A monkey is an adorable animal that needs to spend its days in the forest and natural habitat, not as an entertainer for human pleasure. However, such is not the case with the State College Spikes and the Harrisburg Senators which are two minor-league baseball teams in Pennsylvania. You can read more on this issue at http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/urge-baseball-teams-cancel-cruel-monkey-rodeos/?utm_campaign=062416%20PETA%20E-News&utm_source=PETA%20E-Mail&utm_medium=E-News
As stated in this article above, these baseball teams host what is called “cowboy monkey rodeos” where capuchin monkeys are dressed in costumes and forced to ride dogs who run in a race around a track. The monkeys cling desperately to the dogs who can reach speeds of up to 30 M.P.H. and who are trained to start and stop abruptly. The monkey is then violently jerked about, up and down and side to side, putting the animal in danger of injury or worse.
The animals for these events comes from “Team Ghost Riders” under care of Tim Lepard of Wild Thang Productions. Mr. Lepard has been in violation of the Welfare Act numerous times as cited by the USDA but continues to use and abuse animals in many horrific ways. It is disturbing that these baseball teams engaged his services with these poor animals, promoting abuse, stress and undue harm to them.
The effort in this petition is to encourage both the State College Spikes and the Harrisburg Senators minor-league baseball teams in Pennsylvania not to cancel cruel monkey rodeos and stop promoting such abuse. You can support this issue by signing and sharing this petition, adding your own thoughts and comments on the subject, in defense of these monkeys.
State College Spikes and the Harrisburg Senators Baseball Officials - A monkey is an adorable animal that needs to spend its days in the forest and natural habitat, not as an entertainer for human pleasure. I am deeply disturbed to learn that you are hosting these “cowboy monkey rodeos” for pleasure in your ballpark. Such activities causes psychological distress for the monkeys and puts them at risk for injury and worse. Please cancel these monkey rodeos and use of any other animals for human pleasure and consider the health and well-being of these animals.
