January 19 and 20, 2020: Garden Bros. Garden Bros. performed without animals at The Venue at the University of Central Florida. Circus 650 Central Ave., Ste. 1, Sarasota, FL 34236 January 9, 2020: Officials with the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources confirmed that it would not allow Garden Bros. to bring elephants into the Garden Bros. Circus (aka “Piccadilly”; state for its shows scheduled at the “Whirling Bros.”; “Circus America, Inc.”; Paducah Convention Center on February “Garden Family Shows, Inc.”; “Toby 13, 2020. Tyler Circus”; “Sterling & Reid Bros.”; “Sterling & Reid Circus”; and “Circus January 8, 2020: The city of Hope, Matrix”), operated by the Garden family, Arkansas, confirmed that it would not allow does not possess its own animal Garden Bros. to use elephants at its 2020 exhibitor license from the U.S. shows taking place there. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Zachary Garden, the third generation of November 2, 2019: The Florida Fish and Gardens to enter the circus industry as Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the general manager of Garden Bros. warnings to Garden Bros.’ elephant Circus, does hold a USDA exhibitor exhibitor for endangering the public by license, supplying tigers, monkeys, walking elephants through a crowd without camels, and other animals for Garden barriers and by failing to keep the animals Bros. performances. Garden Bros. safely contained backstage. Circus also contracts with outside companies, including Circus Gatti,* October 1, 2019: Officials in Prince William Liebel Family Circus,* Bentley Bros. County, Virginia, informed Garden Bros. Circus,* and Franzen Bros. Circus,* so that it would not be allowed to offer elephant Garden Bros. Circus isn’t subject to or camel rides during its performances. citations under its own name. Exhibitors of leased animals at Garden Bros. Circus September 25, 2019: The Highlands have failed to meet minimum federal County Fair Association in Sebring, Florida, standards for the care of animals used in confirmed that Garden Bros. would not be exhibition as established in the Animal allowed to use animals in shows scheduled Welfare Act (AWA). The USDA has cited on November 21, 2019. Garden Bros. Circus exhibitors for forcibly striking an elephant with a September 19, 2019: Officials with the bullhook and for failing to provide Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife adequate veterinary care, to provide Resources confirmed that it would not allow adequate and safe enclosures, to handle Garden Bros. to bring elephants into the animals in a way that does not cause state for its shows scheduled at The Corbin unnecessary stress or trauma, to provide Arena in Corbin on October 1, 2019. wholesome and uncontaminated food, to provide shelter from the elements, and to April 8, 2019: Garden Bros. made its last provide environmental enrichment. appearance in Marshfield, Massachusetts, after the police chief decided not to allow it *Contact PETA for documentation. to return to the city. The decision came after the circus canceled several of the acts and refused to give any cash refunds.
{00125484} Garden Bros. Circus
March 23, 2019: DC Health denied Garden Anthony Frisco with failing to provide two Bros. a permit to perform with animals elephants with adequate care and shelter. during its shows at the Events DC They were forced to stand on asphalt in Entertainment and Sports Arena in direct sunlight in 89-degree weather without Washington, D.C. access to shade. Camel and pony exhibitor Joel Faulk and horse exhibitor Kambarov March 19, 2019: The Board of Selectmen in Raiychbek Kozugulovich were similarly Walpole, Massachusetts, denied Garden charged. Faulk and Frisco later pleaded Bros. a permit to perform at the Rodman guilty to lesser charges of littering. Arena, citing significant problems with the circus’s previous event in 2018. May 21, 2018: Saint Louis University canceled Garden Bros. performances at the March 12, 2019: After Garden Bros. Chaifetz Arena scheduled for June 8 and 9, performed at the Greenville Convention 2018. Center in South Carolina, the venue banned it and all other circuses from performing May 17, 2018: Officials in the village of there with animals in the future. Birch Run, Michigan, alerted Garden Bros. to its ban on dangerous wild animals and February 20, 2019: The AV Fair & Event urged the circus not to use elephants in its Center in Lancaster, California, decided to performances. skip the Garden Bros. shows scheduled there. April 14, 2018: A compliance officer in Lowell, Massachusetts, prevented Garden November 1, 2018: Garden Bros. failed to Bros. from using two injured horses in its obtain the required permit to perform with performances. elephants during its shows at the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds in Florida, and county April 11, 2018: An officer with the officials responded by directing the circus to Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of put on elephant-free performances. Cruelty to Animals inspected Garden Bros. in Walpole, Massachusetts, and noted October 2, 2018: Officials with the health issues in several of the horses Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife provided by Ray Kambarov, including the Resources inspected Garden Bros. and following: a palomino who wasn’t allowed to found that the elephant exhibitor, Carson & perform until he gained weight; a chestnut Barnes Circus, had failed to comply with the horse named Kicker, who had a swollen terms of its permit. Handler Anthony Frisco ankle and scratches and was on pain was charged with four violations. He failed medications, antibiotics, and steroids; and a to appear at his arraignment, and the court gray horse, Smokey, who had a wounded issued a bench warrant for his arrest. shoulder and a cloudy eye and was on pain medications. September 7, 2018: A Garden Bros. employee was arrested after allegedly March 17, 2018: City officials in Norfolk, opening fire after the circus’s performance Virginia, denied Garden Bros. permits to at the Bee County Expo Center in Beeville, exhibit or display elephants at its shows and Texas. The woman reportedly pulled out a prevented it from using a horse with a handgun and fired at another employee swollen eye. during a fight. March 1, 2018: Police in Fairmont, West June 10, 2018: Independence (Missouri) Virginia, denied Garden Bros. permits to Animal Services charged elephant handler exhibit or display wild or exotic animals Garden Bros. Circus
