On January 12, 2024, my co-counsel and I obtained court-ordered access to a media booth at Petco Park to gather evidence for a pending animal cruelty lawsuit against the San Diego Padres, C5 Rodeo, and the City of San Diego we are bringing on behalf of Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) and SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK).
What our investigators and I observed was extremely disturbing and is outlined in this April 11, 2024 filing in the case:
My co-counsel Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi and I are handling this case pro bono, but there are mounting court costs, which you can help defray by contributing here:
Thankfully, a ban on rodeos in the City of San Diego has been proposed by Councilmember Kent Lee!
But, Padres CEO Erik Greupner, COO Caroline Perry, Esq., and vice president of public affairs Diana Puetz have all filed lobbying disclosures with the City of San Diego to lobby against such a ban, meaning they want to keep putting on these cruel spectacles. Lobbying firm Southwest Strategies, LLC is also representing the notorious C5 Rodeo company to oppose such a ban.
Please ask all councilmembers to support a ban on rodeos in the City of San Diego! Here is their contact info:
https://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil
Please write or call the City Councilmembers and say: "I am a resident of the City of San Diego and am against the extreme animal cruelty engaged in at the Padres Rodeo. Please support a ban on rodeos in the City of San Diego."
Additionally, there are cruel rodeos such as this in unincorporated areas of San Diego County, including Lakeside and Ramona. Please write to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors demanding that they outlaw such spectacles of animal cruelty there as well:
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/general/bos.html
Please write or call the County Supervisors and say: "I am a resident of the County of San Diego and am against the extreme animal cruelty engaged in at rodeos in Lakeside, Ramona, and other areas of the county. Please sign onto a board letter to ban rodeos in the county."
While the actions engaged in by these animal abusers are already illegal under general animal cruelty laws, a complete ban on rodeos would be much easier to enforce. This is why a ban is needed.
In the meantime, the court case we are bringing will continue, in which we are seeking an injunction against the extreme animal cruelty we witnessed at the January 2024 Padres Rodeo.