Greenwich Bans Traveling Acts From Using Specific Wild Animals In Town
GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich this week became the third town in Connecticut to ban traveling acts from using specific wild animal species, such as elephants, primates, big cats, bears and giraffes, among others, within town limits.The Board of Selectmen first heard the proposal from Humane Society officials in March but needed extra time to clarify whether the ban would affect certain events around town, notably Sam Bridge's reindeer festival and various church scenes around Christmastime.First Selectman Fred Camillo said during the regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting Thursday the answer to those questions was "no."Camillo, a Greenwich native and noted animal lover, has said he could not remember a circus ever coming to town, but during the March meeting, Wendy Dziurzynski of the Greenwich DAR Horseneck Chapter, who was in attendance, said she remembered seeing circuses and tigers in carts set up in the field near her home on Arch Street in the 1980s."This is probably, at this point, symbolic that Greenwich is aware of this," Camillo said. "As long as we've had these questions taken care of, it's not going to affect anything we're doing right now in town, I'm more than happy to vote 'yes' on this."Greenwich now joins Bridgeport and Stamford as the only Connecticut municipalities to have a ban in place. "We're proud to be No. 3 in Connecticut," Camillo said."I hold the Humane Society in high esteem. If this is something that they endorse, then I'm very supportive of it," added Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan.In March, Laura Hagen, the director of captive wildlife for the Humane Society, said there is now a wealth of information about the impact traveling acts have on wild animals, and that public perception of exhibits, shows and circuses has changed over the years.On Thursday, Hagen said close to 200 towns across the United States have passed similar bans."We support advocates who want to symbolically make sure these acts can never come to their town, even if they haven't come in a while, or to actually make sure circuses and traveling shows that are coming there can no longer visit," Hagen said. "We'd love to do more local ordinances in Connecticut. It would be great to see more Connecticut communities close their doors to these acts, and we're starting to see more states take action."Camillo said in March that Annie Hornish of the Humane Society of the United States' Connecticut Chapter approached him about bringing a ban to Greenwich. The two had served in Hartford for several years as state representatives and formed the first animal welfare caucus in the country.The board made a minor amendment to the ordinance Thursday at the request of resident and Board of Estimate and Taxation member, Karen Fassuliotis.While the ordinance doesn't prohibit it, the board decided to be proactive and include a provision allowing a traveling act to seek medical attention in Greenwich for a distressed animal if it is heading through town on the way to another destination.The article Greenwich Bans Traveling Acts From Using Specific Wild Animals In Town appeared first on Greenwich, CT Patch.
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