within city limits for its show scheduled at the National Guard Armory. March 8, 2017: The Union County Saddle Club in Blairsville, Georgia, canceled September 23, 2017: Garden Bros. shows Garden Bros.’ performance at the Union scheduled at Red River Exhibition in County Arena. Manitoba, Canada, were canceled after inspectors refused to declare the circus tent March 2, 2017: Hall County Animal safe. Services in Georgia barred Garden Bros. from exhibiting elephants at its shows at the September 1, 2017: Elephant expert and Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center. veterinarian Dr. Philip K. Ensley published a report of his observations of the elephants February 23, 2017: The USDA cited in two Garden Bros. performances. He Hoosier Camel Encounter, performing with found that Bunny displayed a reduced range Garden Bros. in Murray, Kentucky, for of motion in her right front wrist (most likely repeatedly hitting a llama with a whip during because of painful arthritis), Libby exhibited a performance after the animal wouldn’t stereotypic swaying behavior indicative of perform an intended behavior. According to mental suffering, and both elephants had the inspector, the llama was very abnormalities in their toenails, including a distressed, pulling back on the lead line with loss of nail structure from a potential ears flat back, and spit at the handler. abscess on one of Libby’s toes and vertical cracks on one of Bunny’s toenails. February 1, 2017: A Garden Bros. show in Valdosta, Georgia, was canceled after June 29, 2017: City officials in Santa Fe, Lowndes County refused to issue it the New Mexico, denied permits to Garden necessary permits because its safety record Bros. for shows scheduled on July 8, 2017, involving animals and the public wasn’t because it had failed to comply with city satisfactory. permitting requirements. September 26, 2016: The USDA cited June 1, 2017: City officials in Minneapolis Zachary Garden for failing to make a and Little Falls, Minnesota, barred Garden responsible adult available to facilitate the Bros. from using animals in its scheduled inspection. shows. August 30, 2016: Zachary Garden was April 12, 2017: The Maine Department of charged with three misdemeanor counts of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife barred Garden improperly confining a capuchin monkey to Bros. from bringing elephants into the state a cage in his backyard. The Florida Fish for performances at the Biddeford Arena. and Wildlife Conservation Commission report indicated that the capuchin was April 11, 2017: Executives at the Union confined to a cage that failed to meet the Arena Community Center in Woodstock, agency’s minimum size requirements, that Vermont, persuaded Garden Bros. to the cage wasn’t secure, and that lifting it perform without animals. could allow the animal to escape. Garden entered a plea of no contest to the charges. March 18, 2017: Officials in Norfolk, Virginia, denied Garden Bros. permits to March 2016: Officials in Winchester and exhibit animals at its shows at the Ted Norfolk, Virginia, chose not to allow Constant Convocation Center because of elephants to perform or be displayed during the exhibitors’ records of public-safety and Garden Bros. Circus’ planned visit to the animal-welfare violations. cities. Garden Bros. Circus
More than 25 people were observed at the January 27, 2016: After receiving an e-mail petting zoo without an attendant present. from Zachary Garden on January 9, 2016, stating that he “vacated this facility and sold June 24, 2013: The USDA cited Zachary his camels,” the USDA cited him for failing Garden for failing to update the program of to tell the agency of any new facilities or his veterinary care in more than a year. wish to cancel his USDA license and failing to accommodate an inspection. May 4, 2013: The USDA issued Zachary Garden a repeat citation for failing to January 19, 2016: Zachary Garden maintain a regular log of the primates’ diet, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count enrichment, and training. of disorderly intoxication. According to the charging documents, he was escorted out of April 25, 2013: The USDA cited Zachary a bar in Sarasota, Florida, and was visibly Garden for failing to seek prompt treatment intoxicated and slurring his words. He then for a ewe’s fractured leg and, according to approached a man on the street and, the inspector, “leaving her to suffer.” Garden without provocation, struck him in the head was also cited for the repeat escapes of a with a closed fist, causing him to fall to the goat kid from the petting zoo enclosure, ground. Garden was ordered to pay a fine feeding unrefrigerated meat to a tiger, and take a two-day anger-management outdated and incomplete recordkeeping, class and was placed on probation. and severely crowding animal transports.
