April 2nd, ARAUNY members braved fierce winds and wind-chill in the teens to stand along busy Henrietta Road, as close to the Dome Arena as they could legally get, to silently protest the Commerford Zoo.
Car after car leaving the Dome gave them supportive beeps and thumbs-up. They got many appreciative comments and wishes that this show would be closed down. One man with kids in the backseat said, “The place is a dump. My daughter made us leave. She couldn’t stand seeing the animals like that.” There were other similar comments.
After yet-another family relayed to us that “they’re being mean to the animals in there,” a member called the cruelty hotline at Lollypop Farm. She reported all the comments we were getting about the poor conditions and treatment of the animals and the man she spoke to seemed genuinely concerned. He said they would try to send someone out the next day to investigate. However, it turned out that an eye-witness report was needed in order for an investigator to be sent.
If Commerford returns to the Dome, we know there are many people who won’t return. Hopefully they will help us spread the word about this exploitative event.
We notified the media about Commerford’s record and wrote a letter to the editor, but nothing was picked up. Many thanks to the protestors for advocating for animals.