Western Mass Animal Rights Advocates would like to publicly thank the Three County Fair for its decision not to have any wild animal acts or the racing pigs at the fair this year. We are thrilled that this year no animals were forced to perform to entertain us. We would also like to thank all the people who expressed their concern to the fair over the years about the use of animals.
Times are changing. Society is awakening to the needless cruelty involved in traveling animal acts, and with our modernized culture, fairs can now choose from countless humane options. We hope that the fair’s decision is due to changing times and that it will be a permanent one.
While we very much appreciate this year’s change, we would like to see the horse and oxen pulls eliminated as well. We realize these are part of agricultural history, but because of the cruel training involved, they should be a thing of the past.
We hope the Big E will follow in the Three County Fair’s footsteps and eliminate wild animals as well. Over 143,000 people have signed a petition asking the Big E to remove wild animal exhibits. Sadly, on Sept. 15, Beulah the elephant, owned by Commerford and Sons, died at the fair. She was in “retirement” with Commerford at the age of 54, but making money took priority over her age and health.
This past March, Karen, another Commerford elephant, died at the age of 38. These deaths could have been prevented had Commerford accepted the offer from a sanctuary to take them. The sanctuary would have provided Beulah and Karen with proper veterinary care.
We need to be the voice for these animals, so please urge the Big E to do the right thing and put an end to the wild animal exhibits.
Maureen Ippolito
Leverett