Recently a controversy is raging about using animals in advertising. TV programmes and movies often present animals performing many tricks and even difficult errands in advertisements. A dog running after a bus or bringing the socks to a pretty girl struggling to wear shoes, and so on. Some advertisements involving animal doing weird tasks show lack of sympathy and kindness for them. Such developments have caused much resentment among those who say that man must be more humane towards animals. Many have begun to campaign to remind such people of their moralistic obligations towards animals.

Man, almost from the beginning of human civilisation, has been drafting animals for work and also for pleasure. Those that were once wild were domesticated and they have become friends of man. Cow, ox, horse, camel and dog are examples. Dogs and cats are for pleasure. The dog is said to be most faithful to man, its master and carries out many errands.

Chariot Races:
Indian kings of yore were enjoying chariot races. There used to be chariot races between kings and between their generals. They used to be fierce that often the horses would die or break their legs. Those who indulged in such sport were un-mindful of the consequences. Worshipping an animal and killing it was a ritual, often practiced by Indian kings. A well - bred horse was being selected and anointed for performing the sacred duty or Rajadharma of going round the several kingdoms with an army behind it.

After its return to the capital of the kingdom, a Yajna or sacrificial ceremony was being performed, the horse being killed and its flesh distributed among the so-called pious people. Offering sheep, goats and male buffaloes to Gods was common among the populace. Even today this is being practiced and the poor animals are butchered mercilessly under the public gaze. Many of the crude acts of man are either for pleasure or for profit, or rituals. Horses, elephants and camels were used to fight wars. Countless such animals were slaughtered. Hunting was a pleasure pastime of kings and noblemen. The slaughtered animals were being paraded. Even during the British rule it was being practiced.

Catching elephants and taming them was a cruel practice. It was a government-sponsored event of great of aplomb. During the British rule, kings of Mysore were arranging it. Khedda was the name given to it. Governors and Viceroys of those days were very keenly interested in witnessing the Khedda operations. In the beginning herds of elephants were being driven along Kabini and made to step on the covered trenches and fall into them, often causing severe injury to the elephants. Later this inhuman practice was discontinued. The elephants driven along the river were made to enter an enclosure unawares, thus ending their precious freedom. The elephant-drive along the river was a very pleasant sight, especially in the beautiful natural surroundings.

The imprisoned elephants would then be forced to enter a well-like wooden construction called the stockade. Experienced mahouts with their tamed elephants would bind them. The poor, helpless and overpowered elephants would begin their lives of captivity. Very cruel methods were being adopted to tame them. The elephants had to bear with them, all for the pleasure of the white imperialists and coloured local lords. The elephants were being given very hard errands and it was painful to see. The freedom - loving and lovable creatures obediently bearing all the ordeals.

Big top:
The circus has been a very ancient show performed by entertainers, usually in a large tent called a BIG TOP. The first circus was held in Rome by King Tarquinius some 2500 years ago (about 600 B.C.). He gave his people a show of races and fist fights to celebrate his capture of the town of Apidus. It was held on a flat space between two hills. The spectacular was so enchanting that a permanent building was erected for future shows. The structure was in a circular shape, and the word circus came to be applied to such shows.

The most important events were the chariot races. Gradually the rulers tried to vie with one another to make the events more spectacular. Elephants captured from Carthaginians, lions from Africa, bears, panthers, rhinoceros, giraffe, tiger etc., were enrolled. They became the object of sport, and were slaughtered in their thousands to “make a Roman holiday”. An emperor had a thousand animals killed on his birthday. As the Roman Empire declined and fell, the people became more and more greedy for free shows and free food, to prevent revolutions. During the middle ages two further ingredients came into being. A large class of wandering entertainers, called jongleurs or trainers of dancing bears, tricksters and conjurers entered the scene. Secondly, village fairs attracted the circus.

Trick – riding:
In England entertainment became an industry. The great fairs were centres of circus also. A highly popular spectacle was trick - riding on horseback. Later many famous Victorian circuses came and went. Tenting shows with a large collection of animals, gymnasts, tricksters and clowns became very popular. The circus was to many people the “Big Top”, growing mysteriously out of the ground overnight, giving thrills and laughs for a few days and then suddenly vanishing.

Even in India circuses were very popular until very recently. In the meanwhile, there was a worldwide campaign to ban the torture of animals. It would be very cruel to ill-treat them for our pleasure. Even a street dog has the right to live. It is sinful to capture animals for our pleasure. Monkey players, bear dance performers, snake charmers and others have to adopt alternate means of livelihood. The days of shock treatment are over. The practice of regularly featuring animals in advertising is to be eschewed. But some people argue that observing moralistic obligations is sufficient and the practice should not be banned.