May 5th petting zoo and pony ride

Dear Miss Bullock:

I first contacted you regarding the 2008 Halloween Fair at the parking lot of the 'Energize for Excellence Academy' on Bissonet here in Houston. Because neither the pony ride nor the petting zoo had shade for the animals, no fresh ponies were available as relief rides, and other substandard conditions, in a 3 November email I listed some of the requirements for using animals in events such as your school's:

1. "An open canvass tent that protects all animals from the sun or rain.
2. Ground cover of hay or wood shavings to insulate the hooves from the hardness and heat of the asphalt. Also, to provide a more sanitary environment.
3. Two industrial size, portable fans to create air circulation for working animals.
4. A regular watering schedule of all animals (which is the responsibility of the handlers, but a designated person from the school should monitor to ensure compliance).
5. No more than 2-3 children at a time should be in enclosures as small as your petting zoo was. Crowding scares animals, elevating the stress level and the risk of injury to all concerned.
6. When negotiating with animal rental facilities, handlers, etc. the school should demand that working animals be replaced every two hours to avoid overworking them. Carnival ponies are at the end of their lives and they rarely receive much consideration from their handlers. It is therefore the responsibility of the school, a paying customer, to demand that vendors follow the standards animal protection laws require and that your school should be teaching your students."

You called me and we had a pleasant and, I thought, constructive telephone exchange. Which is why I was surprised when on 5 May 2009, at another school party, I noticed subpar conditions again prevailed at the pony ride and petting zoo. While other events were sheltered from the scorching sun, animals remained unprotected working non-stop from 9 AM to 3 PM. To make matters worse, a camel ride had been added.

I talked to the animal handlers who claimed to own no tents, but said they would use tents if the school provided them. Clearly then, you had either failed to discuss this important point with your animal contractor or you decided that protecting the animals was not worth the cost of another tent. I left a telephone message expressing my discontent with the situation. I regret now not following up on my call because today's situation could have been avoided.

Another 5 of May has come and gone. Yesterday I went looking for improvements and, frankly Miss Bullock, I have run out of patience. Apparently you are insensitive to the fact that, as I said in 2008:

"Exposure to animals teaches children appreciation for and kindness toward them, but only when done correctly. No effort should be spared to ensure the animals' comfort, safety, and a reasonable duration of their engagement in rides, petting zoos, and other exhibits. As an educator you will agree that for the benefit of both children and animals, the interaction should stress the importance of treating animals with respect, in a clean, safe, comfortable environment. The opposite, would in fact have a negative effect; e.g. leading kids to believe that if ponies can be tied under the sun and without water all day, the same can be done with the family dog – a behavior that is, in fact, not only cruel, but against the law. The school, if not the family, must –must—teach the correct behavior toward animals."

Today I found the animals to be highly distressed.  Miniature goats and infant animals were massed up seeking shade under the bellies of larger animals, a llama was particularly exhausted under her thick black woolly coat, the rabbit in a wiremesh cage had no water and was being poked by children's fingers .... it was a spectacle of ignorance and unconcern. Even the animal handlers admitted that the conditions were harsh for the animals ... and for them also.  And yet there were tents all around ... except where animals and men were working for a living.  I tried to see you right then, but was told you were unavailable.  I called you from the parking lot and left a message with yet another assistant.

Therefore, Miss Bullock, I will pursue this matter with Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to learn more about your responsibilities as an organizer and then make sure you meet them in future events.  I would much rather see you, on your own initiative, raise your personal and your school's standards concerning animal welfare and the examples you are setting for the children at Energize for Excellence Academy.

I trust you will act responsibly.

For the Animals,

Dolores Proubasta

to: lbullock@houstonisd.org
cc: hisdsuperintendent@houstonisd.org