Dear Members & Supporters,

News just in - Paraguay has banned animal-act circuses! Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) and Animal Defenders International (ADI) applaud Paraguay for becoming the latest country to ban the use of wild animals in circuses under Resolution 2002/12 passed this week by the Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment (Secretaría del Medio Ambiente).  Since ADI launched a major undercover investigation of animals in circuses in South America in 2007, a series of bans have swept across the continent as Governments have acted decisively to end the suffering of these animals. Bans are in place in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and now Paraguay. Legislation for a ban passed its second reading in Colombia earlier this year and legislation for a ban is well advanced in Brazil.

Jan Creamer President Animal Defenders International: "We congratulate the Paraguayan Government for taking this progressive stand and everyone who has worked to secure this ban. This confirms how people all over the world are realizing that it is no longer acceptable to confine, deprive and abuse animals in the name of entertainment. You have to also ask why countries like the Ireland, the USA and UK have fallen so far behind on this issue.”

John Carmody, ARAN: "More and more local authorities in Ireland are either considering a ban on the use of wild animals and now we will be stepping up the pressure for a national ban. With ADI we have exposed physical abuse, confinement and deprivation in Irish circuses, and in these past months we have seen the public put at great risk with an elephant escaping from a circus and a trainer seriously injured. If countries like Paraguay and Greece are ending this archaic suffering, surely we can do the same in Ireland."

The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act which would ban the use of wild animals in circuses throughout the USA is currently before Congress. The British Government recently promised to introduce a ban at the earliest opportunity. There are over 20 countries with similar measures already in place.  ADI dramatically enforced the Bolivian ban last year, raiding eight circuses that had defied the law and rescuing and relocating every animal – including transporting 29 lions to the USA.  In the UK, on 18th June, the trial commences of the owners of Anne the elephant, on charges of failure of their responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Dear Friends,

The Courtney Brothers Circus is on the road again and they are pulling into Drogheda this week. Local people have arranged to hold a peaceful, educational protest this coming Friday, June 8th at 6.30pm to 7.30pm at the circus which is near Tesco in the town centre. It's important the organisers receive support in their efforts to educate potential circus goers about the suffering animals endure in the circus.

An ARAN spokesperson will also be on LMFM radio tomorrow morning, June 6, after 9am to speak about our national 'Stop Circus Suffering in Ireland' campaign, our efforts to ban animal-acts in this country, and our request to Drogheda Borough Council to ensure that it's the last visit of the Courtney Brothers Circus, and indeed any other animal-act circus going forward.

Thank you for all that you are doing to help animals and for using your voice to speak out for those who cannot.

Kind regards,

Stephan Wymore

Campaigns Assistant

Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN)

'Fighting animal abuse across Ireland'

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. — Martin Luther King Jr.

Dear Members & Supporters,

Not one of us is a stranger to witnessing animal abuse. Whether it’s from an undercover investigation, a heartbreaking image, a media report or seeing it right before your very eyes, there can be no denying that it’s wrong and it needs to stop. For seventeen years now ARAN has been fighting cruelty to animals tooth-and-nail. We could not have done this without the consistent and determined support of our members and supporters everywhere. Now we need your help once again and this time we really need the help of our supporters who have yet to attend one of our events or who have yet to become more actively involved. On Sunday, August 26 in Dublin at 1.30pm sharp we hope that you will join hundreds of our compassionate supporters, along with members of the public for our 5^th annual ‘March and Rally Against Cruelty to Animals’. The march will parade through the centre of Dublin City and aims to unite the many people and groups who care about animals – it's looking set to be our best event yet. We will have an extended march route with our flagship chant ‘THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR ANIMAL ABUSE’ to lead us along the way. This year we plan on having even more fantastic speakers and, for the first time, we will be presenting awards to inspiring people who have devoted their lives to helping animals. Click here for beautiful images of last year's event in Cork City. ARAN has consistently been thanked for organising such beautiful, peaceful, well coordinated, upbeat and positive rallies in previous years, but we've plans on ensuring 2012 is the best yet. But this must not be left to someone else to attend, the animals need you there.

We have no doubt you are all against cruelty to animals, but sitting back, looking away or leaving it to others to stop will ensure a lifetime of animal abuse and suffering – we might as well give up now if that's the case. We can do either of two things: One, we can ignore this appeal and leave attending ARAN’s march and rally to other people, or two, we can mark our diaries and ensure that we are in Dublin for just those couple of hours to ensure it’s the greatest day for Ireland’s animal protection movement. It’s over to you. Will you stand with us on the day? If so please RSVP with the words ‘Yes I’ll be there’. Feel free to bring along your children, family, friends, coworkers and your even your companion animals, it's their day too.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for having the heart you have to see a daywhere there is no more animal abuse.

ARAN

‘Fighting animal abuse across Ireland’

P.S. Full details, a rally promotional video, leaflet, poster and Facebook image and events page will be available very soon.