AR-News: (USA) Elephant Lawsuit Settled

[molly]

> ========================================================
> Elephant Company lawsuit settled -
> The insurance company representing Commerford and Sons elephant rides and
> other circus acts, [ T.H.E. INSURANCE COMPANY, Florida],  settled a
Federal
> civil
> rights violation claim based on religious beliefs, and injury on 4 - 4-
04.
> The company paid an out of court settlement of $ 40, 000 - to animal
> activist
> Marc Jurnove, Executive Director of I-SPEAK, International Society for the
> Protection of Exotic Animal Kind & Livestock, Inc, based in Plainview, NY.
> ISPEAKINC at AOL.COM
> The complaint was based on the Commerford members trying to stop Mr.
Jurnove
> from taking video at different county fairs, and a worker hitting Jurnove
> with
> an ankus (elephant control stick with sharp points), in October 1997 at
the
> Long Island Fair, Old Bethpage Nassau County Park, NY.
>
> I-SPEAK was formed in 1972 to help protect public displayed and exotic
> animals based on the Jewish belief in  tsaar baalei hayyim (suffering of
> living
> creatures) which prohibits the deliberate infliction of pain to animals.
> Mr..
> Jurnove was represented by the law firm of Burton and Donald Citak, New
> York..
>
> The Commerford and Sons Company states they have " Everything from a
single
> elephant to a complete parade.." "Our pony hitches are featured at America
’s
> finest Parades such as Macys, the Barnum Festival, Eastern States
> Exposition,
> the Dade County Youth Fair in Miami, Florida and the great Circus Parade
in
> Baraboo, Wisconsin. includes exotics from all over the world including
> Camels,
> Elephants, Kangaroos, Llamas, African Pygmy Goats, Ornamental Birds, the
> American
> Miniature Horse, plus many more.
>
> At least three persons have been injured by their elephants, including at
> the
> NY State Fair.
>
>