An August 2, 2025 steer-tailing competition in DeKalb County, Illinois was among the most injurious to animals yet
KIRKLAND, Illinois––An August 2, 2025 steer-tailing competition on property owned by Kirkland, Illinois resident Gabriel Perez had been underway for barely an hour when at 1:05 p.m. Showing Animals Respect & Kindness [SHARK] founder Steve Hindi telephoned to ANIMALS 24-7 and posted to Facebook, “Three steers are in the injury pen. One may have an injured front leg. Good job, DeKalb County government and governor JB Pritzker!”
Updated Hindi at 2:21 p.m., “Five animals are in the injury pen now in Kirkland, DeKalb County, Illinois, thanks to DeKalb County government and governor JB Pritzker!”
(Beth Clifton collage)
“Blood is dripping down”
At 4:51 p.m., Hindi updated again, later providing photographs excerpted from Showing Animals Respect & Kindness drone video, “Another steer has had his leg shattered while blood is dripping down. This is on DeKalb County government and JB Pritzker!”
JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor since 2019 and a 2028 Democratic presidential nomination hopeful, became part of the issue because Pritzker appointees have for four years ignored steer tail degloving, horse-beating, electroshocking, and other cruelty routinely evident in cola charreada, all clear violations of the Illinois Humane Care of Animals Act, while Pritzker solicits the Spanish-speaking vote.
That amounts to about 13% of Illinois voters statewide, but only about 4% of the DeKalb County electorate.
(See While charros yank steers’ tails off, SHARK pins the tail on J.B. Pritzker, Steer-tailing, “a nightmare for animals,” under Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s nose, and Why is the JB Pritzker administration ignoring cockfighting & steer-tailing?)
(Showing Animals Respect &Kindness photo.)
$500 license for mayhem
Steer-tailing contest host Cristofer Perez paid $500 for a DeKalb County temporary use permit, enabling him to hold the competition, on July 29, 2025.
“For the animal services,” Cristofer Perez said on his permit application, filed almost a month before, “I will be renting some bulls for the event.”
In truth, the “bulls” used in steer-tailing are half-grown and castrated steers, not at all to be confused with the actual bulls used in American-style rodeo bull riding, or in Spanish-style bullfighting.
“Since they’re going to be under my care that day,” Cristofer Perez added, “I got a vet to care for any kind of animal in case of any injury.
“I’ve been calling around,” Cristofer Perez continued, “to see who can be on site.”
“After the event, when the animals are taken out of the property, the bull owner does have their own vet in their home. My vet is licensed and has experience with animals as well in these type of special events.
(Showing Animals Respect & Kindness photo.)
“There will be no animal cruelty,” organizer said
“There will be no animal cruelty the day of the event,” Cristofer Perez averred. “I will be in the round corral to make sure no one that is not supposed to be there. There will be no electrical device being used. I will have flags and paddle shakers to move the cattle.
“The cattle will not be over runned,” Cristofer Perez promised. “I will be making three groups to be switching around so each group has time to rest and drink water. I will be placing cattle water buckets in each corral to maintain the animals well-hydrated and not over-worked.
“Once the traditional competition is over,” Cristofer Perez finished, “the cattle will be stopped at 5:30 p.m. so they are not being worked the whole day.”
(Facebook photo)
SHARK investigated Perez’s claims
Knowing that the Cristofer Perez permit application for a steer-tailing competition was pending, Hindi and Showing Animals Respect & Kindness campaigns director Jodie Wiederkehr had already spent weeks investigating every claim that Perez made.
Hindi and Wiederkehr had repeatedly advised DeKalb County community development director Derek Hiland, who had the authority to deny Cristofer Perez a temporary use permit, of multiple falsehoods in Perez’s permit application.
Wiederkehr explained to media on July 30, 2025 that Cristofer and Gabriel Perez and associates are “the same outfit whom DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan charged with animal cruelty last year after Showing Animals Respect & Kindness exposed four young men violently terrorizing steers.
Cristofer Perez was convicted of cruelty
“Sheriff Sullivan emailed Showing Animals Respect & Kindness on July 15, 2025,” Wiederkehr said, “and stated that he had strongly objected twice to granting this permit.
