GROUPON- pull the deal on the George Carden Circus Spectacular.

If Groupon does not follow through, this petition serves as a pledge to no longer use their service.  

**UPDATE:  GROUPON WILL NOT REMOVE THE DEAL.  Their statement is available here: 

https://www.facebook.com/grouponchicago/posts/418134144878944

I strongly encourage you to email Groupon, but also visit their facebook wall to express your disappointment in not only this decision, but in the above "statement".  You can find the facebook wall here: 

https://www.facebook.com/grouponchicago

Our goal is to convince Groupon to pull the deal for this circus, and refund the money to all 650 people who purchased the "family 4-pack" deal.  By doing so, Groupon will aid in making the public aware of circus animal torture, and bring us a much-needed step closer to the end of circuses altogether.  We believe a high-visibility company like Groupon has a responsibility to reverse this tragic error in judgement.  Furthermore, we believe doing so will ultimately be beneficial to Groupon's public image.  (Everyone wins!)  The circus Groupon can be found here:  http://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-circus-spectacular-chicago 

The George Carden Circus Spectacular (like every circus) uses and abuses elephants and tigers.  They have never known what it means to be free, unharmed, and unafraid.  They will never know what it means to be an elephant  - just an elephant.  In a forest.  With their families.  Undercover video footage (available on youtube) show the elephants of this circus in severe emotional distress, exhibiting signs of "losing their minds".  Circus elephants are kept in this manner, and only unchained when they are "performing" on stage.  Undercover video footage (available on youtube) also shows an elderly female elephant with arthritis and deformity, forced to walk in circles over and over and over, "giving rides" to people on her back. 

Children who watch these performances learn that it is acceptable to force another living creature to do something that is stressful, and often even painful, as long as it serves the purpose of entertainment. This mindset will carry over into their relationships with people, and it will not serve them well in life. 

The George Carden Circus has repeatedly failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act. The USDA has cited the George Carden Circus numerous times for failing to provide proper veterinary care and for failure to properly handle animals. 

The evidence that circus animals live lives of torture and inhumane treatment is undeniable. If the torture and pain these animals endure every day was offered up as part of the circus, instead of carefully kept out of view, no one would be bringing their kids along; no one would be mistaking this for entertainment. Once you realize what an elephant has gone through his or her entire life to perform for you for five minutes, you want this practice banned forever. Once you are aware, you want to make others aware. The owners of Groupon are making a choice to promote this torture. That wasn't necessarily their intention, but that is what these coupons do: offer a discount to witness the performance of animals who have been brutally, heartlessly, needlessly tortured. Groupon: make the right choice; PULL the Circus Spectacular deal. 

The people offering their signatures pledge to NO LONGER USE GROUPON if this is not done.