PETA on Escaped North Attleboro Bulls: ‘Animal Torment at Center Stage’

NORTH ATTLEBORO (WBSM) — The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals organization has chimed in on the eight bulls that escaped from the Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro on Sunday.

The bulls escaped from a rodeo that was taking place in the mall’s South Lot to “celebrate Central American countries” including “bull riding competitions,” the mall wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post.

Seven of the bulls were captured on Sunday, but throughout Monday, one still remained at large. It was finally captured at about 8 p.m. Monday night.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman issued a statement Monday regarding the incident.

“We have seen it last year in Utah, this summer in Oregon, and now in Massachusetts: When bulls, who can be quite manageable and even gentle when not provoked, get the chance to escape being shocked with electric prods, wounded with sharp spurs, and slammed to the ground in rodeos, they take it as anyone else would,” Reiman said. “Rodeos put animal torment at center stage, and PETA urges people everywhere to stay away. Meanwhile, these bulls deserve to live!”

READ MORE: 8 Bulls Escape From Rodeo at North Attleboro's Emerald Square Mall

The North Attleboro Fire Department posted two updates to its Facebook page on Monday regarding the lone remaining missing bull.

The first reported that “rodeo personnel are still actively searching for the remaining bull on the loose” and that “no town assets or emergency personnel” were involved with the search.

The department later posted that the bull was in the Allen Avenue area of North Attleboro, and that rodeo personnel were being assisted in the search by the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.