Cork County Council has taken the first step to introducing bylaws which would ban circuses that use performing animals.
At the first full meeting yesterday of the new 55-seat council, a motion was tabled by Sinn Féin councillor Kieran McCarthy, who said it was well-documented that animals are suffering in circuses and it was time to ban such cruelty.
“Forcing them to perform and keeping them locked up in cages is wrong,” he said.
Mr McCarthy said the animals were akin to “slaves” and “captives”. He said support groups such as the ISPCA were opposed to using animals as circus acts.
Source: Irish Examiner