If you wouldn’t visit an animal circus, then you shouldn’t visit a live reindeer parade

In the last few days, Bluewater Shopping centre in Kent has come under fire for featuring a live wild animal performance where a raccoon was dressed up in a bow tie and forced to ride a bicycle to amuse the shopping centre’s customers.

Following strong criticism from the RSPCA, its members and other animal lovers around the country, the shopping centre apologised in apparent recognition that the circus-style show wasn’t the right thing to do. These sorts of publicity stunts will always attract strong reactions because they showcase exactly the same degrading and exploitative acts which will soon be prohibited when the ban on the use of wild animals in circuses is introduced in this country; a move supported by the public, parliamentarians and experts.

But, despite the opposition to wild animal performances, parents up and down the country will still take their children to one of the many live reindeer parades held in town centres or shopping precincts around the UK in the run up to Christmas.

What many parents will not know is that the reindeer that spend days in small pens in shopping centres as part of Santa’s Grottos might be the very same animals that so many have fought so hard to see spared a life in the big top. For example, Peter Jolly’s Circus, which still uses big cats in its shows, also runs a “reindeer for hire” business over the winter period.  By visiting a reindeer parade this year, parents might be unwittingly supporting an industry which 94% of the public want to see banned[1].
Even those reindeer supplied by companies other than circuses are used in similar situations as those exploited in the big top. Brightly-lit shopping centres, noisy crowds, being used as photo props and travelling long distances are all part and parcel of the use of live animals in Christmas events and all have the potential to put animal welfare at risk. The reindeer for one event being planned in Cornwall for this year will be coming from Scotland. The animals will be transported a total of around 1,300 miles to join the Christmas parade.

This year, CAPS has launched a brand new campaign to see an end to the exploitation of reindeer and other live animals at Christmas.

Please join the Rudolph’s Christmas Wish campaign today by taking one or more of the following important actions:

1. Make the pledge below that you will not attend any events which use live animals this Christmas.
2. Contact CAPS by emailing info@captiveanimals.org if you see a reindeer (or other animal) event advertised near you or if you are aware of a venue that has used animals in this way in previous years. This will help us to contact businesses and work with them to ensure that live animals do not form part of their plans.
3. If you find out about an event near you, use our template email to ask the venue to reconsider.
4. Ensure that you follow CAPS on Facebook and Twitter and look out for “Reindeer Action Alerts” which will be announced when we need you to take action by writing to companies who persist in using animals in their events.
5. Businesses using reindeer in events will be featured on our interactive map. Please check back regularly and contact new additions to raise concerns.
6. Share this campaign page and video with friends.