“That should have been enough for community development director Derek Hiland, board chair Jon Frieders, and their colleagues to deny the permit,” Wiederkehr suggested, “but Hiland never returned SHARK’s multiple calls or emails nor responded to the people who are concerned about animal protection.
“Yesterday,” Wiederkehr wrote, “a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that DeKalb County granted the steer tailing permit again to Cristofer Perez, the same man whom Sheriff Sullivan charged with animal cruelty, who pleaded guilty to this charge in April 2025.
“The court sentenced him to twelve months supervision and a $510 fine.
(AI photo collage by Beth Clifton)
But Derek Hiland gave Cristofer Perez another permit
“Sheriff Sullivan took quick and appropriate action last year,” Wiederkehr reminded, “and he made his objections to this illegal animal torture clear.”
But Hiland and DeKalb County nonetheless “issued another permit to a convicted animal abuser, who is still under supervision,” recounted Hindi.
“These bureaucrats were still not moved,” Hindi charged, “after viewing all the disturbing evidence from last September and July, where men electrocuted and kicked gentle steers in the face repeatedly in narrow chutes where they could not escape their suffering and fear and where a man repeatedly bit a steer’s tail while the animal jumped from the pain.”
Claimed to have horse vet who declined to participate
Hindi did not stop with a media release.
Cristofer Perez identified as his veterinarian Kari Singer, of Fox Valley Equine Practice in Elburn, Illinois.
“Yesterday,” Hindi emailed to Hiland, “I personally drove to the Fox Valley Equine Practice to check the accuracy of the statement that Kari Singer, a licensed Illinois veterinarian, would be on call in case treatment is needed.
“Dr. Singer will in fact not be on-call for this event. I was told by two people, in person, at the Fox Valley Equine Practice office, that you specifically were informed about this by phone yesterday.
Also claimed vet who, if existing at all, was 120 miles away
“That is not the only inaccuracy in the permit application,” Hindi charged. “Here is another: ‘Ben Meyer Bulls will provide an onsite veterinarian for animal monitoring.’
“This is also false. Ben Meyer has never supplied a veterinarian for events. There is nothing in the permit application of Cristofer Perez to support your claim. On the contrary, the ‘Rodeo Description’ submitted by Mr. Perez states: ‘After the event when the animals are taken out of the property the bull owner does have their own vet in their home.’
“Their home is in Bernard, Iowa, which is more than 120 miles away from the steer tailing event.
“It should be noted,” Hindi added, “that DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies were assured there was a veterinarian onsite at last year’s events. The deputies passed that information to us when we expressed concerns about animal injuries we were recording.
(Showing Animals Respect & Kindness)
“Deputies were lied to”
“The deputies were lied to. There was no veterinary care for the injured animals at either of the two events held last year, and that was among the numerous violations of the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act you permitted those events.
“The property owner refused to cooperate with a subsequent police investigation into the illegal abuse,” Hindi continued.
“This resulted in Cristofer Perez being charged with animal cruelty, to which he pleaded guilty,” but “has not paid his fine.”
“Regardless of last year’s violations, and the refusal of Cristofer Perez to cooperate with the police,” Hindi charged, “you have inexplicably chosen to grant another permit this year. You have included, and even manufactured false claims to support this goal.
“You have refused to return calls or emails from concerned parties, including me.”
“My question for you”
“My question for you is,” Hindi finished, “what happens when the permit and humane laws are violated on Saturday? Will you, or anyone else from your department be there to oversee, and take action? I want to know.”
“This is very important,” Hindi reminded Hiland, “given that there have been numerous violations [of the Illinois Humane Care of Animals Act] at every one of the dozens of steer tailing events my organization has overseen in numerous counties, including DeKalb County, for four years.”
Hindi also emailed his concerns to DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy Jim Burgh and DeKalb County state’s attorney Riley N. Oncken.
But none of the DeKalb County public officials responded.
(Daniel Leventhal photo)
A purported veterinarian with Wisconsin license plates on his vehicle did eventually arrive at the August 2, 2025 steer-tailing competition in DeKalb County, Hindi told ANIMALS 24-7. The purported veterinarian provided rudimentary treatment to some of the many injured animals.
