By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
The escape of seven bulls from a traveling rodeo in North Attleborough two years ago has inspired a proposal to establish the first statewide operating standards in Massachusetts.
State Rep. Adam Scanlon, (D-North Attleborough), added an amendment to a major House bond bill that would require all rodeos in the state to comply with the rules, regulations, and animal welfare standards established by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the nation’s largest professional rodeo organization.
The proposal, titled “Buck Up for Safety,” was adopted by the House as part of the Mass Ready Act, a sweeping resilience and infrastructure bill containing more than $3 billion in bond authorizations and policy reforms. The legislation must still be reconciled with the Senate’s version before it can become law.
Scanlon said the amendment grew out of the September 2024 rodeo incident in North Attleborough, when seven bulls escaped from their enclosure during a show at the Emerald Square Mall after a pin came loose, prompting a multi-agency response as police officers, animal handlers and rodeo staff worked to corral the animals.
“We want people to go to these events,” Scanlon said. “We want them to be fun and safe. Before this, there really wasn’t anything in state law that said rodeos had to be run in a specific way or follow any established guidelines.”
Scanlon said the incident exposed a gap in state law that could affect any community hosting a rodeo.
“I honestly think what happened in North Attleborough was largely caused by a freak accident,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean something similar couldn’t happen somewhere else if proper standards aren’t being followed.”
Under the proposed legislation, rodeos would be required to follow the PRCA’s standards governing event operations, contestant safety, and the care and handling of animals. The amendment defines a rodeo to include competitions and exhibitions such as bull riding, bronco riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, and team roping involving livestock, including bulls, horses, steers and calves.
Rather than creating a new set of Massachusetts-specific regulations, Scanlon said he chose to rely on standards already developed and widely used throughout the rodeo industry.
“We worked with people who are actually involved in rodeo because we wanted to get it right,” Scanlon said. “The cowboys are passionate about what they do. They don’t want people abusing these events or operating them improperly. They want to make sure animals are cared for properly and that events are safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
The PRCA’s rulebook includes more than 60 rules addressing animal care and welfare. Among them are requirements that a veterinarian be present or readily available at every rodeo, that injured animals receive immediate examination and treatment, and that sick or injured animals not be used in competition. Chutes, corrals and other holding areas must be constructed and maintained to prevent injury, while trained judges are responsible for determining whether facilities are safe before events begin.
The rules prohibit contestants and performers from abusing livestock, require inspections of competition animals before events and authorize fines or disqualification for mistreatment. Livestock that become overly agitated or appear likely to injure themselves must not be forced to compete.
According to the PRCA, compliance is overseen through veterinary advisory committees, a full-time animal welfare coordinator, and trained judges who enforce the organization’s humane treatment rules during competitions. The association says its members have both ethical and financial incentives to keep rodeo livestock healthy, noting that competition animals are valuable athletes expected to perform repeatedly throughout their careers.
Scanlon acknowledged the legislation does not include penalties under state law for rodeos that fail to comply with the standards, that his immediate priority is creating a statewide framework where none previously existed.
“Right now we just want to get standards on the books,” he said. “That’s something we can continue looking at in the future.”
The proposal would complement, rather than replace, local oversight. In North Attleborough, rodeos and circuses are treated as special events and may require approvals from the Building Department, Fire Department, Licensing Board, and Planning Board, depending on the size, location and scope of the event.
For Scanlon, the goal is not to discourage rodeos but to help ensure they can continue operating safely across Massachusetts.
“We need more fun things to do in Massachusetts,” he said. “This is one of those things. We just have to make sure there are standards in place so these events are run safely and smoothly.”