Christmas is right around the corner and that means eating lots of yummy food, spending time with friends and family and enjoying the season of good cheer. But unfortunately, the Christmas season is not festive for everyone.

Shockingly, shopping malls across the nation use LIVE reindeer in parades and shows to draw in customers. That’s right, reindeer … in shopping malls. For many, this may seem like a fun event for children, but like with all attractions that use animals for entertainment, the reindeer aren’t having fun at all. As a petition on Care2 states, “Reindeer, typically found in huge herds in icy Arctic temperatures, are often isolated and confined to tiny holding areas under unnatural, glaring lights, surrounded by people and noise for days on end.”

Reindeer are social animals and should be in their natural environments where they belong, NOT in a loud, crowded mall. Captive Animal Protection Society (CAPS), a non-profit on the forefront of ending the use of animals in entertainment, has distressingly reported that many of the reindeer used for parades and shows have DIED due to “poor management and their special dietary and environmental requirements.”

If you don’t agree with reindeer being used as props for human entertainment, speak up! Westfield Shopping Centers, one of the biggest global retail companies with over 40 shopping centers across the U.S., is advertising captive reindeer experiences. PLEASE take a moment to sign this important petition that will be sent directly to the co-CEOs of Westfield.

Over 52,500 compassionate people and counting agree that keeping a reindeer captive for flashing photos and screaming customers is NOT okay. Sign the petition and be sure to share this important cause with everyone you know. We must speak up for those we cannot!

Image Source: Natalia_Kollegova/Pixabay