Newark City Council member wants to ban circuses in Newark

NEWARK - A Newark City Council member will seek to ban circuses from visiting the city as one is set to come to Newark in the next few weeks.

Mark Fraizer, R-at large, said he plans to bring forth a law that would prohibit circuses from operating within the city of Newark.

"Having seven animals myself and knowing what it's like to have an animal and care for an animal, I wouldn't want my dog abused just like I don't want a two-ton elephant abused," he said.

The Heath Moundbuilders Kiwanis Club is hosting the Carson and Barnes Circus in Newark August 4-6. Ed Ware, secretary for the Kiwanis Club, spoke to council's finance committee Monday night to ask the city to waive the $150 license fee for the circus to operate. 

Fraizer opposes the circus coming to Newark and said he protested the circus in 2014 when it last stopped in the city.

"I just have a real concern with setting the trend of allowing this circus in our community," he said.

Fraizer listed several recent allegations against the circus from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, including as recently as March when the circus was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for not providing a safe enclosure for a llama. According to PETA, the llama was exposed to broken glass. 

The circus, Fraizer said, displays the wrong message for children. Fraizer said it's hard to teach children not to chain a dog outside in the heat when they see animals being abused at a circus.

"There's a reason why these are trick animals and that's because they're abused and neglected and forced to do these tricks," he said. "They're not doing it out of love and admiration and positive reinforcement. They're doing it out of abuse."

Ware, however, said many of the claims by PETA are about other circuses and not Carson and Barnes. He added that Carson and Barnes takes care of its animals.

"Carson and Barnes operates a sanctuary in Oklahoma ... where they have the animals that have been retired from the circus," he said.

Ware said Fraizer has the right to object to the circus.

"But I think you'll find if you do some real good research and the websites that I've looked at, and I've looked at a lot of them, they are not Carson and Barnes in the first place," he said.

In a statement, Kristin Parra, manager of Carson and Barnes, said PETA is targeting the circus and trying to put it out of business.

"Carson & Barnes has never been found guilty of animal abuse, nor would we ever support such treatment," she said.

Fraizer and Bill Cost, D-at large, voted against waiving the fee for the circus. The legislation heads to the full council, where it is expected to be voted on July 17.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13