Successes of the week!

You did it! TSCA has just been signed into law!

Victory! Bowmanville Zoo to Close After Undercover Investigation Exposes Animal Abuse. There is really no secret that life in a zoo enclosure is no life at all for wild animals. Over the past few decades, we have become increasingly aware of how life in captivity negatively impacts the mental and physical well-being of animals, and many people have spoken out against the cruel practice of caging animals for our entertainment. While we have seen many heartbreaking stories of animals reduced to emotionally and mentally bankrupt versions of their original selves, we are extremely hopeful that the tide against wild animal captivity is coming to an end! Especially so in light of the recent news that Canada’s Bowmanville Zoo is set to close due to lack of attendance in the wake of a PETA investigation that exposed the cruel treatment of animals.

In December 2015, PETA released undercover footage of zoo owner Michael Hackenberger, who was the trainer for the tiger in the film “Life of Pie,” viciously whipping a tiger. In the video, Hackenberger was caught hitting the Siberian tiger, named Uno, as part of a “training” session. Investigators stated the tiger was so traumatized, that he involuntarily emptied his anal sacs, a fear response in big cats.

Hackenberger was later charged with four counts of causing an animal distress and one of failing to comply with the prescribed standards of care for an animal. Three of the distress charges relate to the use of a whip.

Once this footage went public, animal activists and lovers everywhere spoke out decrying the abuse at the facility. As more and more people shared the footage and the accompanying story, fewer and fewer people showed up at the zoo’s doors. It has been around six months since this footage broke and according to Angus Carroll, director of communications for the zoo, attendance dropped 65 percent during that timeframe, effectively leading the zoo to have to close its doors. The facility is currently in the process of finding a new home for its animals, it has yet to be decided where the animals are headed, but we strongly hope that they will be retired to sanctuaries rather than shuttled to another zoo.

Carroll largely blames PETA’s campaign for the destruction of the zoo, stating, “people vote with their feet. And they have voted here. There are people staying away in droves and we can’t afford to operate the zoo … If people started to come back to the zoo in droves would that make a difference? Yes. But the sort of PR campaign that’s been carried on against the zoo by PETA is very effective and they’ve convinced a lot of people that the work we do here is not important.”

While the campaign by PETA indefinitely was the spark that began the fire that engulfed the zoo, what Carroll fails to recognize is that people are starting to wake up to the reality of what zoos really represent … and frankly, they’re not buying it. Zoos often boast their contributions to conservation and commitment to education, specifically for kids, to justify keeping and breeding wild animals, but studies have shown that zoos are more effective in perpetuating the idea that animals are ours for the taking … and caging … then they are at inspiring effective conservation efforts. Not to mention, the large majority of animals that live in zoos are never released into the wild to contribute to their species numbers, and keeping animals in zoos detracts from the focus on conserving the natural habitats where many endangered species live. 

But as this case shows, with a little bit of knowledge and insight into life for animals in zoos – although it wouldn’t be fair to assert that ALL animals are beaten in the way tigers at Bowmanville were – people can make a real impact for captive animals. We all have the power to #EmptyTheCages by simply voting with our feet. By refusing to buy a ticket, we can help make zoos obsolete.

Want to learn some better ways to learn about wild animals and engage children to do the same, check out these resources:
As we reach the end of the second quarter (and the start of summer!), it's a great time to reflect on what 2016 has been for NYCLASS and where we hope to go in the future. We've seen a lot of great wins for animals - here in New York, across the country, and around the world - and we're hopeful about the months ahead. None of this is possible without your help!

Chelsie shared some of our wins earlier this week - victories like getting the Mayor and City Council to fund new full service animal shelters in the Bronx and Queens to make it easier to find families for NYC's homeless animals. That's a huge victory! Ringling Bros. Circus has stopped using elephants in performances, in large part because of supporters like you speaking up about the cruel conditions. And when you speak up, local officials are making humane choices, like in Staten Island where a humane plan was put in place to handle deer overpopulation.

We will keep up the fight for all animals. More protests are planned to hold New York Blood Center accountable for abandoning former research chimps in Liberia. Earlier this month great supporters turned out to show Long Island that we do not support inhumane shark tournaments. And NYCLASS is pressuring New York to end horse racing because of the staggering number of horse deaths and injuries that happen as a result.

Protecting horses has always been our priority and we will always fight for them. The carriage horses continue to be trapped in a cruel and inhumane system - their health and safety are paramount. We will hold elected officials accountable for broken promises.

Keeping the humane voting community informed and connected to our law makers is essential for creating change. You are the best advocates for the animals you love! And you show that through every email you send, every Tweet you share, every petition you sign, every protest you attend, and every dollar you contribute. When you chip in to help keep this movement going, you make all of these advocacy opportunities possible.

We're so close to meeting our mid-year goal for 2016 - contribute now to help us get there and keep the wins for animals coming! 


Thanks to your unflagging support, we've won unprecedented environmental victories in the last 12 months that are reshaping the future of our climate, our environment and our world.

To help show you all we've accomplished this year — and what these wins mean for us — I've recorded a short personal video just for members like you.

Please watch my new video message — then pitch in by June 30 and your tax-deductible support will be matched and doubled. Our groundbreaking achievements are helping turn the tide on climate change, protect threatened whales and shut down the illegal elephant ivory market — but our work is never done.

That's why we're gearing up now — as our fiscal year ends — to capitalize on the momentum of these wins and start the new fiscal year on the strongest possible footing.

But to do that, we need your strong support today. Every dollar you give will be matched — doubling your impact. Remember, you've only got until midnight on June 30 to take advantage of our $100,000 matching grant, so please act now.