January 7, 2016: The USDA cited Zachary April 16, 2013: A whistleblower who worked Garden for failing to tell the agency within with Zachary Garden’s animal unit reported 10 days of vacating his facility, failing to routine physical abuse and neglect by accommodate an inspection, and failing to Garden in a sworn affidavit. Among other submit an itinerary. incidents, the whistleblower described an incident in which Garden had a colleague March 27, 2014: The USDA cited Zachary hold a zebra in place backstage while Garden during a pre-licensing inspection for Garden beat him so savagely with a 3-foot failing to provide a camel, who had puncture rod that the animal collapsed and wailed. wounds in two locations on her back left leg The whistleblower also had never seen the and dried blood on the back of both rear animals receive veterinary care, including a legs, with adequate veterinary care. Garden sheep who suffered from an untreated was also cited for failing to have a valid broken leg for at least two weeks and was USDA license to operate as an exhibitor. left to give birth in the back of a truck and a lone tiger who is kept caged almost January 21, 2014: A USDA inspector cited constantly and has a persistent wound on Zachary Garden for failing to make a her nose from rubbing it on the bars of the responsible adult available to facilitate the cages. According to the whistleblower’s inspection. testimony, Garden also ordered that a baby goat who had apparently been paralyzed in July 22, 2013: A USDA inspector cited a transportation accident, a llama who Zachary Garden for failing to make a developed sudden and severe diarrhea, and responsible adult available to facilitate the an ill sheep all be left to die. inspection. April 1, 2013: The USDA cited Zachary July 15, 2013: The USDA cited Zachary Garden for failing to provide documentation Garden for irresponsible animal handling. of a veterinary evaluation of a white tiger with facial wounds. The inspector issued a Garden Bros. Circus
second citation for incomplete and August 8, 2012: The USDA cited the inaccurate animal records. Franzen Bros., which was traveling with Piccadilly as the elephant exhibitor, for March 26, 2013: The USDA cited Zachary striking elephant Kosti forcefully with a Garden for failing to attend properly to bullhook at least five times about the eyes injuries to three zebras. The inspector and ears to “teach” her not to take another observed that one zebra’s hoof was elephant’s hay. (See August 7, 2012.) wrapped with duct tape. Garden was also Franzen was also cited for not providing the cited for inaccurate animal recordkeeping elephants with a sufficient amount of water and for the insecure state of the zebra and for not having a sufficient number of enclosure. qualified elephant handlers. On this same day, the USDA cited Zachary Garden for not December 5, 2012: The USDA issued an having a program of veterinary care for the official warning to Zachary Garden for ring-tailed lemurs and for having incomplete violating federal regulations while traveling animal inventories—10 animals were not with Piccadilly Circus by failing to handle listed. He was also cited for allowing two animals properly, resulting in the death of a young camels with multiple circular skin zebra (see October 4); failing to maintain lesions (ringworm) to have access to other the tiger enclosure, which had exposed animals used in a “petting zoo,” risking underground wire mesh, risking injury to the public exposure to a zoonotic disease. In tiger; and failing to notify the USDA of a addition, Garden was cited for insufficient change of address. barriers around a zebra who was being pet by the public through his enclosure while November 27, 2012: The USDA cited there were no readily available attendants to Zachary Garden for exposed underground protect him and the public. Other citations wire mesh in the tiger enclosure, risking during this inspection included failure to injury to the tiger. Garden was also cited for provide primates with an updated failure to notify the department that he had environmental enrichment plan and failure moved his home site. to provide several animals with water and shade. October 4, 2012: While following up on PETA’s concerns about a zebra, the USDA August 7, 2012: According to a letter that discovered that a young zebra had died. Animal Care & Control in Fort Wayne, According to the animal trainer, the zebra Indiana, addressed to Brian Franzen and got his jaw caught in another zebra’s halter Piccadilly Circus, a witness observed as they were playing. The zebra panicked elephant Kosti being repeatedly beaten with and then got his foot caught in the halter. By a baton. This incident was confirmed during the time someone was able to get to the interviews when Franzen, the circus animals to separate them, it