Ben Madilynn
The HBO docuseries Chimp Crazy exposes the consequences of treating chimpanzees as mere playthings rather than as sentient beings with their own needs and desires. Chimpanzees don’t want to be dressed up and paraded around, nor do they want to be locked up as prisoners of human ego and greed.
The exploitation of chimpanzees is just one example of how humans subject animals to cruelty under the guise of companionship and entertainment. Petting zoos, circuses—the list goes on—keep animals in cramped conditions, force them to perform for or interact with the public and rob them of everything that’s meaningful, natural and important to them.
All animals need someone to advocate for their rights—and that’s where the PETA Foundation’s legal team comes in.
Historically, the federal Endangered Species Act protected only wild chimpanzees. PETA and other animal advocates put the pressure on, and in 2015 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reclassified captive chimpanzees as “endangered,” finally giving them the protection they deserve. This victory means that our closest living genetic relatives (chimpanzees share 98% of our DNA) are now safeguarded against invasive experiments and exploitation by the entertainment industry.
When captive-bred tigers and lions gained protections under the ESA, the PETA Foundation’s legal team pounced into action for cubs who are torn away from their mothers and pawed at by humans, which causes these babies extreme anguish. Their efforts established that stealing cubs from their mothers violates the ESA. The team also championed the Big Cat Public Safety Act. Together, these protections have rendered the big-cat cub-petting industry extinct.
The team doesn’t clown around when it comes to helping animals. In collaboration with Social Compassion in Legislation, PETA sponsored the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act, which bans the use of most animals in circuses in California. Now elephants, tigers and many other animals in the Golden State can no longer be whipped, chained or forced to perform in traveling acts.
In the groundbreaking Tilikum v. SeaWorld case, the PETA Foundation’s legal eagles challenged the captivity of five wild-captured orcas—under the 13th Amendment, which prohibits slavery. Although the court dismissed the case, ruling that the 13th Amendment applied only to humans, it acknowledged that animals other than humans can have rights under the U.S. Constitution and other laws and raised awareness of the plight of captive orcas.
The PETA Foundation’s legal team sets the bar high, but you don’t need to pass the bar to help animals.
You can help shape the law by writing to lawmakers asking them to support animal-friendly legislation. Attending town meetings and writing letters of thanks when your elected officials support animal rights will help you build relationships with them.
You can be a whistleblower by alerting PETA or the appropriate authorities to known or suspected animal abuse in your neighborhood, at a pet store, in a circus, at a roadside zoo or anywhere else. Just one phone call can make a world of difference.
You can urge sponsors to stop funding cruel events, such as the Iditarod. Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil and others cut ties with the deadliest dog-sled race in the world thanks to pressure from PETA supporters. Visit PETA.org/Action to learn more.
Finally, be a conscientious consumer. Never support any businesses that use animals for entertainment. Be on the lookout for red flags such as small cages and photo ops at deceptive businesses that claim to be sanctuaries, and report anything suspicious. If you want to see animals, respectfully observe them in nature or visit a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries-accredited sanctuary.
From chimpanzees and big cats to circuses and SeaWorld, the PETA Foundation’s legal team will continue to lay down the law—literally—until all animals live free from exploitation and cruelty. Please help advance its compassionate mission by doing your part. After all, every animal is someone.
Melissa Rae Sanger is a licensed veterinary technician and a staff writer for the PETA Foundation, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; www.PETA.org.
