ARAN BEGINS WORK TO BAN ANIMAL ACT CIRCUSES IN MUNSTER

Members of Animal Rights Action Network in Limerick City met to discuss a new round of campaign activities for the national Stop Circus Suffering in Ireland campaign, a joint campaign with our partners at Animal Defenders International.  The campaign meeting and launch was also supported by the local Green Party who has advised Animal Rights Action Network they will be endorsing our campaign in this part of the country.

Over the coming months Animal Rights Action Network will be launching a new campaign to ban animal act circuses in another major Irish city. Thankfully we have the support of local councilors in the city where we will be working and have already got feedback for local community involvement in the exciting upcoming campaign. ARAN has been leading the Irish campaign to ban animal act circuses in Ireland. In 2005 we launched a national campaign in Ireland with the findings of an undercover investigation conducted by our campaign partners at ADI which exposed acts of cruelty and suffering of animals in Irish circuses, many who are still currently touring.

Our campaign is making a big difference, many supporters will be aware of successes in Cork City and Fingal Council where councilors from the Socialist Workers Party sponsored motions to ban animal act circuses, all of which where successful. Animal Rights Action Network played a huge part in the campaign by effectively lobbying all councilors involved, getting press attention for the issued and getting our supporters involved in the campaign, of course the campaign was also largely supported by other Irish animal protection groups. Similar motions also took place prior to these local bans in Galway, but unfortunately this was not successful. ARAN also worked closely with Labor councilor Nessa Childers to help introduce a motion to ban animal act circuses in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown council.

Over the coming months Animal Rights Action Network will be staging local protests outside of visiting circuses with animals, engaging our members in various city’s. If you would like to get actively involved in the international campaign to Stop Circus Suffering, please get in contact with ARAN.