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<p>KINGSTON &#8212; A group of protesters could be seen outside the Irem Shrine Circus as it kicked off in the Kingston Armory Monday.</p><p>Signs they carried with messages of &#8220;boycott the circus&#8221; and &#8220;the circus hurts animals&#8221; made it apparent they believed the animals who entertained circus goers were being mistreated.</p><p>Inside the armory, however, members of the Irem Shrine and staff of the Royal Hanneford Circus had a totally different take on the animals and their treatment.</p><p>John Richards, service director for the Irem Temple circus committee, said he had been attending the circus for 50 years, and he never saw an animal being abused.</p><p>For the past six years, he has helped to oversee the circus.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve had veterinarians here on site to care for the animals and members of law enforcement,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve never had a report of mistreatment of the animals.&#8221;</p><p>Sylvie Pomicter, president of Voice of the Animals, said the protest was to educate attendees of the harm she says the circus not only causes the animals, but trainers and spectators as well. She expected a total of 20 volunteers protesting, but added that the rain could keep a few inside.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re here to educate people about animal cruelty,&#8221; Pomicter said. &#8220;That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re here today.&#8221;</p><p>Pomicter claimed that as infants, animals in the circus are abused as they are trained for the various acts. She added that frequently, animals in the circus showed signs of distressed behavior such as pacing, head-bobbing, swaying.</p><p>Referring to them as &#8220;beast wagons,&#8221; she also claimed that the method of transport of animals to events often are cramped quarters.</p><p>&#8220;Basically, 15 weeks a year, they&#8217;re carted all over the country in these boxcars,&#8221; Pomicter said.</p><p>While Pomicter was concerned about the well being of animals, she said her organization&#8217;s cause also advocates for the safety of circus participants and the trainers. She said in some cases, when children have ridden on the backs of animals, injuries or fatalities have occurred.</p><p>In April 2010 at the Irem Shrine Circus, Andrew Anderton, a handler with a previous circus troupe, allegedly reached up to mend some sparking wires in the ceiling, and Dumbo, an elephant whom Anderton had worked with for about 20 years, threw him 20 feet.</p><p>Anderton died from his injuries. No one had witnessed the incident that then-Luzerne County Coroner John Corcoran ruled accidental.</p><p>Pomicter said she has been protesting the circus for 31 years, and she believes that ideally, animals in the circus should be released to animal sanctuaries so they can enjoy a more natural environment without stress.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s why the call them &#8216;wild animals&#8217; &#8212; they belong in the wild,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Richards said that although the animals are trained, they are certainly not tame, and need to be respected.</p><p>But, he said, the animals, which include elephants, tigers, camels, goats and ponies, live good, healthy lives during their time with the circus.</p><p>&#8220;The protesters would have you think that the animals are forced to do unnatural acts,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But a lot of what they do is very similar to what they do in the wild.&#8221;</p><p>Richards keeps a photo of himself riding &#8220;Kelly,&#8221; an elephant, on his phone.</p><p>&#8220;When I see her, I think she knows me,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Bill Martin, owner and ringmaster of the Royal Hanneford Circus that operates the circus said that although he disagrees with the protesters, he is grateful to live in a country where everyone can express their opinion.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Protesters line the entrance to the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Monday to plead their case to circus-goers. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032916Protest1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Protesters line the entrance to the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Monday to plead their case to circus-goers. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032916Protest2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Silvie Pomicter holds a pole she said is used to beat elephants. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032916Protest2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Silvie Pomicter holds a pole she said is used to beat elephants. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p><p>and Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews. Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Protesters of Irem Shrine Circus look to ‘educate’ about animal cruelty