Say No to Elephant Rides at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival
Action Alert from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Animal Rights Coalition
August 2013

ACTION

Elephant rides have recently been abandoned by several events after responsible board members viewed the evidence, including Orange County and Los Angeles County Fairs, the city of Fountain Valley, CA and the Santa Ana Zoo. With your help we can add the Minnesota Renaissance Festival to this list.

Make direct contact

Jim Peterson, Owner
Minnesota Renaissance Festival
815 Nicollet Mall, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55402
phone (612) 332-5600
phone (952) 445-7361
fax (952) 445-7380
[email protected]

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

End Elephant Rides at the MN Ren Fest
by guest writer Jan Creamer, President, ADI

Animal Defenders International (ADI) has launched a nationwide initiative in the U.S. about the use of elephants for rides, performances, or making appearances at public events. At the heart of the campaign is a new DVD narrated by Bob Barker entitled " No Fun for Elephants" featuring harrowing undercover footage from inside elephant training facilities in California, as well as abuse of an elephant on tour by Texas-owned company Trunks & Humps.

Elephant Rides at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival

ADI has learned that the supplier for the elephant rides at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is Trunks & Humps. During one of the most disturbing video clips in "No Fun for Elephants," elephant handler Mike Swain beats an elephant named Krissy, viciously drags her to the ground with a hook, and then kicks her in the face. Krissy is "owned" by Trunks & Humps, run by Bill Swain, Mike Swain's father.

Help Stop This Abuse

ADI and ARC are appealing to the public not to pay to ride these abused elephants, since doing so pays for this appalling cruelty. We're also seeking volunteers who would like to help educate festival attendees with leaflets and the "No Fun for Elephants" video. If you would like to volunteer, call 612 822-6161 or email [email protected]. You can also send a polite message to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival asking them to cancel the elephant rides and make it their policy not to have performing elephants.

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Thank you for everything you do for animals!

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