Agoura Hills : Animal Advocates to Picket Circus Vargas

A circus that opened Monday in Agoura Hills has drawn fire from animal-rights activists, who claim that the animals in the show are mistreated.

Santa Monica-based Animal Emancipation Inc. said it plans to picket several performances of Circus Vargas’ four-day run.

The circus stopped using exotic animals last September for the rest of the season, but resumed the practice this year.

“We thought that last year Circus Vargas saw the light when they eliminated exotic animals from their shows,” said Robyn Franklyn, a spokeswoman for Animal Emancipation.

The circus halted exotic-animal shows last fall--the first time in its 25-year history--to try something new, not to placate critics, said Betsy Bassen, marketing director for the circus.

It tried international acts such as Bulgarian acrobats, she said, but the public complained, preferring the animals.

Animal Emancipation says circus animals are trucked around the country in unheated trailers and are beaten to make them perform.

The group also says that the animals are sent to game preserves when they get old.

Circus Vargas officials deny the accusations, saying abusing animals would be foolhardy because they are an expensive investment.

Jim Mayer,) a lion handler for Rosaire Productions of Sarasota, Fla., which contracts with Circus Vargas, said some animal handlers working for other circuses do abuse their animals and “give people like us a bad name.”

“But we love our animals,” Mayer said. “Our animals are with us until we die.”

Laura Lainfiesta, who brought her 3 1/2-year-old son to the circus grounds Monday afternoon to see the lions and tigers, was not swayed by the animal-rights group. She said she plans to take her son to the show.

“This doesn’t look too bad,” she said, gesturing toward the lions and tigers. “They are in the shade and the cages are clean.”