Action for Animals Austin

Action for Animals has spent the last couple of months gearing up for Ringling Bros Circus' visit to the Erwin Center from Aug. 19-23. Our core group of activists have helped organized an anti-circus cruelty campaign that starts now.

Here's what you can do to speak out against cruelty to animals in circuses during Ringling's visit to Austin.

• Attend our demo and leafletting events. You can find our demo and leafletting schedule under the EVENTS button at the top of the screen. I'll briefly say here that our demo is opening night on August 19th, and we'll leaflet one hour before every show on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• Write a letter-to-the-editor at the Austin American-Statesman. This is actually very easy. I've had several published over the years but you must follow the Statesman's guidelines for writting letters. Go here for their guidelines to submit a letter: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/feedback/lettersubmit.html Also go here to see FAQS on what the Statesman looks for when deciding what letters to publish. Anything that uses profanity, personal attacks or is libelous will disqualify a letter. AFA asks that if you write a letter then please be nice and rational. This means don't be highly emotional, stay calm and use the facts when arguing against animals being used in circuses. It helps if you say something like "As a longtime Austinite, I want to add my voice to those who oppose animal abuse in circuses. Ringling Bros Circus will be in town soon and I and my friends (or family, or wife, or husband, or kids) will be passing out leaflets opposing their use of animals for entertainment. No animal deserves to be forced to entertain you or me. And no animal deserves to be stuffed into tiny cages and moved from city to city just so you or I can see them." Go to www.RinglingAbusesAnimals.com for more facts. Or, just tell your story in 150 words or less.  
• Call Austin's mayor and city council members and ask them to do more to protect animals that come into Austin as part of traveling circuses. You can go here to get everyone's name and phone numbers. If you call, you will not actually speak to the mayor or council member. An aide will take your message. Please be brief, very polite and to the point. They receive calls like ours everyday so they are expecting to here from Austinites about every concern. Go to www.RinglingAbusesAnimals.com for ideas on what to say but mostly you can just ask them to do more to protect animals in circuses. Please give them your name if they ask for it. You may also emailed them as a group at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm but we think it's best to call them.
• You can also donate to AFA for this campaign. We have some printing costs, costume rentals, and other expenses associated with Ringling's visit to Austin. Go here to make a tax deductible donation to AFA via mail or PayPal. We need your donations to reach more people about how Ringling abuses animals. Make a generous contribution today.

• Circus
• Ringling Bros Circus