Rantz: Circuses with animals have been banned in Washington. That’s a good thing

The Washington State legislature has effectively banned circuses, with animals, from performing statewide under Senate Bill 5065. It’s long overdue, especially since some circuses have already stopped using animals.

SB 5065 bans the use of bears, wild cats, elephants, and nonhuman primates in circuses and any other kind of traveling show. The reason? Many animals emotionally suffer during high-stress transport nationwide and during performances in front of raucous crowds.

It would be foolish to pretend all animals respond negatively to transport or performances. It would be equally foolish to pretend no animal suffers from the very same thing. I believe circuses are inherently abusive to animals. This ban was long overdue and if you want a circus, stick with Cirque du Soleil (some of the performers dress like animals, at least).

Banning circuses in Washington state is about animal cruelty

Circuses are glorified prisons for animals. Frankly, so are zoos.

Even under the guise of “well-intentioned entertainment,” they’re exploitative by design. Wild animals don’t hop on stools, jump through rings of fire, or ride bicycles in nature. They’re forced into this unnatural nonsense through domination, fear, and punishment. Trainers can use whips, bullhooks, and electric prods.

And don’t fall for the “we love our animals” PR spin. If they really loved them, they wouldn’t shove them into trailers, haul them across the country, and chain them in cages barely big enough to turn around in, all so they can perform in front of crowds across Washington state.

Don’t fall for the spin

Circuses exploit scared animals for profit, plain and simple.

It’s not education—it’s exploitation packaged in cotton candy, popcorn, and clown makeup. Wild animals exist to be wild, not to entertain bored parents who couldn’t find a babysitter.

Even when handlers aren’t sadistic, the entire setup is abusive. Captivity robs animals of basic instincts, breaks their spirits, and often leads to mental and physical deterioration. But sure—let’s keep pretending a tiger voluntarily jumps through a flaming hoop for a snack.

Circuses don’t celebrate animals—they humiliate them. And the audience claps, none the wiser. It’s 2025. Time to evolve past this sad, outdated spectacle.

Zoos should be next

Zoos aim to be educational and there’s value in that, particularly with animals who cannot survive on their own. And it seems obvious that zoo caretakers support the animals’ wellbeing. But these animals belong in a sanctuary where they can roam more freely, with more space, and without gawking humans.

Similar to circuses, the animals are not allowed to be left alone should they want that. They’re also not given as much space as they need to thrive. There’s nothing sadder than an animal that knows it cannot escape the tiny confines of a zoo enclosure.

We’d be rightly outraged if we kept dogs in a crate all day and night, or never let them go outside for walks. So why are we okay with zoo animals being treated the same way?

You need not be an animal rights extremist

Animal rights extremists, like those who belong to the People for Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA), go too far. Animals are not our equals and without them, the health of humans would suffer. No matter what PETA activists say, vegan is unhealthy and unnatural.

However, you need not be a PETA extremist to want to choose to treat animals well. They’re sentient creatures. They feel love and loss, pain and glee. While volunteering them for negative experiences? What’s the value? Our entertainment? It’s not worth it.

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