(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Kane County's animal control director says he's been flooded with complaints from animal-rights supporters about a tiger show at next month's county fair.
While Brett Youngsteadt said he'd like to stop the show, legally he can’t.
What he can do is keep a close eye on the show and make sure all animal-welfare laws are followed.
“We do have local ordinances and laws that allow me to ensure they do everything correct while they’re here within this county,” Youngsteadt said. “We will do everything we can, just like we have in the past, to ensure that if you come into this county you know you better be doing everything correct.”
He said Thursday he agrees with critics who claim the tigers are mistreated because they are coerced into performing and kept in unnatural enclosures.
But the only way to stop shows like the Bengal Tiger Encounter is to change the state law that allows them, he said.
A woman at Variety Attractions, which runs the show, denies the tigers are mistreated. She told WBBM Newsradio the animals are loved, well-cared for and treated like "family."
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