Illinois Capitol Sees Unmissable TV Truck: Urgent Call for Banning Bovine Tailing Sparks Debate

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In Springfield, Illinois, a coalition of animal rights advocates is expressing frustration with Governor Pritzker and the state Legislature for allegedly turning a blind eye to animal cruelty at local rodeos.

On Tuesday, the organization Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) took a bold step to capture the attention of lawmakers. They unveiled an eye-catching display right outside the Illinois Capitol, aiming to spotlight what they see as a pressing issue.

A TV truck circled the Capitol that afternoon, broadcasting videos of a controversial rodeo event known as bovine tailing. In this event, horseback riders grab the tails of steers and pull them to the ground, a practice that SHARK claims results in severe injuries to the animals, including broken bones.

SHARK has persistently raised these concerns with both lawmakers and the governor’s office. Despite their efforts, they assert that their appeals have largely been ignored, prompting this latest action to draw public and legislative attention.

They hope the graphic videos played on the truck will motivate lawmakers to take action during the veto session.

“It’s easy to ignore an email and not open that link to the video, so we’re going to be on the street showing it to everybody,” said SHARK Campaign Director Jodie Wiederkehr. “And if the elected officials — if Governor Pritzker refuses to look at it, then the members of the public will see it, and we’ll tell them how the governor is not stopping it.”

Earlier this session, the Illinois Senate did pass a resolution condemning the practice of steer tailing, but that resolution was only symbolic, and SHARK says further action is needed to protect the animals.