Conventions Are No Place for Animals

Fandom is deeply personal. Even in a fan community with millions of individuals, we each experience it uniquely. It may be something we dabble in just for fun, or it may become an integral part of who we are. Fandom can give us an escape from reality, a lifeline out of darkness, and opportunities to learn about ourselves and the world.

For many of us, conventions are a total immersion into our favorite fictional worlds and are the pinnacle of our fan experience. Attending these events allows us to feel like we can fully be ourselves without judgment. We go to these events to be unabashedly nerdy with each other and to share in a collective experience of adoration and self-expression.
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To the surprise of many, there are some unethical practices that have been observed at fan conventions across the nation. Even in recent times, a variety of wild animal species have been showcased at events by vendors whose sole motivation is to profit off of their use. Animals are not given the choice to attend and are conditioned into enduring long hours of interaction with strangers.

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Many people are pleasantly surprised upon finding out that animals are in attendance and available to interact with or take pictures with. At conventions, the organizers will admit animal vendors in an effort to heighten the fan experience and provide a unique opportunity to the attendees. It’s a standard response to enjoy seeing animals up close, especially exotic species who are not often encountered in daily life. Unfortunately, when people interact with animals in these environments, they aren’t thinking about the systemic forces that have placed nonhuman creatures lower on the scale of moral consideration or about how businesses continue buying, breeding, and displaying animals just to make money off of well-intentioned fans.

People generally don’t see these experiences as animal exploitation due to them being designed to target the inherent love of animals and desire to connect that many people feel. But in order to truly appreciate these animals, we must acknowledge their right to be respected. 
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This is where companies centered around animal entertainment may push back, claiming that the animals are brought for educational or conservation purposes. However, these companies rarely teach anything about the animals and are not actively supporting conservation efforts of the species they are in possession of. Any level of education about animals can be done in more effective ways that don’t involve restraint and stress for the animals. 3D models, images, videos, and pamphlets are all useful tools for spreading education and awareness, but the companies who attend these events are only interested in making money.

​The Protego Foundation’s Defend the Dire Wolves campaign was developed to spread awareness about an issue that has influenced the fan community.

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We can learn about animals in school, online classes, books, documentaries, national parks, and museums. We can interact with animals at shelters and sanctuaries, after receiving the proper training and getting to know each animal’s tolerance level for human interaction. We can contribute to conservation through local activist groups, donations to nonprofits, and political engagement.

Most people want to help animals—or at least don’t want to hurt them. But when confronted with the uncomfortable idea that we may be contributing to animal exploitation by doing something as innocuous as taking pictures with them, it’s easy — natural, even — to become defensive. That feeling is compounded when paired with something we actively adore, like fandom and attending conventions.
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Animal advocates understand that; we’ve felt it, too (that’s why Protego exists)! We love fandom just as much, and we want everyone to feel loved, included, and safe. Why shouldn’t animals be offered that as well?


After learning that multiple convention organizers associated with fandoms such as Game of Thrones and Harry Potter were allowing vendors to use live animals as photo props, it became apparent that this was an issue within fandom at large that needed to be addressed.

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​Let convention organizers know that animal exploitation has no place in the fan community by signing the Defend the Dire Wolves petition.






Written by Elise Myslinski and Valerie Short

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