For all you folks who think you know elephants, tigers and other circus animals are routinely mistreated: How close have you been to the "backyard" of a circus? Do you know anything about circus animals, aside from what PETA tells you? I have. I worked two seasons on a show some years ago, and have been around various circuses off-and-on for the past 50 years, so I have a little first-hand experience. Think: An elephant and a tiger or lion are the biggest attractions a circus has; something no other form of live entertainment can offer. They don't come cheap, and their care isn't cheap. Why would anyone whose livelihood depended on these living "assets" want to abuse, starve or mistreat them? Circus animal handlers, even those who don't form sentimental attachments, understand the animals have to be happy and healthy to work and have long, productive lives. (Incidentally, I can tell you from first-hand experience that circus animals enjoy performing. One elephant trainer told me that sometimes one of them would give him a nudge if he missed a cue during the act.) I don't doubt that there are some misfits who abuse animals on a circus, just as there are people who abuse their pet dogs and cats. We don't bar people from having pets; we punish those who abuse them. It works the same way in the circus businses.