CWI Speaks Out Against American Humane
Today the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage in Las Vegas received a certification from the organization American Humane, which has declared that the Mirage "meets the highest standard of animal care".
CWI immediately spoke out against this travesty.
The following is our statement:
"The recent designation of Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat as meeting "the gold standard for animal welfare" by American Humane is without merit.
As noted by the Review-Journal, MGM made significant contributions to establish the new program with David Blasko of the Habitat sitting on the advisory committee. The committee also consists of a panel of individuals heavily invested in the use of animals in entertainment, like animal trainers and Ringling Bros employees. These individuals support the captivity and use of cruel training methods on animals for the purpose of human entertainment.
Further, American Humane is the organization responsible for the “no animals were harmed” accreditation seen at the end of films. A well-documented expose released in 2013 showed that countless animals have been harmed or killed on film sets, even while the same film went on to receive accreditation by American Humane.
How “humane” is it to hold dolphins captive in pools in the middle of the desert where they are subjected to constant sunlight and UV rays? The Animal Welfare Act, the federal law that regulates standards for animal care and treatment, specifically sets a mandate for adequate shade for marine mammals, yet the dolphins at the Mirage have virtually none.
How “humane" it is to hold large apex predators like tigers captive in small cages, where they can never engage in any behavior that is natural or instinctual to them like stalking prey?
The latest designation bestowed on the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat is an example of an industry that survives off the backs of animals congratulating itself for continuing to do so, while lying about any positive impact they have for the animal species they hold captive for profit.
Animal captivity by MGM including the Mirage is a shameful and cruel practice that is rapidly running out of steam in an age when people are waking up to the reality that animal captivity is not kind and it is not educational, it is animal cruelty."
Let your family and friends know: captivity is cruelty. Dolphins don't belong in the desert; tigers don't belong in tiny cages! Visit the American Humane Facebook page to share your thoughts on their bogus program, and choose a non-MGM hotel when visiting Las Vegas.
