Jacksonville, OR: Over 3,800 registered Jackson County voters from all parts of the county signed a voter initiative this year to ban the use of elephants and other wild and exotic animals for commercial displays, like circuses, in Jackson County.
To make it onto the May 2021 ballot in Jackson County, the Committee to Protect Wild and Exotic Animals needed 6,114 certified signatures, but the Covid-19 pandemic limited any meaningful signature gathering from March to the deadline of November 5, 2020, due to banning large gatherings and discouraging door-to-door canvasing.
Public sentiment about the use of elephants and other exotic animals for performance and for-profit display has evolved drastically. Benton and Multnomah Counties have similar bans in place. Clatsop County has a ban on the bull-hook, the tool used to punish and discipline elephants. Local support for the proposed ordinance was strong as evidenced by the large number of signatures obtained despite the pandemic restrictions.
Unpaid volunteers worked tirelessly collecting signatures and remain encouraged at the local response for such a county ordinance.
The Committee would like to thank all the 3,800 + registered Jackson County voters who supported the effort.
Visit our Facebook Page: Committee to Protect Wild and Exotic Animals
Alissa Weaver
Chief Petitioner
Committee to protect Wild and Exotic Animals
lissaw@charter.net