was too late, manager, and elephant handler all admitted and the young zebra died. that it took place. During an interview, Franzen stated that Kosti was having October 2, 2012: The USDA issued an “attitude,” had put a hole in the trailer, and official warning for violation of federal was chained on a “time out” after she stole regulations to Franzen Bros. for the citations food from another elephant. According to that it was issued on August 8—the beating animal control’s letter, the elephant handler of elephant Kosti and having an insufficient was unable to control Kosti, so he struck her number of adequately trained employees— with a bullhook on her face and trunk. while traveling with Piccadilly. (See August According to the witness, the beating took 8, 2012.) place after Kosti lunged at the handler. Fort Wayne issued an official notice that Kosti Garden Bros. Circus
would not be allowed to perform or come May 29, 2011: When Piccadilly was unable into contact with the public while in the city. to perform after a tornado, Zachary Garden put Ocka the elephant to work clearing cars, June 2012: Frank Murray, an elephant trees, and slabs of buildings off properties in trainer traveling with Piccadilly, fled New Joplin, Missouri. Two other elephants were Hampshire in fear that the elephants he was forced to stage small shows during the using would be confiscated after the state tornado cleanup. learned that one of them had tested positive for tuberculosis antibodies and canceled his August 11, 2009: Zachary Garden was permit. charged with three misdemeanor counts of possessing a capuchin monkey without a June 8, 2012: Topsy, an elephant traveling license, confining the animal to an with the Piccadilly Circus, was barred “unauthorized cage,” and having no records entrance to the state of Maine after testing of acquisition for the animal. He entered a positive for tuberculosis antibodies. plea of no contest and agreed to three months of probation. May 10, 2012: Frank Murray, an elephant trainer traveling with Piccadilly, was April 7, 2009: Garden Family Shows, Inc., arrested in New Jersey on an outstanding abruptly canceled the remainder of its North warrant and for contempt of court related to American tour and drove away before dawn cruelty-to-animals charges in 1996. without giving paychecks or plane tickets home to a dozen Ice Capades performers. March 27, 2012: The USDA cited Zachary Richard and Niles Garden informed the ice Garden for holes and gaps in the walls of a skaters of the cancellation by slipping letters transport truck where a tiger and farmed under their doors at 4 a.m. animals were kept. He was also cited for not having a program of veterinary care or an February 2009: Niles Garden did not pay enrichment plan for two recently acquired $5,100 rent for a show in Sarasota, Florida. ring-tailed lemurs. October 17, 2008: Zachary Garden was March 2, 2012: The USDA cited Zachary charged with two misdemeanor counts of Garden for obtaining five zebras from an battery after he repeatedly punched unlicensed broker. He was also cited for someone outside a Sarasota, Florida, bar lacking an environmental enhancement plan called The Gator Club and again at a gas for two ring-tailed lemurs acquired in station, causing numerous lacerations to the January. victim’s face and scalp. The police report states that Garden was “extremely February 9, 2012: The USDA cited Zachary intoxicated” and screamed obscenities at Garden for not notifying the agency that the officers. The charges were later there had been a change of address. An dismissed after he agreed to take an eight- inspector arrived for an inspection only to week anger-management class. learn from an occupant that Garden no longer lived at the registered address. July 12, 2007: Three elephants—Minnie, Susie, and Bunny, who were being leased January 25, 2012: The USDA cited from Carson & Barnes Circus and were Zachary Garden for sharp edges in a camel performing with the Garden Bros. Circus— holding pen. A panel was bent because the escaped from an enclosure in Newmarket, camels had put their weight on it while they Ontario, in Canada. According to news were trying to reach grass on the other side. reports, Susie and Bunny roamed through downtown Newmarket and Bunny was Garden Bros. Circus
eventually found in a residential neighborhood.
May 23, 2006: Zachary Garden pleaded guilty to charges of allowing a dog, Carmello, to run at large. According to the report from Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services, the dog had several injuries, including a gunshot wound, that appeared not to have been cared for since the last time he was impounded. Garden reportedly told the officer that Carmello’s untreated puncture wounds were caused by a bobcat attack. His rabies vaccination wasn’t up to date at the time.