The Elephant Protection Act is finally here, and it should be the boost we need to fight for comprehensive animal welfare protections across the state — not just at the circus.

New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation criminalizing the use of elephants for entertainment purposes,  joining two states and more than 130 communities that have criminalized various wild animal acts.

While New York obviously isn’t a native home for elephants, the state has been home to traveling circuses and permanent shows that are downright cruel to these animals. These acts place elephants under unspoken physical and psychological harm to the point that entertainment elephants have lifespans only half as long as wild elephants.

But other animals deserve our help, too.

“The Elephant Protection Act furthers this administration’s efforts to fight animal cruelty, and create a stronger, more humane New York,” Cuomo said in a statement.

If we want to create a stronger, more humane New York, we should condemn the abuse of all animals, not just the animals that are morally easy to help.

Elephants are complex, highly intelligent animals, but the entertainment industry abuses that intelligence. Circus elephants usually start training at 18-24 months old, are denied positive mental stimulation throughout their life and are chained for up to 22 hours each day, according to Cuomo’s legislation. 

But other intelligent animals, including pigs, undergo severe animal rights abuses, too. Many pigs in the United States, including central New York, are kept in factory farms where they suffer from a lack of mental stimulation and exercise, physical abuse and eventual slaughter.

Helping elephants is easy to get on board with. We empathize with elephants, just like we empathize with dogs and cats. It’s convenient to condemn the abuse of elephants because we do not eat them. It is convenient to condemn the abuse of dogs because we see them as “man’s best friend.” But condemning the abuse of equally intelligent animals like pigs isn’t convenient because we like to eat them.

In response to Cuomo’s efforts, Sen. Terrence Murphy (R-N.Y.) said, “Once again, New York State is proving to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves,” per the release.

If New York really aims to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, this legislation is hopeful. But we shouldn’t stop to celebrate until all animals are freed from suffering.

Allison Weis is a freshman newspaper and online journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at alweis@syr.edu.

Published on October 21, 2017 at 1:48 am