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  SHARK Update
Starbucks Continues to Tow the Rodeo Line October 18, 2005

 
  Dear Friends,

By now I guess most of you who wrote to Starbucks about its giving advertising money to the Rodeo Mafia have gotten the company’s response, such as it is. For those of you who did not get a response, here is the company line that you are expected to swallow:

 
 
"Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company.

Starbucks is deeply committed to our Mission Statement and Guiding Principles. One of our six principles is “contributing positively to our community” and one of the ways that we contribute is by supporting events that are important to the local communities that we serve.

As a part of the Cheyenne, WY community, we wanted to show our support for the Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration; a large event which includes art shows, Native American cultural events, parades, amusement rides, a rodeo and other activities. We showed our support by taking out taking out a $250 advertisement in a Cheyenne Frontier Days brochure, inviting those who attended the festival to enjoy a Starbucks beverage at our local store before or after the event.

We value and appreciate your feedback, and we will continue to look for ways to support our local communities in a responsible way."

 
 
A terrified calf at the same rode that Starbucks supported and says is "contributing positively to our communities."

Learn and see more...

 
 

Their above statement says much about Starbucks Coffee. First it is obvious that those of us who have for years felt good about buying from Starbucks Coffee because they were a “progressive company” have been suckered big-time. Here is a company that, upon looking at this situation, merely needed to say something like this: “This should not have happened, and you may rest assured that it will not happen again.” A “progressive company” would have recognized in a heartbeat that supporting animal abuse was in no way a responsible way to support the local community.

If Starbucks wasn’t educated about the rodeo issue when it shelled out company dollars for ad support, that could have quickly and easily be remedied by way of the Internet. On SHARK’s RodeoCruelty.com site alone Starbucks decision makers can view pictures and video clips. They would have learned that no legitimate humane society condones rodeo because of the abusive treatment of its nonhuman victims. In fact, the company would have learned that many humane organizations worldwide have taken a strong stand against rodeo animal abuse. Obviously Starbucks wasn’t interested in the facts.

An appropriate Starbucks response to a request for ad money from the Frontier Days producers would be, “Starbucks would love to support your affair. Please let us know when you have dropped the rodeo.” Of course, the rodeo is what the Cheyenne Frontier Days is all about. Everything else is just window dressing. There are multiple rodeo events every day for over a week. Injured and dead animals were regularly dragged off the arena floor. Starbucks claims that the Frontier Days “festival” (that’s the first time I have ever heard it called that) “includes art shows, Native American cultural events, parades, amusement rides, a rodeo and other activities.” The company makes it sound like the rodeo performances are a small part of the whole. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and Starbucks knows it.

What’s really a hoot is that when first contacted, the company insinuated that SHARK’s claim of an ad in a rodeo program was a work of fiction. After all, this was the progressive and enlightened Starbucks! As it turns out, we were right on the money, and now Starbucks is claiming it just doesn’t matter. After all, it was JUST two hundred fifty dollars, according to Starbucks. Starbucks should be appalled that even one dollar from their company goes to the pockets of an animal abusing industry. All the company had to do was promise to not do it again, but it refused.

Starbucks is taking its customers for fools. I guess the company figures that it has done such a great job of green-washing itself that none of you will be sharp enough to see through that nonsensical statement it is putting out. Starbucks’ form E-mail tries to make its ad in the Cheyenne rodeo program seem like a small matter, and when you really look at the whole Starbucks picture, I guess it is. After all, Starbucks’ true support of rodeo, and its partners in crime in supporting the Rodeo Mafia makes the ad in Cheyenne look like nothing at all!

Well, that’s not exactly the way it is. Starbucks apparently forgot to mention at least one other connection it has to rodeo, one that we just discovered. Starbucks was a proud sponsor of an affair called Miss Rodeo Washington. You can see that Starbucks is listed as a sponsor by going to www.MissRodeoWashington.com/sponsors.htm . But you’ll see so much more. Not only was Starbucks a sponsor, but so was the Ellensburg Rodeo, the Kitsap Stampede (a rodeo in Kitsap, Washington), the Colville Rodeo, the Othello Rodeo, the Beard Rodeo Company, and last but certainly not least, the Washington State Trappers Association. YEE (as they say) HA!

Here’s the bottom line, folks. I know a lot of people like Starbucks products. But some of your Starbucks money is going to the Rodeo Mafia. I hope you will seriously consider this before spending another penny at Starbucks--and then telling the company WHY.

What You Can Do:

-Unfortunately for them in this case, Starbucks are everywhere! We don’t have to trek all the way to their headquarters—they bring their businesses to us. Some dedicated and creative advocates have already taken the initiative to copy or download the photos of animal abuse at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, and have taken these images into their local Starbucks to educate the management. This is something everyone can do and Starbucks can’t hide from it!

-If you have not already, please contact Starbucks. They have now been caught supporting at least two rodeo-related events, and most likely more than that. Please tell them that you will not be a Starbucks’ customer as long as one penny of their money goes towards animal abusing industries. As one customer wrote, “I hate rodeos and animal cruelty more than I like soy lattes."

Starbucks Retail Customer Relations

(800) 235-2883, Press 0

Mon – Fri 5 AM – 6 PM (PST), Sat – Sun 6 AM – 3 PM (PST)

Starbucks has a comment page on their website:

http://www.starbucks.com/customer/conta ct_forms.asp?nav=3f

Please stay tuned for news of upcoming Starbucks protest efforts. SHARK is expanding our Starbucks site, which graphically exposes the cruelty with which Starbucks is involved, to include more photos, footage, and updates. Watch for BuckStarbucks.com to launch anyday! Until then, please continue to tell your friends and family about RodeoCruelty.com

Thank you for all your efforts,


Steve Hindi and your SHARK Team
phone: 630-557-0176