Mark backs circus animal welfare campaign

1.11.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 21st Apr 2006

Mark is supporting the Animal Defenders International camapign

This week, Cheadle MP Mark Hunter lent his support to a new report outlining the suffering travelling circuses inflict on animals. At a special event in Parliament, Mark attended the launch of the Animal Defenders International (ADI) report whose research demonstrates the unsuitable conditions in which many wild and domesticated animals are kept and transported.

Mark said, "There is a wealth of reliable scientific evidence available now which shows that travelling circuses cause cruelty to animals. Transportation of the kind involved in circuses causes intolerable levels of stress to these creatures which, in turn, leads to other health and well being problems."

"If we are serious about animal welfare, this practice should be stopped and much higher standards of care enforced."

ADI found that in many instances, animals were kept in cramped transporters for far longer than recommended and that they were not given enough exercise in adequate facilities. Further details of the report can be found at http://www.ad-international.org/home/