Voice of Peanuts' Lucy Van Pelt' Sentenced
Tuesday for Unusual Weapon Charge, Faces up to Six Months in Jail
Former Child Actor Pamelyn Ferdin Calls a Local Ordinance Unfair,
Preventing Her From Showing the Public How Circus Elephants Are Abused
Press Conference Before Sentencing
Tuesday, January 11, 8:00am
In Front of San Fernando Courthouse
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In court on Tuesday, Pamelyn Ferdin faces a sentence
of up to six months after being found guilty of carrying a "bullhook" at an
August 1999 protest of the circus. Among her dozens of appearances on TV shows in the
1960s and 1970s, Ferdin played such roles as Tony Randall's daughter "Edna" on
The Odd Couple, played the voice of "Lucy" in Peanuts TV specials, and
co-starred with Clint Eastwood in the movie "The Beguiled."
The child actor, now in her thirties, has turned her attention to another form of
entertainment for children: the circus. Ferdin joins the ranks of many celebrities like
Kim Basinger and Bob Barker, along with animal advocates around the world, who demand the
end of elephants in circuses.
Ferdin comments, "These
circus elephants are intelligent, social animals who are forced into slavery. They perform
unnatural and stupid acts. This doesn't teach our kids about kindness to animals or about
nature. It teaches kids that if we beat animals enough, we can make them do
anything."
The animal activist refers to typical training methods of circus elephants: chained most
of their lives and forced to perform tricks taught with use of "bullhooks." A
bullhook is a wooden rod approximately three feet long with a sharp metal hook at one end.
Trainers jab the hook into the sensitive skin of the elephant's mouth, underarms, and
rectal area to keep the animals fearful and manageable. Ferdin brought a bullhook to a
protest during an August 1999 protest at Pierce College, the same site of a circus.
A police officer arriving at the protest confiscated the bullhook Ferdin used as an object
used in free speech. The instrument had been placed next to photographs displaying circus
elephants abused by bullhooks. Ferdin was subsequently arrested and convicted for
possessing a stick larger than one and a half inches in diameter, a misdemeanor.
During her arrest, Ferdin asked police to similarly arrest the elephant trainer 50 yards
away who was carrying an identical bullhook to use on two circus elephants. Police ignored
her.
On January 11, Ferdin faces sentencing of up to six months in jail. She will hold a press
conference at 8am in front of the courthouse to comment on this case. As she will be taken
into custody immediately if she is sentenced to jail, Ferdin may not be available for
interview after the sentencing.
The San Fernando Courthouse is located at 900 East 3rd Street, San Fernando, CA 91340.
SOURCE Last Chance for Animals
CO: Last Chance for Animals
ST: California
IN: ENT
SU:
01/10/2000 10:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com