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Animal Defenders International
Break the Chain campaign
Posted: 14 July 2008. Updated: 6 June 2013
Break the Chain is ADI’s campaign to bring an end to circus suffering in the US.
How you can help animals in US circuses:
- Visit our Break the Chain campaign site
- Make a donation
- Adopt an animal rescued from the circus
- Sign up to our campaign eAlerts
For other ways you can help see here
ADI’s “Stop Circus Suffering, USA” Video
The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act
On 2nd November 2011, ADI and the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) launched H.R. 3359, The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act (TEAPA) in U.S. Congress, the culmination of eighteen months of painstaking drafting and preparation. Find out about this historic bill and get the latest updates.Latest News
Winter 2012/2013 Break the Chain of Circus Suffering Update
Status updates on the LA City Ban and other Break the Chain news throughout the US. Read more...LA City Council considering elephant circus ban
The Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee of the Council have decided to move forward to a full Council vote on a prohibition on the use of elephants in circuses. Read more...ADI Goes Wild in Los Angeles!
The ADI team has been staging some attention grabbing street theater outside LA City Hall to draw attention to animal suffering in traveling circuses. Read more...The American highway is no place for elephants
Accident in Mississippi increases calls from ADI for an end to the use of wild animals in traveling circuses. Read more...PETA and ADI filed lawsuit over circus animal export permits
PETA and ADI have filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Los Angeles against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The suit alleges that FWS illegally issued permits to Feld Entertainment, Inc., parent company of Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus, to export nine endangered Asian elephants and 17 endangered tigers, including to Mexico, where the animals—some of them ailing—are now being forced to perform. Read more...ADI educates LA City Council as hundreds protest Ringling Bros Circus
Hundreds of activists joined ADI at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to protest Ringling Bros Circus on opening night. Read more…Petition to Los Angeles City Council on Wild Animals in Circuses
ADI urge Angelenos to sign new petition calling on Los Angeles City Council Members to restrict the use of wild animals (exotics and non-domestics) in traveling circuses.View and sign the petition here
Special Appeal from ADI Ambassador Jorja Fox
Actress Jorja Fox releases new video message about circus animal abuse and writes a special letter to ADI supporters. Read more…Summit for the Elephants 2012
Organized by the Performing Animal Welfare Society and Oakland Zoo, a biannual opportunity for those working to protect elephants to come together. Read more...ADI & Deputies call on Congress to ban animal circuses
ADI and Deputies gather at the National Congress Palace to publicly condemn the continued use of animals in circuses, and call for a ban on the cruel practice once and for all, as part of international ‘Week for the Animals’. Read more…ADI acts after sick circus elephant falls
ADI files USDA complaint after Sarah, a sick 54-year old elephant at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, falls down and collapses while attempting to climb up the ramp onto the train car after leaving the last performance in Anaheim, California. Read more…How the Bolivian Ban on animal circuses was won
In June President Morales signed Law 4040 banning wild and domestic animals in travelling circuses throughout Bolivia. Here, we look back over ADI’s four year operation leading to this historic move.Read more…Read more about our campaign in Bolivia, and the rescue and relocation of its circus animals here
Help Save Krissy & Boo
Beaten, chained, passed from one owner to the next: the sad lives of Boo and Krissy – the elephants the USDA left behind. Read more...Circus elephant Benny stuck in Mexico
ADI’s Rescue Team is fighting to prevent Benny being returned to the circus, and to bring him to the PAWS sanctuary in the US. Please help bring Benny to safety. Read more...Award for Leadership
The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has presented ADI Chief Executive Jan Creamer and Campaigns Director Tim Phillips with The Rebecca Award “For their courage, commitment, and international leadership in exposing cruel training and travel practices of circuses through their documentation of the science of animal suffering.” Read more…Summit for Elephants
Leading elephant experts and campaigners assembled for the Summit for Elephants which had a special emphasis on circus elephants. The setting for the three day conference was the Ark 2000 sanctuary of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Read more here and hereThere’s nothing magical about animal misery
