The Feld organization itself this year started a one-ring, upscale troupe, Kaleidoscape, that has no animal acts. Councilman Peter Steinbrueck, regarded as the swing vote on the council, says he has received almost 1,000 e-mail messages, pro and con. It's their choice. Every time a person buys a ticket, they vote to have the circus in Seattle. Critics here have singled out Feld's circuses for allegedly mishandling elephants and beating them excessively during training.
Most patrons come to see animal acts.
Federal regulations protect circus animals. Animal abuse endangers spectators and workers. Some popular, modern circuses have no animals.