This week animal rights group PETA called for animal-themed carousel rides to cease production, arguing that they “normalise” harmful attitudes towards non-human creatures.
On Tuesday, the group sent a letter to Aaron Landrum, president and CEO of US-based Chance Rides, which is the largest manufacturer of amusement rides in America.
The letter asked the company to end its production and sale of “animal-themed carousels” that “normalise the use of animals as conveyances and amusements.” PETA argued that such rides should instead feature carousel figures in the shape of “cars, airplanes, spaceships, bulldozers, and other vehicles, or more whimsical designs, like shooting stars, rainbows, or brooms.”
The letter went on to outline how animals such as horses and camels are “exploited” and denied the right to “pursue their own interests.”
“Times change, and our understanding of animals has greatly evolved over the past few decades,” the letter reads.
“Animal-themed carousels unintentionally celebrate the exploitation of sentient beings. Animals used for rides and other forms of entertainment – including camels, horses, elephants, and dolphins – are confined and in servitude, never free to pursue their own lives and interests.
“They’re also sometimes beaten, tormented, and even slaughtered when their bodies wear out.”
The letter explained that animals “crave freedom from oppression.”
“All animals are thinking, feeling, affectionate, playful, and social beings who form strong bonds with their offspring if permitted to keep them (a rarity),” the group wrote.
“They crave freedom from oppression. Animal-themed carousel sets reinforce the notion that these sentient beings are simply here for our entertainment, rather than individuals with the same capacity to experience fear, pain, joy, and love as any of us.”
The group further asserted that animals like horses and camels were being used as “living taxis,” and said that switching away from such carousel figures would send a “powerful message.”
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, author of “50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals”, described the rides as “old-fashioned.”
“PETA urges Chance Rides and all other carousel manufacturers to hit the brakes on old-fashioned animal-themed rides, and embrace designs that engage children’s imagination and showcase human talent,” she said.
The group added that “every animal is someone,” and said it was offering free “Empathy Kits” for “people who need a lesson in kindness.”