Los Angeles: Help Us Ban Exploitation of Animals for Entertainment

Update: This action is closed.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is urging Los Angeles residents to speak up in support of a new ordinance. On Tuesday, April 25, the Los Angeles City Council will vote on an ordinance which would prohibit the use and exhibition of wild or exotic animals for entertainment or amusement in LA, including circuses, other wild or exotic animal shows, and rentals for house parties.  We need your help to make sure that this ordinance succeeds.

With this ordinance, Los Angeles is poised to make history as one of the first major cities to prohibit the needless use of exotic animals for public amusement.  San Francisco passed a similar bill in 2015 and New York City Council is currently considering this legislation as well.  If Los Angeles’ bill passes, it will go a long way toward halting animal exploitation.

If you are a resident of the City of Los Angeles, please send an email to your council member urging support for the ordinance, and follow up with a phone call to your council member.  You can simply say:

Hello, I’m a constituent calling to urge my lawmaker to support the ordinance banning the display of exotic animals. This ordinance would offer critical protection to wild and exotic animals by prohibiting their display to entertain or amuse the public in Los Angeles.  

If you already know your representative’s name, find their contact information below and call now, or click here to locate your district if you do not know the name of your representative.

Learn more about banning animals in entertainment

Animals forced to perform lead lives of misery and indignity. Travel, confinement, and being forced to perform tricks deprive wild animals like tigers and elephants of anything that might satisfy their complex physical, behavioral and emotional needs. What few protections these animals have under state and federal law are not adequately enforced, making LA’s proposed ordinance a critical tool to provide these creatures the care they deserve.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund will continue working to end exploitation of animals for entertainment, but we need your help today to make sure this bill becomes law.  The motion to draft such an ordinance, made by Councilmember David Ryu, has already been unanimously approved (3-0) by the City of Los Angeles’ Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee and passage by the full City Council is the crucial next step.

Gilbert Cedillo – District 1 (Northeast Los Angeles including Highland Park, Echo Park and Chinatown)
Email: councilmember.cedillo@lacity.org
Phone: 213-473-7001

Paul Krekorian – District 2 (SF Valley including North Hollywood, Studio City and Van Nuys)
Email: Paul councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org
Phone: 213-473-7002

Bob Blumenfield – District 3 (SF Valley including Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Canoga Park)
Email: councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7003

David E. Ryu – District 4 (ordinance sponsor) (Central Los Angeles including Hollywood, Koreatown and Los Feliz)
Email: david.ryu@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7004

Paul Koretz – District 5 (Westside including Westwood, Palms and Bel Air)
Email: paul.koretz@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7005

Nury Martinez – District 6 (SF Valley including Sun Valley, Van Nuys & Lake Balboa)
Email: councilmember.martinez@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7006

District 7 – Vacant

Marqueece Harris-Dawson – District 8 (Western-South Los Angeles including Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw and West Adams)
Email: councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7008

Curren D. Price, Jr. – District 9 (DTLA & South Los Angeles)
Email: councilmember.price@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7009

Herb J. Wesson, Jr. – District 10 (Central Los Angeles including Mid-City, Koreatown, and Wilshire Center)
Email: councilmember.wesson@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7010

Mike Bonin – District 11 (Westside including Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, and West Los Angeles)
Email: councilmember.bonin@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7011

Mitchell Englander – District 12 (Northwest SF Valley including Northridge, Granada Hills and West Hills)
Email: councilmember.englander@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7012

Mitch O’Farrell – District 13 (Central Los Angeles including Silverlake, Atwater Village and Westlake)
Email: councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7013

Jose Huizer – District 14 (Northeast Los Angeles including Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock and Glassell Park)
Email: councilmember.huizar@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7014

Joe Buscaino – District 15 (Port of LA, San Pedro and Harbor City)
Email: councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org
Phone: 213- 473-7015