PETITION CLOSED
PETITION TARGET: Clark County, Nevada Zoning Commissioners
UPDATE (3/1/2022): Magician Jay Owenhouse has announced his controversial magic show in Las will not contain tigers, citing a “lack of confidence” from Clark County officials. The county commission had unanimously approved the show when scheduled near Mandalay Bay, but that never materialized when the land was sold to new owners, and the show then was scheduled for a site near a residential area where police and county officials deemed it wouldn’t be “safe” to house the tigers for a six-month stint, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. While we are grateful this cruel exploitation of tigers won’t happen, we’d also like to see a ban on any similar events in the future. Thanks to the more than 28,900 people who signed our petition to see this un-magical act stopped! —Lady Freethinker Staff
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At a controversial “circus magic show” in Las Vegas, captive tigers will be cruelly forced to perform unnatural tricks and stunts for profit, despite widespread opposition from activists and Clark County staff. When not performing, these innocent tigers will be housed in a tent next to McCarran International Airport with near-constant noise from overhead flights.
In circus shows, tigers are subjected to dominance and terror-based training techniques by their handlers, whose orders they obey out of fear, according to Jay Pratte, an animal trainer with over 25 years of experience. These defenseless creatures are constantly threatened with whips, and live in cramped areas where they cannot roam or avoid interaction with other tigers.
The stress of captivity and forced labor makes big cats especially prone to unpredictable behavior, thereby posing a public safety risk. These dangers became especially evident in 2003, when a 600-pound tiger attacked and permanently injured entertainer Roy Horn, biting the man’s neck and dragging him offstage.
Moreover, the upcoming show’s host, magician Jay Owenfield, allegedly obtained his tigers from notorious breeder Bhagavan “Doc” Antle of Tiger King, KTNV reported. Antle’s repeatedly-investigated breeding operation most recently fell under federal scrutiny for the suspected illegal sale of endangered animals.
Zoning commissioners approved the event despite outcries from activists and objections from county employees, but there is still time to make our voices heard and stop this inhumane show. Sign this petition urging Clark County zoning commissioners to reverse their unconscionable decision to exploit tigers for entertainment, and demonstrate that profiting from captive wildlife will no longer be tolerated in Las Vegas.