What nobody did, however, was prevent the mayhem from occurring that caused the numerous injuries.
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Just business as usual in a failed society that has completely lost whatever moral compass it may once have had.
Thanks to SHARK and ANIMALS 24.7 for their on-going coverage of this cruelty.
CONTACT INFO FOR ILLINOIS GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER:
Office of the Governor, 401 S. Spring Street, Springfield, IL 62704, tel. 217/782-6830 or 782-6831
Email – governor@illinois.gov
SOME LETTERS TO THE EDITORS COULD BE HELPFUL, TOO. Reportedly, “steer tailing” is currently taking place in at least SIX Illinois counties: DeKalb, Ogle, Boone, Will, Cook and McHenry–all near Chicago.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE – letters@chicagotribune.com
CHICAGO SUN TIMES – letters@suntimes.com
ILLINOIS TIMES (Springfield) – editor@illinoistimes.com
SPRINGFIELD HERALD NEWS – news@theherald-news.com
ILLINOIS TIMES (Springfield) – editor@illinoistimes.com
STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER – letters@sj-r.com
LAKE COUNTY JOURNAL – editorial@lakecountyjournal.com
BOONE COUNTY JOURNAL – news@boonecountyjournal.com
NOTE: “Steer tailing” is not a standard ranching practice anywhere in the U.S. It’s been outlawed in two California counties (Alameda, 1993; Contra Costa, 1994), and by the State of Nebraska in 2008. Other jurisdictions should follow suit, county, state, federal. As SHARK has documented over the years, steers routinely have their tails stripped to the bone (“degloved”), even torn off. Broken legs are also commonplace, veterinary care generally absent. LET THE POWERS-THAT-BE HEAR FROM YOU! “Culture” and “tradition” never justify animal cruelty. Cesar Chavez was an outspoken critic of both rodeos and charreadas.
x
Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland, CA
email – afa@mcn.org
Cesar Chavez had this to say:
“Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a
civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against
human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one
culture or community of people. Racism, economic deprival, dog fighting
and cock fighting, bullfighting and RODEOS [emphasis added] are cut from
the same fabric: violence. Only when we have become nonviolent towards
all life will we have learned to live well ourselves.” (–Cesar Chavez,
in a 12/26/90 letter to ACTION FOR ANIMALS, Oakland)
Are MOST of these Hispanics illegals? IL is a sanctuary state that’s why I ask. Pritzker is a MAJOR slime ball that he allows this and/or a coward. 😡
These monsters are scumbags and should be thrown out of the USA. We have enough cruelty performed by citizens.
SICK FUN; AND, GOD is taking note 🙏🏾😞
All of the suspects arrested so far in connection with steer-tailing have been U.S. citizens, but that number is less than would be needed to field a softball team.
Cockfighting is a somewhat different story. Among 744 cockfighters arrested in recent years, 63% had Hispanic surnames, 33% were Anglo, and 4% were Asian. ICE has recently busted and deported many cockfighters who were in the U.S. illegally, but as yet we do not have actual numbers.
I am all for the monsters involved in this activity to be thrown out of the country, regardless of their immigration status. This includes the politicians of both parties, who are so corrupt it’s hard to imagine how they can stomach looking at themselves in a mirror.
Both Democrats and Republicans are either refusing to stop this indefensible abuse, or as in the case of Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Raoul, are protecting the animal abusers because they think they will get votes.
As if unnecessarily degloving an animals tail is not animal abuse in itself??
What happens in South America, needs to stay in South America, because there are no animal protection laws down there, which is why North American illegal slaughter is sent to South America/Mexico, and the horror stories surrounding the inhumane practices are enough to give one nightmares.
I cannot believe our state of IL is so heartless when it comes to animal welfare. Even if these animals are meant for slaughter, it does not justify torturing and needlessly injuring them just to entertain some extremely disturbing people.
I was not aware of this prior to reading your info, I greatly appreciate your efforts in trying to end this illegal animal torture. It is completely unacceptable that IL officials would grant permits to someone who violated laws during previous permit events. This man hasn’t even paid his fines from the abuse he caused from last years despicable steer tailing event! How does that look to others considering commiting crimes against animals?
