Events

VFA volunteers will be leafleting outside Giant Eagle Market District in Shadyside on Monday and Tuesday evening from 7-8 PM to make the public aware of Giant Eagle's continuous promotion of the Shrine Circus through its Giant Eagle Family Fun Pack.

The Shrine Circus, like all circuses that continue to use animals, is inherently abusive and exploitive to the animals it uses in its shows.  Animals used in circuses live miserable lives of exploitation, deprivation, confinement, and violent training. In order to get wild animals to perform unnatural, uncomfortable, and often dangerous tricks, they are beaten into submission using whips, electric prods, and bullhooks.  They are trucked around from city to city in boxcars with no heat or air conditioning.  When elephants are not performing, they are kept chained up by one front leg and one back leg; big cats and other animals are kept in cages so small they can barely turn around comfortably.  Most importantly, the circus takes animals far from their natural homes, traumatically separates them from their families, and deprives them of their basic needs and desires to exercise, roam, socialize, forage, and play.

Giant Eagle continues to partner with the Shrine Circus every year, despite being made well aware of the abuse and cruelty behind it.  Please contact Giant Eagle and urge them to stop partnering with the Shrine Circus and any other circus that uses animals: http://www.gianteagle.com/Contact/ContactUs.aspx