Do not support animal cruelty inherent in rodeos and don't be snookered by all the propaganda and lies that money-hungry Folsom rodeo promoters will be shoveling. To hype up crowds and detract from animal abuse, rodeo promoters and announcers will try to demonize and vilify innocent, docile animals, while putting wannabe cowboys on pedestals.
Rodeo is NOT a sport--Animals are not willing participants. They are subjected to cruelty that should be as illegal as dog, cock, and bull fighting is. It’s time to ban the abuse of tightly-cinched flank straps, spurring, and electric shocks (supposedly illegal and denied by promoters, but VERY well documented) that animals are subjected to in rodeos.
It’s bad enough that terrorized baby calves bolt straight out of a gate on a dead run—calves do not behave this way on a ranch. The babies then have their necks snapped at the ends of ropes, are picked up and slammed to the ground, and hog tied by someone needing ego stroking. Just imagine the torture that hundreds of poor calves go through on ranches where the wannabe cowboys “practice” out of the public’s eye.
Horses and bulls have to be tormented or terrorized in unusually cruel ways because they are docile animals. They are NOT being “bad” in the stock pens, but with electrical shocking, tail raking, ear twisting (or biting—honestly, view the SHARK videos!), spurring, flank straps, and worse, the poor horse or bull is in a full panic when it is released from the chute. The claim is made that the horse had to be shocked because it was a “chute staller.” A fully-traumatized animal will freeze in fear!
Rodeos are NOT “tradition” or “heritage” in any way. NO legitimate rancher would ever allow stock to be treated in this manner. Rodeo abuse of animals is all for the “show.” Cowboys never rode bulls on ranches, and calves were never jerked to a stop, unless the cowboy wanted to lose the job.
Don’t buy into one of the biggest lies of all perpetrated by rodeo stock providers: “The animals love it.” If ever the term “BS” had meaning, it’s here. The only thing the animals want is to escape the traumatizing and torture rodeo puts them through.
PLEASE, only you can help end rodeo animal abuse:
Contact elected Folsom officials. Call 916-355-8302 or visit http://www.folsom.ca.us/contact/default.asp . Tell them citizens want an ordinance to prohibit rodeos just as so many other civilized jurisdictions throughout the world have done. Ask neighbors to support banning rodeos in Folsom.
Do not support any activity that reeks of animal cruelty; in fact, organize a party of demonstrators and walk peacefully on public sidewalks with signage to express your disdain for such a sick event.
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