Rudolph doesn’t say ‘cheese’
The holiday season is officially here, and for many of us, that means spending time reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the future. Here’s one thing every kind person can easily pledge to do, now and forever: Refuse to patronize holiday displays that use animals—none of whom are there voluntarily.
Rudolph may want to be your pal, but real reindeer—including those who are forced to serve as holiday marketing gimmicks—just want to be left alone. Yet exhibitors looking to make a buck haul these sensitive individuals to any venue that will hire them, sometimes traveling for hours on end to get there. Then they corral them into pens, often on concrete or asphalt, and subject them to a constant onslaught of interaction with the public. As prey animals, reindeer naturally shun contact with humans, and having been bred in captivity doesn’t make forced close contact with large crowds any less stressful.
In nature, reindeer live in large social herds and migrate over vast mountain ranges and tundra. Their unique, broad hooves make them adept swimmers. A mall concourse or a garden-store parking lot is an entirely inappropriate environment for these instinctively free-roaming animals.
Selfie snappers may also be at risk. Reindeer can harbor tetanus, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, rabies, tapeworms and ringworms. Nothing ruins a holiday outing like a trip to the ER.
Reindeer aren’t the only animals exploited in the name of holiday entertainment. Many community organizations, malls and civic associations offer holiday carriage rides, forcing horses to dodge impatient drivers, trudge through slush and risk falling on ice. Since this money-making season lasts only a few weeks, horses may be compelled to work from morning to night.
Tack rubbing against a horse’s skin for hours on end can cause sores and abrasions that may be difficult to see, and hauling heavy load after heavy load is exhausting. During one annual holiday festival in Missouri, a horse forced to pull a carriage carrying 12 riders was unable to reach the top of a hill—twice—until they got out of the rig.
Horses are extremely sensitive to loud or unexpected noises like blaring car horns and sudden movements such as vehicles speeding past. When a horse bolts, chaos ensues—and bystanders can wind up in the hospital. A few years ago, 15 people were injured when an “out of control” carriage collided with two cars in Wisconsin. Witnesses said the horses panicked after the carriage swerved.
The ways in which animals are exploited during holiday celebrations seem endless, from compelling reindeer to pull carriages in parking lots to forcing camels onto stages for church plays and dragging animals into living Nativity scenes.
The season is supposed to be about peace for all, and there are many ways to enjoy it compassionately, without compromising the well-being of reindeer, horses, camels or anyone else. Let’s all embrace kindness and turn our backs on cruelty.