I had not been to a circus since I was a child--before becoming aware of animal rights and animal cruelty. My husband and children had never been to a circus and didn't know what to expect at all (having only been to shows such as Cirque du Soleil).
I must say, I did not see any animals being whipped or mistreated. The trainers held the "whips" but were snapping them on the metal stands that the tigers were sitting on. But there were ZEBRAS being run around in a ring looking flustered. The white horses were showing ribs. The elephants sitting, kneeling, standing on hind legs, lying down, rolling over...it's NOT impressive but SAD.
The other parts of the show were fun, but the circus lost this family because of the animal acts!!