Back in 1957 it was a daunting task to take on the ever-popular animal circus trade but that is exactly what a retired school teacher from Hove, Brighton, did. The rest, as they say, is history. It was a time when every schoolboy wanted to run away to the circus. The circus was at its peak and all had animals - Billy Smart's alone toured with 200 animals, including elephants, horses, polar bears and chimpanzees. Irene Heaton, who founded CAPS in 1957 had the support of many good friends throughout the following thirty years, in particular Katherine Mitchell, Jean Stacy and Jim and Marjorie Sutcliffe. In 1965, CAPS promoted a bill to the House of Lords, sponsored by Lord Somers (who was then president of CAPS) to prohibit the use of performing animals. Despite great support it was unfortunately defeated by just 14 votes. The 1970s saw CAPS organising demonstrations outside circuses. Pressure increased on animal circuses in the 1980s, with Marjorie gaining the support of the National Council of Women and CAPS helping to finance the UK’s first animal-free circus, set up by the daughter of late Coco the Clown, the first circus without animals in response to her father’s dying wish. In the mid-1980s CAPS started one of its most important campaigns, to stop animal acts at the prestigious Blackpool Tower Circus, where for six months of every year the animals were confined in the cellars of the tower. Along with the locally based International Animal Welfare Alliance (founded by Pat Simpson, who later became a director of CAPS), the campaign gathered momentum.
One of the biggest impacts on animal circuses has been from CAPS’ work in encouraging local councils to ban animal circuses from their land. Circuses pitching up on council-owned land, such as parks close to town centres, attract far more visitors. Many circuses have dropped their animal acts to ensure they are allowed to use this prime land rather than relying on out-of-town private sites. In 1986, Irene commented that when she founded CAPS in 1957, “not a single local authority was interested in the circus question. Now, approximately 100 refuse applications from circuses presenting animal acts.” That number doubled by 1993. Expressing the abolitionist, rather than reformist, viewpoint that CAPS is well known for, the CAPS annual report for 1989 noted: “While we obviously welcome better conditions, our policy is that no animals should be kept in circuses at all. We do not want to arrive at a situation where it is generally accepted that circuses may operate if so-called improvements have been made to the living conditions of their animals.” At the time of the 50th anniversary, when new animal welfare legislation could result in the legitimising of the use of domestic animals in circuses, this statement is as important as ever. From 1990 CAPS increased the use of undercover investigations to gather hard evidence and visual images of cruelty. CAPS is now well-known for its hard-hitting photographs and video footage and these are utilised by organisations worldwide in their campaigns to end animal circuses.
Throughout the 90s, CAPS extended its work with grass-roots animal rights organisations, supporting protests by supplying campaign materials, setting up the successful bi-annual National Zoo Awareness Day and making effective use of the media with many major stories in national newspapers. A website providing perhaps the most comprehensive resource on circuses and zoos is used by the public, students and campaigners globally. Our video Sad Eyes and Empty Lives remains the only detailed video exposé of UK zoos. In 1998 CAPS started a campaign against pet fairs, our investigators obtaining the vital first-hand evidence on how these animals, many taken from the wild, are treated. Our investigations of the reptile trade led to close alliance with Animal Aid and the Animal Protection Agency in exposing bird fairs. So strong was the case against pet fairs that in 2006 the government announced that a clear ban on them would be implemented through the new Animal Welfare Act. A campaign to end the use of animals in advertising has resulted in several companies pulling TV ads and pledging not to use wild animals again. CAPS also took the helm in co-ordinating the Apes in Entertainment Working Group, part of the Ape Alliance forum of international animal protection and primate conservation organisations. In 2004, we commissioned the first ever scientific study of public aquaria. The result was a damning indictment of this previously overlooked part of the zoo industry. While the industry tried hard to rubbish the study, the influential International Zoo News reported favourably on it and the government distributed it to local authorities and zoo inspectors. In April 2007, even the director of one of the UK’s main aquaria said that the report had “many, many good points” and that he agreed with a lot of it! One of the most exciting recent ventures for CAPS has been the founding of a new educational charity in 2004. The Captive Animals' Protection Trust (CAPT) provides more opportunities for providing educational materials on captivity issues, particularly for schools and students. The work and expertise of CAPS is widely recognised by other organisations. Three CAPS directors have been given awards by the RSPCA for their work against animal circuses and zoos: Kathleen Mitchell in 1981, Marjorie Sutcliffe in 2004 and Pat Simpson in 2005. While most of our work concentrates on UK issues, our investigators have filmed zoos and circuses around Europe and in 2006 we launched a new campaign against animal circuses in Ireland, working with campaigners there. Few organisations can proudly announce that 50 years on they are still campaigning strongly for animals with the same passion and commitment as its founders. CAPS is one such organisation. If there is a need for CAPS to remain active in 2057, you can guarantee that we will remain at the forefront of the no-compromise stance against animal cruelty. Your support will ensure that CAPS will always be there for the animals as long they need help. This article is a very brief summary of the booklet Rattling the Cages - 50 Years of Campaigning for Animals, available from CAPS for £1.50 (all the images above are from the booklet - Rattling the Cages) How You Can Help
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Rattling the Cages - 50 Years of Campaigning for Animals 
Three years later, it was announced that animal acts would stop at the circus once the contract expired in 1990. When the circus owner moved to the adjoining Pleasure Beach there were weekly demonstrations. Backed by vets and other experts, the campaign worked and in 1997 Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced there would be no more animal circuses on its land.
Investigation work is now used in all aspects of our work, including campaigns against zoos and the exotic pet trade. In 1999 CAPS investigators even infiltrated a zoo workshop on elephant training. Backed up with detailed research and the use of experts, including vets and animal behaviourists, our investigations have resulted in powerful reports, videos and other materials. 