As Fercos Brothers open in Las Vegas, backstage video from ADI reveals animals in tiny cages. Read more…Watch our video here
View photos here
Suffering in US Circuses Exposed
An ADI investigation of the US circus industry has exposed confinement, deprivation, lax safety standards and cases of severe violence to animals. Exposed: sickening violence inflicted on two female elephants, Krissy and Boo, who were electric shocked during training sessions and when being moved to the ring to perform. Krissy was beaten, dragged to the ground and kicked in the face. Read more…Stop Circus Suffering US launch
Launched in four major states, our Stop Circus Suffering campaign unveiled the findings of an exposé of the US circus industry. We were joined on the campaign trail by West Wing and CSI actress Jorja Fox, hip hop artist Remo Conscious, model Susie and actor Corey Feldman. Read more…Read why Alicia Silverstone, Kristy McNicol, Anna Maria Horsford, Dan Piraro, Tana Frederick and Shelley Morrison are supporting our campaign to end animals in circuses here
Wild animal acts should have stayed in Roman times – campaign launch at Caesars Palace
To mark the Nevada launch of our Stop Circus Suffering US campaign, ADI held a press conference in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Footage from our shocking investigation includes: electric shocks being given to elephants during training sessions,an elephant hit with a golf club and an elephant dragged to her knees and kicked in the face. Read more… (Spanish)View photos here
Corey and Susie Feldman back ADI Stop Circus Suffering campaign
Corey and Susie Feldman joined ADI USA President Jan Creamer live on the Geraldo Show to urge people to boycott animal circuses and alert people to the suffering of circus animals. Watch here…Austin to investigate circus animal suffering
Councillor Leffingwell meets with CSI actress Jorja Fox at a press conference held by ADI at City Hall and confirms he will look into circus cruelty in Austin. Read more…View photos from the press conference here
CSI actress Jorja Fox reveals shocking abuse of circus elephants
Actress Jorja Fox announces new ADI campaign to end the use of animals in circuses at a press conference in Austin. Shocking new footage of suffering in US circuses was screened; some of the most savage violence exposed was inflicted on two elephants with Bailey Brothers Circus touring Texas. Read more…Watch footage collected by ADI Field Officers working undercover inside Bailey Brothers Circus here
Beaten and kicked in the face – shocking reality of animals in US circuses
ADI screens exclusive and shocking scenes from inside US circuses in San Francisco. Nine of America’s most renowned animal circuses feature in a scientific report being launched alongside the disturbing footage. Read more… (Spanish)View photo gallery of launch here
Watch ABC 7 News coverage of San Francisco press preview here
Stop Circus Suffering USA DVD
Watch here…
Inside America’s Animal Circuses
View images from our investigation hereSee also here
Stop Circus Suffering USA report
View as a pdf- Executive summary (Spanish)
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Traveling Environment
- 3 Pilot Study: Animals in Traveling Circuses in the US
- 4 The Scientific Evidence
- 5 The Animal Welfare Act
- 6 Recommendations for Action
- 7 Appendix: Public Opinion
- 8 References
Las Vegas Lion and tiger act blocked from appearing in Bolivia
Las Vegas based magic show Fercos Brothers prevented from using wild animals during performances in Bolivia due to municipal bans on animal circuses in various cities across Bolivia. Read more…Help Stop US “Reality” Show about Ringling Brothers Circus!
Cable station Turner Network Television (TNT) has announced plans to produce a reality show titled “The Greatest Show On Earth” featuring known animal abusers Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Read more…Interview with rapper Remo Conscious
Rapper Remo Conscious, celebrity supporter of our campaign to end animals in circuses, speaks to ADI. Read more…ADI submits evidence to USDA in case against elephants in captivity
With evidence mounting of the difficulties of adequately caring for elephants in captivity ADI presents the USDA with a substantial dossier of scientific research highlighting that many captive elephants in the US are being held in conditions which seriously compromise their welfare. Read more…Closure of Siegfried and Roy Show in Las Vegas
ADI comments that the closure of the Siegfried and Roy Show in Las Vegas is not just a consequence of the attack on Roy Horn by a white tiger, but a sign of the times. Read more…9000 miles of misery
Chipperfield Enterprises employee, Tom Rider, blew the whistle on the abuse he witnessed in the circus and told of the deprivation and violence to three Chipperfield elephants as they travelled from the US and across Europe. Read more…- Read about our global Stop Circus Suffering campaign here
- Find out about ADI USA’s other campaigns here
