USL club Austin Bold FC is "moving ahead with plans" for its "Farmer in the Del Valle Night" promotion, "shrugging off concerns raised" by PETA, according to Chris Bils of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. PETA yesterday "called on the Bold to cancel the promotion, which encourages fans to bring farm animals" to the team's match tomorrow. The club is "offering free admission to anybody who shows up with one or more of the following: chicks, ducks, geese, goats, cows, pigs, turkeys, sheep, horses, llamas and donkeys." PETA yesterday tweeted, "It is reckless & dangerous to bring live animals to a sporting event." Representatives from the Circuit of the Americas, where the Bold's stadium is located, said that they have "seriously considered the safety and care of the animals, as well as fans attending the event." Officials said that the animals "will not be kept inside the stadium, but rather in pens on a grassy area alongside the racetrack," about a quarter-mile from the stadium. A veterinarian and "professional handlers will be on site," as well as students to help "watch over the pens" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4/16).
