Culture, Tradition Don’t Justify Animal Cruelty

Margarita Bellah, Latina immigrant from Chile, PhD in biochemistry and researcher at UCSD, resident of San Diego for over nine years, with more than five years of community organizing experience, passionate about intersectional social justice. 

In January of this year, San Diego hosted its inaugural rodeo event at Petco Park, much to the dismay of animal lovers like myself. The inherent cruelty in the sport prompted San Diego City Councilmember Kent Lee to propose an ordinance aimed at banning rodeos within the city limits.

However, in response to this proposed animal welfare regulation, a private, for-profit rodeo company and the Padres have enlisted the support of expensive lobbyists and public relations consultants to thwart the ordinance, according to city lobbying records. The sudden emergence of the San Diego Rodeo Coalition, coupled with their strategic messaging centered around culture, heritage, and tradition, has diverted attention away from the core issue of animal welfare.

As a Latina immigrant, with native American background from South America, I believe it is possible for us to both cherish history and culture, while also supporting progressive ideas such as cruelty free entertainment.

I recognize that rodeos have historic and cultural significance for communities such as mine, but also that this history is vulnerable to being exploited by corporations who simply use culture as a shield to avoid scrutiny of unethical practices. Let’s be clear: using indigenous culture to defend the profits of an entertainment company is itself an exploitation of our culture.

Rodeos originated from Mexican vaqueros in the early 1800s, more than 200 years ago. Yet currently, only six out of 33 Latin American countries still have rodeo competitions. The American rodeo bears little resemblance to its origins. Today in the United States, it is a display of mostly White masculinity, where Native American and Hispanic cowboys compete in very small numbers.

Importantly, the relationship between the human and animal performers is completely different than it was historically. The rodeo today does not reflect our everyday way of life; the venues in San Diego are far from ranches and are not designed or suitable for animal care; and the highest priority is the profitability of the event, not the wellbeing of the animals or the skill of the performers.

The recent incident involving “Waco Kid,” the horse that ran full speed into a metal gate during the San Diego rodeo, exemplifies the disregard for animal welfare in these events. Despite the severity of the injury, the horse was not treated locally but was instead transported hundreds of miles away for treatment and quickly released to travel another 1,500 miles, raising suspicions of attempts to conceal his condition for financial gain.

Cultural significance does not justify perpetuating animal suffering for financial profit. We can work toward modernizing our heritage events, preserving cultural essence while prioritizing animal welfare at the same time. As we evolve culturally, our traditions also need to evolve, and in many ways, return to the values many held when they relied upon their relationship with animals in their day-to-day lives.

There is a growing awareness of animal welfare, environmental impact, and health connections, and people are starting to take action to protect our planet, animals and human beings. This is why other cities in California already have passed rodeo bans. In addition, other cities and countries around the world are also becoming aware of the animal cruelty and exploitation that takes part in these showcases. I hope that San Diego will join this progressive wave and recognize that culture can be preserved without resorting to animal cruelty.