Ringling Brothers circus is in Las Vegas this week. Reporter George Knapp, from the I-team on KLAS-TV, the CBS affiliate, has put together a two part series on the animal welfare battle against the circus. The segments aired Monday and Tuesday this week (June 16 and 17).

You can view both segments on line at http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=8500317 where you can also read much of the text. It includes evidence of animal cruelty, such as "undercover videos recorded of circus trainers using the infamous ankus, or bullhook, a combination club and metal hook which can inflict considerable pain and injury." We learn that "Ringling's own vets talk of elephants with multiple abrasions and lacerations from the hooks -- wounds that were covered up with makeup known as wonder dust." And we hear of the deaths of four baby elephants. One was Kenny:
"One baby elephant named Kenny was bleeding and sick but was forced to perform anyway. He died."

Please click the link above to show your interest. You can watch or read the full story and then, please, at the bottom of the page click the link where you can "Email your comments to Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp" and take just a moment to send him a quick thank you. A positive response to stories about animal cruelty issues encourages follow-ups, and similarly themed stories.

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)

Please go to www.ThankingtheMonkey.com to read reviews of Karen Dawn's new book, "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals" and watch the fun celebrity studded promo video.