In previous years, Con of Thrones, a fan event celebrating George R. R. Martin’s fantasy world of Game of Thrones, has partnered with a photo booth exhibitor that uses wolf dogs, along with birds such as crows and owls, as “props” for photos so that people can pose with them. We have reached out to the company behind Con of Thrones, Mischief Management, the same company that runs the Wizarding World convention, LeakyCon, but have not gotten confirmation from them that they will not have any animals for photo ops at this year's event.
Please urge the festival’s organizers to exclude any exhibitor who uses live animals, such as wolf dogs, as “props” for photos during their 2023 event. Animals can experience stress when they are forced to interact with strangers in an unfamiliar, noisy environment that can overstimulate them. Both dogs and birds are very sensitive to noise and it can overwhelm them. Animals have individual needs and desires, and when they are exploited for money in these photo ops, their needs are not being met.
Exploiting them for photo ops is a form of speciesism—a human-supremacist worldview—and has no place at a convention or anywhere else.
You may be thinking, "Wait a minute, this isn't Wizarding World related at all!" And on the surface, you'd be right. But a closer look reveals that this issue might actually affect our fandom in the future. Con of Thrones is owned by Mischief Management, the same company that owns the popular wizarding convention, LeakyCon (or as it will be known this year, Wizarding World’s Fair Chicago). If Mischief Management allows Con of Thrones vendors to bring animals for photo ops, who's to say they won't allow something similar in the future at their other conventions?
We would be horrified if a precedent set at Con of Thrones allowed vendors to bring animals such as owls to future Wizarding World’s Fairs. In order to nip this issue in the bud, we need to make a stand NOW.
Put your Care of Magical Creatures knowledge to good use and speak out by urging the organizers of Con of Thrones to exclude any exhibitor who uses live animals as props for photos from the event.
Please urge the festival’s organizers to exclude any exhibitor who uses live animals, such as wolf dogs, as “props” for photos during their 2023 event. Animals can experience stress when they are forced to interact with strangers in an unfamiliar, noisy environment that can overstimulate them. Both dogs and birds are very sensitive to noise and it can overwhelm them. Animals have individual needs and desires, and when they are exploited for money in these photo ops, their needs are not being met.
Exploiting them for photo ops is a form of speciesism—a human-supremacist worldview—and has no place at a convention or anywhere else.
You may be thinking, "Wait a minute, this isn't Wizarding World related at all!" And on the surface, you'd be right. But a closer look reveals that this issue might actually affect our fandom in the future. Con of Thrones is owned by Mischief Management, the same company that owns the popular wizarding convention, LeakyCon (or as it will be known this year, Wizarding World’s Fair Chicago). If Mischief Management allows Con of Thrones vendors to bring animals for photo ops, who's to say they won't allow something similar in the future at their other conventions?
We would be horrified if a precedent set at Con of Thrones allowed vendors to bring animals such as owls to future Wizarding World’s Fairs. In order to nip this issue in the bud, we need to make a stand NOW.
Put your Care of Magical Creatures knowledge to good use and speak out by urging the organizers of Con of Thrones to exclude any exhibitor who uses live animals as props for photos from the event.
Show your support by wearing a shirt!
Let Mischief Management and Con of Thrones know that we won't stand for animal abuse at their conventions by wearing your very own "Defend the Dire Wolves" shirt!
Available as either a white logo on a black tshirt or a black logo on a white shirt, you'll surely start a few conversations about your fan activism while wearing one of these shirts (and you'll look pretty stylish, too)! Defend the Dire Wolves and make conventions safe spaces for all creatures, regardless of their size, species, or magical ability! |
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