First city in Germany bans animal circuses

Hessian city sets an example: Rodgau is the first municipality in Germany to no longer allocate municipal grounds to circuses or organisers who put any kind of animal on display.

In December, the town council had approved a motion to this effect submitted by the Animal Welfare Party faction by a majority vote. PETA has now thanked Mayor Jürgen Hoffmann and the factions of the local council in a letter for this forward-looking and animal-friendly decision. After all, even domesticated animals such as horses, alpacas or goats suffer from far-too-small cages and enclosures, constant transportation, and the unnatural tricks they are forced to perform under glaring spotlights and loud music. The animal rights organisation hopes that other towns and municipalities will follow this example, and is also campaigning at federal level with a petition for a regulation that includes all species of animal.

With this pioneering decision, Rodgau paves the way for a society in which the needs of animals are respected, and where they are no longer locked up for the entertainment of paying visitors or forced to serve unwillingly as circus clowns. A nationwide ban, at least on wild animals, is long overdue. Ultimately, all animal training acts must be prohibited in order to end animal suffering in the ring and in circus wagons.

Biologist Dr Yvonne Würz, PETA's specialist advisor on animals in the entertainment industry.

Inadequate animal keeping in circuses

Appropriate housing for animals in circuses is systematically impossible. In 2016, the Federal Council called for a ban on wild animals such as elephants, giraffes and hippopotamuses in circuses. In its resolution proposal, it argued that these species are exposed to considerable suffering regardless of the particular circus enterprise. Even at circuses that do not keep wild animals, animal welfare violations frequently occur. PETA repeatedly has to call on veterinary offices to enforce the applicable guidelines there as well. The animal rights organisation calls for a fundamental ban on animals in circuses. This is because housing in small enclosures, often inadequate care, constant transport, and training marked by violence and coercion also lead to behavioural disorders, illness and often premature death in animals such as camels, horses or ponies. In this respect, Germany should follow the example of other countries: Greece, Malta and Cyprus have already completely banned keeping animals in circus operations. According to a representative opinion poll, 62 percent of Germans — a majority — also hold the view that animals should not be kept or presented in travelling circuses at all.

A future without animal training

Successful major circuses prove that animal-free shows can thrill audiences: Circus Roncalli, for example, already did away with wild animal acts back in the 1990s, removed horses from its programme in 2018 as well, and is now entirely animal-free. The company enjoys worldwide acclaim for this concept and its forward-looking hologram technology.