Victory: Rodeo Cancels Animal Chasing Event After Protests

The Bluffdale rodeo in Utah has cancelled its Barnyard Bonanza in which “little cowboys and cowgirls” chase chickens, kittens, goats, rabbits and other small animals. According to advertisements for the event, “Whatever you catch, you get to take home.” On Facebook, the rodeo chairwoman posted a request for unwanted pets to be donated to the event. Animal rights activists, who “were aghast that small animals that had been pets would find themselves in this terrifying environment,” complained loudly enough that the organizers decided to cancel the animal chasing event and distribute stuffed animals to the children instead.

The rodeo advertisement should have read: “Whoever you catch, you get to take home” instead of “Whatever you catch.”  Of course, the rodeo should have never been scheduled in the first place because chasing terrified farm animals and companion animals for sport is barbaric, as is teaching children that this type of activity is acceptable. Learn more about rodeo cruelty and see how you can help stop them.