PETA 'Tiger Lady' stops to protest circus Citing animal cruelty, PETA member Brandi Valladolid protests the upcoming Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus show scheduled for the Resch Center (photo by H. Marc Larson). She draws a lot of stares while sharing her message By Patti Zarling News-Chronicle Brandi Valladolid, in town Wednesday to protest the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, likely attracted as much attention to herself as to her cause. A member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Valladolid wore only body-painted stripes and sat on the corner of Oneida Street and Lombardi Avenue in a small cage. Other PETA members carried billboards and handed out fliers decrying the mistreatment of animals used in the circus. Valladolid's presence caught many a passerby's eye. Delivery men blatantly turned their heads as they drove by, and a few people whistled. But others got the message, some calling "Get a life!" or "We already have our circus tickets!" Green Bay police officials said the protest was causing little disturbance other than the fear of accidents caused by "people rubber necking." Valladolid, 24, and an Arizona native, follows the Ringling Bros. circus as it travels throughout the country. The circus is scheduled to be at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon Sept. 11 to 15. She said she's willing to go to great lengths to foster her cause because PETA doesn't have the resources to do the public relations Ringling Bros. does. "We don't have the advertising budget they do," she said. "This is one of the ways we can draw attention to the very sad and very tragic thing that's happening to these animals. "Animals in the circus live very sad and lonely lives. They are beaten, and sometimes burned, to do the silly things the circus wants them to do. It's tragic what goes on behind the scenes." Ringling Bros. issued a statement Wednesday saying, "Unlike special interest groups that show their stripes by resorting to irresponsible and exploitative stunts to generate media coverage, our animal care staff consists of experts who devote their lives to living with, working with and caring for animals 365 days a year. "This is a repeat performance of the stunt, and it is a perfect example of how certain activist groups spend their donors' money." Valladolid countered Ringling Bros. was fined $20,000 for tearing a baby elephant away from its mother. She said people are paying attention to PETA's campaign, which includes a behind-the-scenes video of the treatment of circus animals. "Compassionate people are sickened," she said "We've had people rip up their circus tickets." Some people walking past the protesters looked curiously at the protesters, while others kept their eyes down as they walked quickly past. "It's pretty nuts, the way it looks to me," said John Johnson, who was at the Packers Experience at ShopKo Hall with his wife and children. He said he wasn't offended by Valladolid's attire. "If they want to protest, they can," he said. "If that's what they want to do." As a farmer who deals with livestock, he said he doesn't necessarily agree with PETA's philosophies. "It's pretty sensational," said Becky Lueck of Port Washington. She said she isn't sure how effective it will be. She admitted she didn't notice what the protest was about. "I'm sure it will help somewhat," she said. "I think people are stopping to see what's going on, thinking, 'Wow, that's interesting.'"