CWI's Big E Campaign Goes Viral

Four years ago, CWI became involved in efforts organized by Western Mass Animal Rights Advocates (WMARA) to put an end to the use of exotic animals at the Big E, which is the largest fair in the northeast and the 6th largest in the nation.

We have provided WMARA with posters and leaflets (including a new leaflet design this year--see the bottom of this post for images) and have supported their protesting efforts.

We also launched a petition called End the Use of Wild Animal Acts at The Big E. That petition sadly received little attention until this past year, when this photo of an elephant named Minnie set the internet on fire:

Suddenly, the plight of elephant at the Big E was everywhere! Numerous news stations covered the issue in both print and television. Fortunately, individuals were motivated to act upon hearing the story, and the news stations thankfully included CWI's Big E petition. That petition now boasts over 100,000 signatures and continues to climb.

While The Big E continues to dig in their heels on this issue, a massive amount of traction has been made, and we are hopeful that they will change their mind on using exotic animals at future events.

To get involved in ending circus cruelty in your community, please visit our dedicated site: circusprotest.com.