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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Circus was in town

... but without any lions, tigers or elephants




Roust-a-bouts put up a circus tent Tuesday on the grounds of Butler Elementary School. The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus performed two shows later in the day. / Dave Polcyn/News Journal
Written by
Lou Whitmire/News Journal
mansfieldnewjournal.com
May. 16, 2012
BUTLER -- A circus without lions, tigers or elephants came to town Tuesday.

The only animals they brought with them were a few horses and some dogs.

About 300 students watched the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus hoist the big top Tuesday morning outside Butler Elementary School. Students from Bellville and Butler elementaries cheered as a 10-man crew with the help of a Bobcat raised the tent. There was no elephant helping with the poles as is often the case.

Carney Anne Chester, an attorney with the PETA Foundation, said in December 2011 the U.S. Department of Agriculture brought formal charges against Culpepper & Merriweather for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act.

"In order to exhibit exotic animals, it requires a valid USDA exhibitors license and in December 2011 the Cullpepper and Merriweather exhibitors license was suspended," she said.

Horses exhibited in circuses are not protected by the animal welfare act, Chester said.

"Abuse and neglect of animals is the rule and not the exception when it comes to circuses which force animals to perform," Chester said.

Chester encouraged anyone interested to visit the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals website, PETA.org, to discuss the issue further.

Simone Key, who serves as an announcer and performer of trapeze and unicycles for the Hugo, Okla.-based circus, said there are no wild animals in their shows in Ohio.

"Police in Ohio do not want us to have wild animals because of what happened in Zanesville," she said.

A Zanesville man released more than 50 exotic animals from his farm before killing himself in October. Most of the animals released were killed by deputies from the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office that night. To date, no law has been passed on the exotic animal issue. (Senate Bill 310 is in the House.) Even if SB 310 is passed, it has an exemption for circuses and zoos, according to the legislation being proposed in the Senate.


 
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A circus pony grazes near the Big Top Tuesday at the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus in Butler. The circus plans two shows Tuesday. Lou Whitmire/News Journal
Tuesday, no one answered the telephone at the circus company's main office.

D.J. Weiss, a clown in the circus, explained circus life to students who sat on bleachers and tarps for the impromptu outdoor experience.

Key said the circus goes to a new town every day for 32 weeks from March to October.

"We haven't been to Ohio for 11 years," she said.

Key promised acrobats, clowns, jugglers and a Russian swing among the circus acts for two shows last night.

Evan Moody, 8, and his brother Caiden, 8, said they hoped to come to the show.

Caiden said if he worked for a circus, he'd want to be a juggler. His brother said he would want to be a clown.

Outside on the school grounds, a horse, pony and a few miniature horses grazed quietly as students watched the tent rise.

Bellville mother Jamie Emerson brought her daughter Allie, 3, to see the circus set up the tent. Heather Richmond, also of Bellville, brought daughter Taylor, 3.

"I like to see the acrobats," Allie said.

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