Fort Benton, Montana’s Chouteau County Fair plans to raise funds this year with an event that terrorizes pigs. Several county fairs across the nation, after being presented with facts about the event’s risks and cruelty, have cancelled the event, but Chouteau Fair’s website is still accepting entries.
Team members participating in Chouteau’s Golden Harvest Seeds Montana State Pig Wrestling Contest are required to sludge through mud in an enclosed pit in which a pig is held captive, catch the frightened animal and “put it in a barrel, “rear-end first.”
It’s an activity a Kentucky Humane Society describes as one in which pigs are "assaulted by teams of humans" And it’s one many others decry as animal cruelty - one that is risky to human participants and spectators and one that sends the wrong message to children.
A video released by Steve Hindi of SHARK, showing teens “ chasing and wrestling a mud-covered pig who is limping and squealing,” illustrates this message much more convincingly than words can.
Sign this petition to suggest Chouteau County find a humane and fair way of fundraising - and insist that it permanently ban pig wrestling at its annual fair.
To members of the boards of the Chouteau County Fair and Fort Benton:
As an advocate for animal rights, for the humane treatment of animals and for the well-being of children, I am writing to request that you put an end to this cruel and risky event that is known to harm both of these vulnerable groups.
[YOUR COMMENT]
According to numerous sources and animal rights advocates, pig wrestling traumatizes these intelligent and shy animals and can cause them painful physical injury and even death.
Also, as the waiver form found on Chouteau County Fair’s website confirms, there is risk of physical injury to human participants as well.
The risks to both humans and pigs involves broken bones and other similar injuries during the struggle to pin the pigs, as well as harm from exposure to animal waste when the frightened pigs urinate or defecate in the muddy waters where their heads are often immersed and where humans are wading.
But perhaps worst of all is the message sent to children who are encouraged to participate either as team members or spectators in an event that promotes cruelty to and disrespect of living creatures.
Overall, this is an unnecessarily cruel and even barbaric form of entertainment that has no place in a civilized society.
Therefore I, the undersigned, insist that this event be cancelled this year and banned at all future county fairs.
Thanks for your time.
[YOUR NAME]
