People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is petitioning for fake animals to be removed from carousels and replaced with cars and rockets. The animal activist group sent a letter to Kansas company Chance Rides, one of the largest manufacturers of carnival rides, urging them to remove animal-shaped fixtures on carousels — and suggesting a plethora of other options. The letter, directed at president and CEO Aaron Landrum from PETA president Ingrid Newkirk on February 6, PETA pleaded for the company to swap out animals from their carousel rides and use objects that focus on “human talent” instead, such as cars, bulldozers, or rockets. “PETA urges Chance Rides and all other carousel manufacturers to hit the brakes on old-fashioned animal-themed rides and embrace designs that engage children's imagination and showcase human talent,” Newkirk wrote. The problem with horse- and other animal-shaped figures, is that they “unintentionally celebrate … the exploitation of sentient beings,” Newkirk argued, on the premise these animal-themed carousels "reinforce the notion" that animals are “entertainment” instead of recognizing they have emotions and inner lives. According to Newkirk, halting production on carnival rides of this nature would send a strong message to industries that make profit from animals, such as dolphin shows and camel rides. It would also teach children to have “respect and compassion” for living creatures and help create a more “merciful world,” Newkirk wrote. A PETA spokesman told the Daily Mail, “Horses don’t deserve to be treated as beasts of burden, and they shouldn’t be represented that way, especially to impressionable children.”“PETA’s appeal may seem like a blip in the animal rights movement, but we urge people to look deeper and recognize that societal depictions count the way words matter,” the spokesman said. “Argument and discussion are signs of change percolating and updating archaic carousel designs would be a significant step toward getting the bits out of live horses’ mouths and the humans off their backs — and achieving a more respectful world for all.”
