cat on a leash with a poodle on the other end---lol!!!!!
Too bad you couldn't take pictures!!!!

I'm glad you enjoyed it!!!

Maybe Pam could train Ripley to walk one of her cats???;)

[allanimalswelcome]

Glad you had fun! I like PET circuses the ones were the animals are dogs, cats, you know. I went to one once and the cats were amazing:eek:


I don't agree with larger animals in circuses though. Lions and tigers etc.

Same here. I don't agree with zoos and I diffinetly don't agree with aquariums.

[Kfamr]

Oh my gosh... I love Aquariums.

Most of the Aquariums down here has rescued animals that could have died left alone or were sick, things like that.

I just love the dolphins! :D

Although, since living by the gulf, i could just go out on our waverunner to see those!

[primabella]

I don't like animals in circuses much either. But as long as they're well treated, I guess it's alright.


I don't agree with larger animals in circuses though. Lions and tigers etc.

I also agree with that. :)

As for aqauriums, I don't like them either. But I didn't know they held rescued animals. I guess it depends. I remember the ones down in Marine Land (Ontario) and they looked so miserable! Everyone just pokes at their tank :(

Anyways, I'm glad you had fun. My last circus was a few years back. This clown snuck up behind my mom and scared the hell out of her. lol

[RubyMutt]

Originally posted by allanimalswelcome
I don't agree with zoos and I diffinetly don't agree with aquariums.

There are many zoos and aquariums that really help animal rehabilitation. Or, like Kay Ann said, they rescue animals. Zoos also help boost the population of many endangered species, and many also sponsor programs that preserve the world's natural habitats. I'm not saying that all zoos are perfect, but they are all definitely not bad. The zoo in Seattle, Woodland Park Zoo, is AMAZING! I know it's won several awards for it's exhibits.

Anway, I don't agree with large animals at circuses either :( It sounds like the circus you went to was nice! :) I'm glad you had a good time :D

[allanimalswelcome]

As for aqauriums, I don't like them either. But I didn't know they held rescued animals. I guess it depends. I remember the ones down in Marine Land (Ontario) and they looked so miserable! Everyone just pokes at their tank

Marineland Ontario is known to be one of the worst managed facilities with orcas:( Two orcas there are expecting. Kiska and Nootka V.

I still don't agree with any aquariums. Keeping marine mammals in a pool after what they had was the ocean....nice.

~Rachel

[bluekat]

I've only been to the circus 1 time, and that was a few years ago. I had fun.
But I don't agree with circuses either. or zoos. In a zoo, all the animals are trapped in cages for peoples' entertainment. I just don't agree with that. i don't know about aquariums though.

[allanimalswelcome]

I mean how many people their truely come for education?

[Pam]

Originally posted by Cookiebaker

There was a whole scene with trained mini-poodles. (All I could think of was Pam's Ripley ;)) They were ADORABLE, running around on their back legs, jumping through hoops, picking up the hoops and carrying them. The highlight was when a poodle came running out, with a CAT on a leash and ran around the ring.

HaHa! I would have loved to see that! Ripley is one who jumps up and down and dances on his back legs all the time - with no training from me! LOL! Do you think he could find a job there? He would love to lead my kitties on a leash. I'd better not let him see this post! LOL!

I knew this would turn into a bit of a controversial thread. I think as long as the animals in circuses, zoos and aquariums are well cared for and not abused it is OK. I am sure lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) might rather be in their own element, but selfishly I enjoy visiting them at the zoo because otherwise I would never get to see them up close and in person.

Thanks for sharing!

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by bluekat
I've only been to the circus 1 time, and that was a few years ago. I had fun.
But I don't agree with circuses either. or zoos. In a zoo, all the animals are trapped in cages for peoples' entertainment. I just don't agree with that. i don't know about aquariums though.

Um just to clarify, not ALL zoos keep animals trapped in cages, in fact I have only been to one zoo that did that, and it was a small one called the Santa Ana Zoo in California, and it was full of rescued animals. Well I guess the Portland zoo is that way also, but not as bad. I just got back from the zoo and took some beautiful pictures! :D


Most zoos now a days have very spacious enclosures with several acres of land for the animals to roam on, like the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Wildlife Safari here nearby my home. Plus, a lot of the animals in zoos are rescues, usually from circuses too.......but that's another story lol.


But I love the circus as long as the animals are cared for. I don't like to see large animals though, like camels, zebra or big cats. It just makes me sad. :( Especially the elephants.

