FAMILIES CAN'T 'BEAR' TO GIVE UP CRUELTY

An intentionally frightening photo of former sex kitten Brigitte Bardot accompanies this story of her success in getting 24 Bulgarian dancing bears, formerly working for Gypsy families, returned to the wild. The article notes that "The brown bear has been a protected species in Bulgaria since 1991, which means that it is forbidden by law to sell or buy the animals or exhibit them to the public. But in spite of this some 20 families still earn their living using dancing bears, who need to be trained for years with methods that are considered cruel. Tsvetelina Ivanova from Four Legs said the organisation also offered them jobs in the bear reserve but they refused, saying it does not correspond with their lifestyle." Awwwww. Not quite cruel enough for you, huh? Sorry, but I have no sympathy for maintaining any "cultural heritage" that involves animal abuse, any more than I weep for crack dealers who would rather stick with that "lifestyle" than do honest work. Leave the bears alone and get a job, losers.