Los Angeles Bans Exotic Animals at Private Functions and Parties

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-los-angeles-city-council-votes-to-ban-the-use-of-exotic-animals-for-so-called-entertainment-purposes-at-private-events-parties/

Los Angeles has approved an ordinance to make the use of exotic animals for private functions and parties illegal. This comes as no surprise as Los Angeles banned the use of exotic animals in circus' just last year. 

This ordinance came about 4 years ago after witnesses watched a baby giraffe and baby elephant marching through the hollywood hills towards a private function where they would likely perform and be pet / taken photos of by party goers. While it should go without saying, wild animals do not belong at private functions where they are subjected to continuous emotional and mental distress. These poor animals are surrounded by human beings who are flashing photography at them, petting them, and surrounding them to watch them interact with party goers. All of this undoubtedly causes these animals distress as none of what they are witnessing comes naturally to them. 

There is no place in entertainment for wild animals. Forcing these beautiful babies to attend events is nothing short of exploitation and is the perfect example of how money trumps animal welfare in almost every instance. How someone can argue that there is no ill effect to the animals is beyond me, but the fact that someone out there with enough money can "hire" wild animals to attend parties is both sickening and also a sign that animal welfare standards are still not where they need to be.

When you consider that the animals at this particular party were babies, it's especially saddening because we truly don't know how these handlers got hold of these innocent babies. Were they plucked from the wild, ripped away from their parents for the purpose of entertainment? Were they bred solely for the purpose of being exploited for humans? Whatever the case, those innocent baby animals should be nowhere else aside from in the wild, nurtured by their parents. The last place they belong is at some private function where wealthy people fawn over them for hours.

Considering both elephants and giraffes are facing various perils in the wild that are dwindling their population down, there should be no question as to whether having exotic animals performing at parties is a good or bad thing. I'll say this again, there is no place for wild, exotic animals at parties, functions, circus', or any other form of entertainment. The only place these babies belong is in the wild with their parents.

Congratulations to Los Angeles for taking this step in protecting wild animals from exploitation for entertainment.

HAPPY VEG