One minute to the bell when—slap!—a stack of pink permission slips lands on your desk. Your teacher’s taking you to—oh, no!—the circus???!!! Not if you have anything to say about it!
Before you craft some crazy plan to pull the fire alarm on field-trip day or throw your body in front of a giant yellow bus, there’s a less death-defying (and surefire) way to put the brakes on big top outings forever.
• Organize a big top boycott. You’ll wind up looking like a star (we promise) for dissing this day off, once everyone finds out what you already know—that for animals, life in the circus is much worse than being grounded ’til you’re 80. Animals are hauled around in stuffy boxcars for up to 50 weeks a year, and elephants can spend up to 95 percent of their lives in chains. In the wild, elephants live in close-knit families. Babies stick with their moms until they are teens. Circuses tear families apart and break their spirits with whips, bullhooks (sticks with sharp metal hooks), chains, isolation, and food deprivation.
• Explain to your teacher that there’s nothing educational or entertaining about forcing animals to perform stupid tricks through violence and intimidation. At least 17 U.S. cities have said “no” to animal circuses and so have some countries, including Israel and Sweden.
• Gather your friends to speak as a group at your school board’s next meeting. Go to Circuses.com for back-up info, and contact PETA for free circus education packs to pass around.
• Download the "Heck, No—We Won't Go" petition (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader; download Adobe Acrobat Reader here) and Xerox copies of the petition. Pass it around school to collect signatures. Hand it in to your teacher or principal.
• Contact PETA for help and encouragement along the way. We’re here to help.
