Charlotte City Council To Vote On Protections For Circus Animals

The Charlotte City Council will meet tonight, Monday, December 13 to discuss amendments to an ordinance dealing with protections for circus animals. The discussion will focus on Article I of Chapter 3 of the Charlotte City Code. As part of this council members will debate a proposal that will effectively ban the use of bullhooks, electric prods and whips on wild and exotic animals performing in the city.

This would be the first amendment to the ordinance since 1985. If passed the new Charlotte circus animals regulations would go into effect on July 1, 2022. There is a counterproposal that has been submitted by an unnamed party in response.

Click here to read the proposed amendments.

The treatment of circus animals has been hotly debated in recent years. It culminated in the closure of perhaps the most famous circus Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey in 2017. Recently a debate was sparked over camel rides at Festival In The Park.

Source QCity Metro

Gallery: The Circus

• Monte-Carlo 35th International Circus Festival 2011 – January 21, 2011

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  MONACO - JANUARY 21: Cattle perform at the Monte-Carlo 35th International Circus Festival 2011 on January 21, 2011 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Charlie Gallo/Monaco Centre de Presse - Pool/Getty Images)

• Circus Krone Christmas Show 2015

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 25: Tigers during the 'Circus Krone Christmas Show 2015' at Circus Krone on December 25, 2015 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

• Circus Krone Celebrates Premiere Of ‘Tierisch gut’

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 25: Alessio with his parrots during the premiere of 'Tierisch gut' at Circus Krone on December 25, 2016 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)
• Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus Holds Final Show

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  UNIONDALE, NY - MAY 21: A kangaroo performs on the final day of the Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus on May 21, 2017 in Uniondale, New York. Known as "The Greatest Show on Earth", the circus performed its final act after a 146 year run. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

• China’s Siberian Tiger Farm

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  HARBIN, CHINA - AUGUST 15: (CHINA OUT) A Chinese trainer swings a stick next to Siberian tigers as they perform at a private circus on rented space at the Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park on August 15, 2017 in Harbin, northern China. The center is one of two Siberian tiger parks in the Chinese province of Heilongjiang, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the border with Russia. It is considered the world's largest for breeding the Siberian, or Amur, tiger which is listed as endangered by the World Wildlife Federation. As many as 540 are known to exist. The Harbin center opened in 1986 and claims an 80-percent survival rate among the 100 or so cubs born in captivity every year, though a government plan reveals it could be another decade before the program actually releases a tiger to the wild. In 1996, it opened to the public as a commercial park allowing tourists on safari buses to view its 600 tigers in an open range area meant to simulate their natural habitat. Customers pay extra to throw live chickens or ducks to the tigers to eat, or to hold a tiger cub. Critics regard the park as a large-scale breeding farm, where tigers are kept in unnatural conditions and unable to hunt to survive. Despite a longstanding government directive, some facilities in China have been accused of trading products made from tiger parts, including 'wine' made by soaking tiger bones in alcohol. The park divides the tigers among different areas in the park according to age and seniority, and cubs begin 'wilderness training' when they are three to four months old. Wildlife experts say inbreeding and natural habitat destruction pose the greatest risk to the Siberian or Amur tiger subspecies. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

• Circus Krone Celebrates Premiere Of ‘In Memoriam’

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 25: : Hans-Ludwig Suppmeier performs with his tiger during Circus Krone celebrates premiere of 'In Memoriam' at Circus Krone on December 25, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)
• Circus Krone Celebrates First Premiere Of Winter Season

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 25: Jana Lacey-Krone performs with an elephant during the Circus Krone Premiere at Circus Krone on December 25, 2018 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

• “Hereinspaziert – Manege Frei” By Circus Krone

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 25: Martin Lacey jr. performs with a lion during the premiere of the Circus Krone new winter program on December 25, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

• “Hereinspaziert – Manege Frei” By Circus Krone

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 25: Jana Mandana Lacey-Krone performs with horses at the premiere of the Circus Krone new winter program on December 25, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)
• Circus Krone Celebrates Third Premiere Of Winter Season

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 01: Jana Mandana Lacey-Krone with her elephants during the third show premiere of the winter season as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations at Circus Krone on March 01, 2020 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

• Circus Krone Celebrates Third Premiere Of Winter Season

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  MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 01: Thomas Lacey with lions during the third show premiere of the winter season as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations at Circus Krone on March 01, 2020 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)