The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack

U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

Re: Please Revoke Ringling's Exhibitor's License

President Barack Obama promised “change.”

Enough is enough. If Sarah Palin were President of the United States, we would not feel surprise about this country’s cruelty to animals.

In light of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus' (“Ringling”) repeated failure to comply with the Animal Welfare Act, please revoke its USDA exhibitor's license. There is a mountain of evidence showing that Ringling routinely abuses elephants with sharp metal bullhooks and electric prods and pulls still-nursing baby elephants from their mothers to be violently trained and sent on the road.

When traveling from one city to another, elephants routinely spend between 25 and 70 consecutive hours in cramped, filthy boxcars. The prolonged chaining causes unusually high rates of osteoarthritis, lameness, foot abscesses, and other serious and painful conditions of the feet, legs, and joints.

Chronic animal abusers such as Ringling should not receive USDA license renewals.

We are living a new chapter of the United States.

We voted for “change.”

Again, please revoke Ringling's exhibitor's license.

Walfredo de Freitas

317-4591604

Director

ISPCA

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ISPCA

POST OFFICE BOX : 441405   

Indianapolis, IN 46244-1405

office (317) 348-1100
fax (877) 880-7210