Former X Factor judge and music mogul Louis Walsh has issued a plea to the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, to introduce a ban stopping the use of wild animals in circuses in Ireland.
Walsh who is expected to return to the ITV series later this year wrote an open letter on behalf of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and ARAN (Animal Rights Action Network), which reads: “My career has given me a deep appreciation for the determination and talents of human performers. They do what they do because they love to entertain, and the joy it gives them is apparent the minute they come on stage. That is not true for animals who are used in circuses.
“They don’t stand on their heads, ride bicycles or perform other demeaning, often painful tricks willingly. They do so because if they don’t, they will be whipped, beaten with a steel-tipped bullhook or shocked with an electric prod.”
“It is vital that Ireland remain in step with other European countries by banning circuses that use wild animals – otherwise, it’s like putting out a welcome mat for animal abusers.”