[Cookiebaker]

Originally posted by luckies4me
Most zoos now a days have very spacious enclosures with several acres of land for the animals to roam on, like the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Wildlife Safari here nearby my home. Plus, a lot of the animals in zoos are rescues, usually from circuses too.......but that's another story lol.




The thing that bothers me the most is that yes, man can provide "several" acres of land. How does that compare to THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of acres of land that they can roam in nature.

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Cookiebaker
The thing that bothers me the most is that yes, man can provide "several" acres of land. How does that compare to THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of acres of land that they can roam in nature.


That's true, and yes it is best that they be in the wild, but that's not always possible. All I am saying is that it's better for them to be in the wild, but if in captivity they should be allowed as much space as possible. Several zoos help bring animals numbers back, and raise them for release into the wild etc. I never said I agree with the things they do, but if they do do it, they should do it as nicely as possible. If there is such a thing.


I am sure everyone here, or most everyone knows my stand on keeping animals in captivity, as you can plainly see by my signature and icon. ;)

[Uabassoon]

I like going to some zoos. Back home in Texas we had an amazing zoo, all the animals had so much space to roam and such. But the zoo here in Tucson is horrible, I went once and I never want to go back again. I remember I sat down and watched a polar bear pace in it's small pen for an hour. I felt so sorry for it, this giant bear in a space about the size of my bedroom. Then a few years ago I read that they sent the polar bear to another zoo because it was getting depressed, I was so happy to hear that he would be going to another place. But then later I read about how they brought in a polar bear cub which upset me so much.

Originally posted by I Love Brian, Forever <3

I don't agree with circuses. :o :o

Same here too! I don't mind the clown , he he!!
I hate to see how they force animals to do things that they would never do in normal environment...

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by allanimalswelcome
and I diffinetly don't agree with aquariums.

Don't agree with aquariums? :eek::eek::eek: I LOVE AQUARIUMS! The one I've been to several times is quite far from where we live, but its in the ocean. Well, not exactly, but when you go inside, there's a glass wall seperating us from the ocean, and it feels like we're deep down in the ocean when there. Its SOOOOOOOOO cool and the animals are well, in the ocean, where they would be anyways. Its so cool when the huge sharks come to the glass wall and look at all the humans. Kind of freaky, but cool. You can see how the starfishes live and all the fish going in schools, its just amazing, and a true perpective of how life in the ocean for the fishies is. I love aquariums, and don't see any wrong in them at all.

As for zoos, I'm not very much *for* zoos, although I love to go to them, I get sad to see the king of the jungle in a little cage. :( It breaks my heart. I really LOVE wild animal safaris though, it which all the animals are in the open, in a natural environment, and the humans drive in cars to their areas. The lions come right up to the window! Its really neat. None of the animals are confined, yet they are secure and the humans can see them too.

One thing I definitely don't agree with are circuses, but I'm glad you had a great time Cookiebaker! I've never been to one. :D

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Sounds like you had a fun time! :)

I don't always like going to zoos and aquarums. They're cool to look at and see the different animals, but I hate to see animals trapped in cages. I know they give them room and everything, but sometimes I ask myself if the animals are really happy.

[allanimalswelcome]

I suppose my true hatred towards aquariums comes from Sea World and the "Shamu Lie"

They "forget" to mention that Shamu was a female and she died in 1971 after 6years in captivity.

The names of the real whales (in all three parks) are:
Corky II, Katina, Kasatka, Ulises, Tillikum, Kalina, Orkid, Kayla, Taima, Splash, Takara, Kyuquet, Keet, Taku, Keto, Unna, Sumar, Tuar, Tekoa, Nakai, Kohana, and Ikaika.

There is a good website on these issues http://www.dolphinproject.org/

~Rachel

[Cheshirekatt]

One of the things that I think zoos and aquariums are good for is getting people close to the animals. Once a person has been close to an animal they otherwise would NEVER see I think it makes them more empathetic towards those animals.

Of course like everything else there are well run and poorly run facilities. I think a bigger issue is people keeping exotics as pets. This serves no purpose and really rankles me.

[zanzanfergie]

Originally posted by allanimalswelcome

The names of the real whales (in all three parks) are:
Corky II, Katina, Kasatka, Ulises, Tillikum, Kalina, Orkid, Kayla, Taima, Splash, Takara, Kyuquet, Keet, Taku, Keto, Unna, Sumar, Tuar, Tekoa, Nakai, Kohana, and Ikaika.
~Rachel

Heehee, there are three baby seals at Seaworld in LA called Buffy, Willow and Xander :D Sorry, I know that's not the point you were trying to make. I just couldn't resist mentioning it.