PETA takes issue with event
The monkeys used in the cruel traveling show should be frolicking with their friends and families not hanging onto a dog’s back for dear life. In the jungles and forests where they belong, capuchins raise families, defend their homes, and have complex communication systems. They race through tree canopies with astonishing speed and accuracy.
Tim Lepard, who performs under the name “Team Ghost Riders,” has been cited numerous times by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including failure to provide adequate shelter for animals, for keeping animals in unsanitary conditions, for failure to provide adequate crowd management and safety barriers, improper food storage, failure to dispose of expired medications, and repeatedly being unavailable for inspections. In 2000, all of Lepard’s monkeys, dogs and sheep died after being poisoned by carbon monoxide in his trailer.
It’s sad that anyone can find this cruel spectacle entertaining.
Yours truly,
Jennifer O’Connor
Senior Writer for the PETA Foundation
Norfolk, Va.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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