Comments on: BILLY THE ELEPHANT

By: jennifer va

jennifer va — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:54:59 +0000

I couldn’t agree more, Victoria. I’ve always found it terribly sad to see elephants in a zoo, but Billy’s story is particularly tragic. When will people realize wild animals are wild? Thank you for writing such a compelling piece and reminding readers of Billy. I’m a fan of your writing!

By: Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:25:51 +0000

Great post. I totally agree. I spoke at the Zoo Commission about freeing Billy, Gita and Ruby, obviously before Gita died. Billy obviously is cage crazy. It’s so sad to see him in his enclosure bobbing his head. He needs to go to a sanctuary.

Animal Advocates

By: Lauren B

Lauren B — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:01:27 +0000

Excellent article!! Thanks for reminding us all that animals have no voice, so we must speak for them. I hate to say this but, if you do become a victim to budget cuts, we can look forward to more blogs that make us think and remember that there are bigger things than ourselves. Thanks for reminding us about Billy, WELL DONE!!!

By: Susan E Roth

Susan E Roth — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:45:00 +0000

I live in NJ, but I am making the call to the Mayor’s office today. I also will let them know I am going to start a “skip LA if you are going to California for vacation campaign” ,since it is a major stop for most East coasters when they travel. Who are these idiots who want to keep this animal in such horrible conditions? It will save the city money and help make it look like sane people do live there for those of us who truly are questioning the sanity of this whole inhumane political use of a poor animal.

By: Emily

Emily — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:22:03 +0000

Excellent post V!

By: Sally

Sally — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:48:30 +0000

Thank Councilmember Tom LaBonge and mayor V for this. When I spoke with LaBonge to voice my concern about not only Billy and the other elephants he was both condescending and arrogant. He basically said he didn’t care what the “animal activists” had to say about the issue. To LaBonge and his affluent socailite LA Zoo boardmembers Billy and the other elephants are merely trophies.
And on the heels of the mayor’s announcement to cut three thousand city jobs perhaps its time to remind taxpayers that the new zoo enclosure has a price tag of over $42-million.

By: Janette

Janette — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:33:04 +0000

Well done, V!! Beautifully written and compassionately conveyed. I hope your voice will someday be heard above the clouds of smug hypocrisy that egotistically stroke the California mountaintops daily. xoxo

By: Elisa

Elisa — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:29:22 +0000

Zoos, circuses, and factory farms are all harbors of cruelty and torture to animals of varying degrees. We keep them going by our patronage of these facilities and by our consumption of animal products. Someday society will look back on these practices as we now look back on enslavement of Africans and Jews and others kept in concentration camps. And the torture animals suffer in factory farms is far worse.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:22:27 +0000

Even Bob Barker offered to pay 1.5 million dollars to relocate Billy to a sanctuary. Come to the LA Zoo and see how sad and depressed the Noah’s Arc of animals seem to be. The issue here in Los Angeles is that thousands of city employees are loosing jobs, but the money is there to imprison a clearly unhappy elephant who bobs his head up and down all day. Thanks for getting this message out there Victoria!

By: Dr. Pia Salk

Dr. Pia Salk — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:47:13 +0000

Nice piece! So glad Billy has advocates like you out there!