Exotic Animals Banned From Montgomery County Fair In Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Bears, crocodiles, monkeys, and other wild exotic animals are now banned at the annual Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg.

The city council on Tuesday voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance that prohibits the exhibition of these animals in traveling acts, but allows the display of domestic and farm animals for educational purposes. Council Vice President Laurie–Anne Sayles and Councilmember Michael Sesma cast the dissenting votes.

In recent years, a growing number of communities across the United States have raised alarm about the use of wild animals in circuses and other traveling acts, arguing that the practice is unethical and inhumane.

"Animals aren't actors, spectacles to imprison and gawk at, or circus clowns. Yet thousands of elephants, bears, apes, and others are forced to perform silly, difficult tricks under the threat of physical punishment; carted across the country in cramped, stuffy semi-truck trailers; kept chained or caged in barren, filthy enclosures; and regularly separated from their families and friends — all for the sake of entertainment," animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said.

In May 2017, the Humane Society of the United States urged Gaithersburg officials to enact legislation that would tackle the use of animals for entertainment purposes. And since then, the city has worked with county fair officials who disagree with the ban to develop a compromise ordinance.

Under this ordinance, domestic and farm animals are still permitted at the fair, but must be "in or on temporary loan from zoos, licensed educational, research or medical facilities or institutions, provided the place of display is 100 miles or less away and the facility is designed to protect the safety of the animals and the public," according to the draft's language.

Shortly before Tuesday's vote, a pair of city officials appealed to councilmembers, underlining the importance of passing this compromise ordinance.

"Why is there a need for an ordinance? The answer is two-fold: it's the wellbeing of the animals and also the public safety," Neighborhood Services Division Chief Kevin Roman said. "Performance animals as defined in the proposed ordinance includes chimpanzees, lions, tigers, wolves, bears, and elephants. Obviously these are wild animals and, as such, they are inherently dangerous. Combine that with natural behaviors and stress caused by life in captivity increases the risk of tragedy and incidents to occur."

Roman said no incidents have been reported at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, but emphasized that "if we leave the door open, there's always the potential for these types of incidents to occur."

Echoing a similar sentiment, Manager of Animal Services Simone Williams said adopting this ordinance is a necessary precaution the city needs to take.

"The city's animal control staff is big on education and prevention — prevention being the key word — as it relates to the adoption of this ordinance will be instrumental as the city will be seen as having taking the necessary precautions in protecting the citizens and animals that may be subject to any harm," Williams said.

Councilmember Sesma, however, said he was unsure that such precautionary steps were necessary.

"One of the questions I've always asked is do we really need this given the change in the industry?Federal law is changing this. State law is changing this. The county kind of punted this and passed it on to us because the fairgrounds is in the city," Sesma said. "I still question whether this is needed because I don't think that the vendors that would provide these kinds of exhibits are going to be in business much longer. And I think the fair board organizers probably have a better idea of the kind of things that aren't going to be appropriate for the community that lives here as well."

While emphasizing that he doesn't support animal cruelty, Sesma said it was a "really low-impact ordinance" that wouldn't have a large effect on the city.

"It's not because I feel that I represent another view about how animals should be treated, it's I feel that this ordinance is unnecessary," said Sesma.

Sayles also chimed in, saying: "I don't want to support this ordinance."

"I believe that if this was such a threat to the community, I would hope that the county council would have done their due diligence in making a stronger ordinance at the county level," Sayles said.

Councilmember Ryan Spiegel, one of the three officials who supported the ordinance, called it "a compromise that carves our protections and exceptions for activities undertaken at the fairgrounds."

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is located at 501 Perry Parkway and takes place in August.