Help End the Use of Cows and Pigs at the California State Fair Nursery Exhibit
In 2010, a pregnant Holstein cow escaped her pen during the California State Fair. State Fair police chased the frightened animal down in a large SUV. They shot her multiple times, killing her. The cow was part of the Nursery Exhibit, in which heavily pregnant cows, pigs, sheep, and goats give birth in front of an audience.
Since then, animal advocates and concerned citizens have attempted - in vain - to convince the State Fair to eliminate the live birth exhibit at the State Fair. The educational value of the exhibit is questionable, and more importantly, heavily pregnant animals are unnecessarily transported and stressed.
The State Fair Board has adamently opposed any attempts to eliminate the exhibit, despite public pressure.
It is now time to offer the Fair Board a compromise - eliminate the cow and pig live births, while retaining the sheep and goats.
Why just the cows and pigs?
While Animal Place opposes the nursery exhibit in its entirety, it is the cow and pig portions of the exhibit that pose the most danger to both animal and human safety. Both cows and pigs are large animals who are not easily controlled should they escape or react poorly to the unnatural, stressful environment of the fair.
Pigs are confinsed in crates so small they cannot turn around. This added confinement only increases stress and frustration. Calves are removed from their mothers immediately after birth, which is already an enormous stressor. To have that occur in a strange, frightening environment only exacerbates the fear of the cow and calf.
Instead of eliminating the nursery exhibit entirely, stop using cows and pigs. Both pose a human health risk due to their size and difficulty in handling should they escape.
Further, pigs are confined in crates so small they cannot turn around, and calves are removed from their mother's immediately after birth. This creates undue stress and frustration for the animals.
Sheep and goats are easier to handle and provided more appropriate space. Kids and lambs remain with their mothers as well.
Please compromise and remove the cattle and pig portion of the live birth exhibit.
Number | Date | Name | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|
599 | Thu Mar 01 02:34:12 EST 2012 | Martha Brock | Clarkston, GA | |
598 | Wed Feb 29 22:21:35 EST 2012 | Lynn Wolf | Saugus, CA | |
597 | Wed Feb 29 22:10:57 EST 2012 | Lynn Wolf | Saugus, CA | |
596 | Tue Feb 28 12:26:57 EST 2012 | Diane Cline | New Cumberland, PA | |
595 | Mon Feb 27 23:13:36 EST 2012 | Pam Olsen | Bellmore, NY | PLEASE STOP THIS CRUEL EXHIBIT OF A FEMALE. |
594 | Sun Feb 26 19:19:32 EST 2012 | Bo Devon | Beaverton, OR | Please discontinue this practice entirely. There is no logical reason why anyone would have animals birthing at a Fairgrounds event. Makes no sense. |
593 | Sat Feb 25 15:01:54 EST 2012 | Deneice Gregory | Monrovia, CA | |
592 | Fri Feb 24 23:16:37 EST 2012 | Robin Bayouth | ||
591 | Fri Feb 24 10:40:31 EST 2012 | Sarah Hannigan | Princeton, NJ | |
590 | Fri Feb 24 08:42:58 EST 2012 | Susan Brown | Baltimore, MD | |
589 | Fri Feb 24 02:40:34 EST 2012 | Anonymous | Grass Valley, CA | |
588 | Fri Feb 24 00:58:37 EST 2012 | Eric Mills | oakland, CA | BODIES NEEDED! State Fair board meets at CalEXPO on Friday, 2/24, 12:30pm, in the Administration Bldg. SPEAK UP FOR ANIMALS! |
587 | Thu Feb 23 20:27:22 EST 2012 | Quique Barletta | Grass Valley, CA | |
586 | Thu Feb 23 19:17:34 EST 2012 | Aimee Brimmer | Oakley, CA | This is disgusting and cruel! How would you like to be put on display like that? They deserve so much better! |
585 | Thu Feb 23 17:18:34 EST 2012 | Rene Narvaez | Encinitas, CA | |
584 | Thu Feb 23 16:17:26 EST 2012 | Miriam Neff | ||
583 | Thu Feb 23 15:30:40 EST 2012 | Donna Grampp | Fullerton, CA | |
582 | Thu Feb 23 15:10:11 EST 2012 | Natalie Lennon | Animals have their own wants and needs. They don't exist to serve humans. | |
581 | Thu Feb 23 15:09:55 EST 2012 | Natalie Lennon | Animals have their own wants and needs. They don't exist to serve humans. | |
580 | Thu Feb 23 14:49:38 EST 2012 | Bruce Hunt | CA | These animals should not be put on exhibit at the fair. There is no logical reason to do so. The animals are kept in small, cramped, filthy areas often in 110 degree heat with little water or shelter. More.... |
579 | Thu Feb 23 13:17:05 EST 2012 | Barb Lomow | Eugene, OR | Compassionate humans would not subject anyone to such stress and angst. This exhibit exists purely for entertainment, and there is nothing entertaining about tormenting animals. Please put an end to this More.... |
578 | Thu Feb 23 12:01:58 EST 2012 | Dalila Langford | Vacaville, CA | |
577 | Thu Feb 23 10:19:17 EST 2012 | Joann Strittmatter | Santa clarita, CA | |
576 | Thu Feb 23 03:31:58 EST 2012 | Rosa McCann | Oroville, CA | This cruel and senseless putting animals on exhibition and endangering them for intertainment must end once and for all.This is abuse it must end...We need to be more compassionate with all the animals More.... |
575 | Thu Feb 23 03:16:02 EST 2012 | Dr. Nedim Buyukmihci | ot | As a veterinarian concerned with the welfare of non-human beings, I think all live birth exhibits should be prohibited. At the very least, those involving cows and pigs should be discontinued. Loading More.... |