To the editor:

When I opened the newspaper on Monday, I was shocked and horrified to see a front-page article glorifying the rodeo. This so-called “show of skill” is nothing more than unnecessary cruelty to animals.

To make the bull buck, tight ropes are bound on the abdomen. According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, “Former animal control officers have found burrs and other irritants placed under the flank strap. In addition, the flank strap can cause open wounds and burns from when the hair is rubbed off and the skin is chafed raw.” This and the rider’s spurs cause the violent bucking. Moreover, electric prods further aggravate the animal.

Rodeo animals are injured or crippled frequently with damage ranging from broken necks and backs to leg injuries. According to PETA, “A terrified, screaming young horse burst from the chutes at the Can-Am Rodeo and, within five seconds, slammed into a fence and broke her neck. Bystanders knew that she was dead when they heard her neck crack, yet the announcer told the crowd that everything would ‘be all right’ because a vet would see her. Sadly, incidents such as this are not uncommon at rodeos.”

I urge all who read this to boycott rodeos. This inhumane event is nothing more than the legal abuse of innocent animals. By not attending such events, you are helping to stop them.

Laura Kelly,

Lawrence