ALDF and PETA Sue to Shut Down American Bull Runs

The term “Running of the Bulls,” typically conjures images of the world-famous event in Pamplona, Spain. Dozens of bulls, each weighing over one ton, are viciously provoked into racing down a narrow course at up to 35 miles per hour, charging down the oft-inebriated humans running down the lane ahead of them. The historic tradition is extremely dangerous, unsporting, and cruel, but that hasn’t stopped groups from replicating the event in France, Portugal, Mexico, and even the United States of America.

As we previously reported, a traveling festival called the Great Bull Run has been staging bull run events across the country, although many have thankfully been shut down out of concern for public health and safety. Great Bull Run currently has events planned at Temecula Downs Events Center in Southern California and the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Northern California. These bull runs are scheduled for June 21 and July 26, respectively—but if national nonprofits Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have their way, the events will be cancelled well before summer.

According to an ALDF press release, the two Animal rights giants have filed a lawsuit against the Great Bull Run in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit claims that the bull runs will violate both California’s anti-cruelty law and Unfair Competition law. It looks like an easy case to win: California state laws clearly make it illegal to make a bull fight with a human, to subject any animal to needless suffering, and to promote and exhibit bulls in “bloodless bullfights.”

This action is the first lawsuit filed to prevent the Great Bull Run, despite widespread national outcry, condemnations by veterinarians and animal activists, and three bull run-linked hospitalizations at past events.

“Kind people around the world realize that it’s cruel to force panicked animals to careen through a track, trampling runners and potentially injuring themselves in the process,” says PETA’s Delcianna Winders. “This event is unsafe, unsporting, and un-American—and, in the state of California, PETA contends it is also illegal.”

ALDF’s Stephen Wells agrees, adding, “These events show great disregard for animal welfare in pursuit of a cheap thrill and a profit. For the well-being of the bulls, as well as the safety of the public, we are asking the court to stop the Great Bull Run.”

But it’s not only activists that object to bull runs. Bovine veterinarians have confirmed that these events are extremely stressful to the bulls, and present substantial risk of suffering and injury, as well as the obvious massive public safety risk to participating humans.

We can’t imagine why Americans would want to import this sadistic event when even Barcelona, former bullfighting capital of the world, has recently seen the light and taken numerous steps to ban bull cruelty. For now, we can only hope that the U.S. District Court shuts down the events before anyone, bull or human, gets hurt.

Image Source: jrazzaq/Flickr