New animal welfare protections will take effect January 1
BOSTON – An animal welfare bill sponsored by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) to ban the use of exotic animals in traveling shows has been signed into law.
House Bill 4915, An Act relative to the use of elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes and bears in traveling exhibits and shows, was engrossed by the House of Representatives on a vote of 157-0 on July 25 and by the Senate on a voice vote on July 31, the last day of formal sessions. Following its enactment in both branches, Governor Maura Healey signed the bill into law on August 8 as Chapter 168 of the Acts of 2024.
House Bill 4915 is a redrafted version of House Bill 3245, legislation that was originally filed jointly by Representative Jones and Representative Carole Fiola of Fall River. It prohibits the use of elephants, bears, giraffes, primates, and “big cats” such as lions and tigers in traveling animal acts where they are used to perform tricks, give rides, or otherwise participate as an accompaniment for the entertainment of a live audience, including expositions, fairs and carnivals.
Violators will be subject to a penalty of $500-$10,000 per animal once the ban takes effect on January 1, 2025. According to Jones, the ban will not apply to zoos or to performances that take place at other non-mobile, permanent facilities if the covered animal is a resident animal at the same facility in which the performance takes place.
Jones noted that similar bans have been enacted in New Jersey; Hawaii; New York; Illinois; California; Rhode Island; Colorado; and Kentucky. Several communities in Massachusetts have also adopted restrictions on the use of elephants and other wild animals for entertainment, including Amherst; Braintree; Brookline; Cambridge; Northampton; Pittsfield; Plymouth; Provincetown; Quincy; Revere; Somerville; Topsfield; and Weymouth.
“Massachusetts has long been a leader in promoting animal welfare by enacting laws to protect animals from abuse and neglect, but most of our current laws apply to domestic animals and common household pets,” said Jones. “This new law will extend these same protections to exotic animals that are used in traveling exhibits and shows. These animals are often subject to cruel and inhumane treatment, including prolonged periods of confinement and other forms of neglect and abuse, all to provide entertainment. While several communities in the Commonwealth have already implemented local bans, a statewide ban on traveling animal acts is long overdue.”