To me it sounds like an open invitation to animal abusers, that Illinois does not take animal welfare seriously and actually condones such illicit activity. Perhaps what really needs to happen are for the people permitting these events to be held responsible, fined, and sentenced, for the animal abuse that occurs due to their lack of oversight and acceptance of these inhumane animal abuse events?
Mexico, from which steer-tailing has been exported to the U.S., is in North America, not South America, with Central America and the Caribbean between Mexico and South America. Far from there being “no animal protection laws down there,” Mexico and many South American nations actually have much stronger humane laws in some respects than does the U.S., but as in the U.S., there are also many examples of cultural blindness.
For instance, Mexico, while allowing steer-tailing and cockfights in much of the country, is well ahead of the U.S. in regulating marine mammal exhibition and other forms of wildlife exhibition, although enforcement remains problematic. Much of Mexico also prohibits bullfights. Many South American nations have long since banned wildlife use in circuses. Argentina has come much closer than any other nation to recognizing animal “personhood.”
For further info, see: Argentinian court grants zoo chimp a writ of habeas corpus; Netherlands & Mexico ban wildlife use in circuses; Colombian constitutional court upholds circus ban; Colombia bans bullfights; and Mexico City again bans Spanish-style bullfights, now by public demand.
SHARK and the Humane Farming Association are working as a team to end steer tailing. I’d like to know of other humane organizations who are currently, or are willing to work together on this issue in a serious, determined and persistent matter. We don’t want anyone who just uses the issue as a fundraiser.
SHARK has fought the cruelty of American rodeo for more than three decades, and we will continue that effort, but steer tailing is the worst event we have seen, causing more injuries, and more serious injuries than any other event in either American or Mexican-style rodeos. It must end.
Interested parties may contact our Jodie Wiederkehr at 773-726-0589, or email jweiderkehr@sharkonline.org
Again, two California County Boards of Supervisors have outlawed “steer tailing”:–Alameda County (1993) and neighboring Contra Costa County (1994). Reportedly, at least SIX Illinois counties are currently hosting this cruelty: DeKalb, Ogle, Boone, Will, Cook and McHenry, and likely others. Local activists should be raising this issue before the various Boards, demanding a ban.
Failing that, perhaps try a ballot initiative, county and/or state. Again, “steer tailing” is not a standard ranching practice in the U.S. And outlawed by the State of Nebraska in 2008.
x
Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland, CA
Lee County, Illinois also has steer tailing. I droned it a couple months ago. There are others I am sure, but they are now hiding, much like cockfighters and dogfighters.
SHARK and local activists have raised this issue with multiple boards for years. I am wearing vehicles out traipsing to these damned meetings.
Truth and facts mean nothing to the soulless husks who are making decisions for we the people today, whether they are misbehaving at the local, county or national level. That is why the country is as screwed up as it is. It won’t get better, no matter which side is in power, until such time as common citizens stop ignoring their civic and moral duty, and get involved.
Frankly, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Looking at our own semi-comatose movement. There is so little activism, it is obvious as to why even the most egregious cases of abuse persist. Almost no one speaks out, and even fewer actually get on the field and carry the proverbial ball.
This, and so many other forms of abuse could end, and quickly, but we the people have decided it just isn’t worth the time and effort if it takes more than firing off a social media post.
You want to see change? Leave your home, and get to those meetings, and let the crooked politicians hear from you very directly and unequivocally. Learn to operate a video camera, which is simple. Learn to fly a drone, which is not as quite as simple, but is very doable. If I can do it, you can do it.
The feeling of making change one gets in being a frontline activist is one that cannot be bought – it can only be earned. Billionaires can’t buy that feeling, which you will carry for the rest of your days.
If you really want change, then be the change. Contact us, and we’ll help.
info@sharkonline.org
Cristofer Perez and his family need a visit from ICE.
When will “wanna be cowboys” develop a sense of shame for the painful, useless, pointless “skill” of tailing? This is for the joy of causing pain! No heroes are made, just men with low self esteem pretending to be brave!
Real men, in my decades of knowing some of them, including real cowboys, would never stoop to such pointless cruelty for their personal sense of pride. My three brothers and the two actual cowboys I grew up around, would never deliberately inflict painful torture on a horse or bovine, for the thrill of waving a bloody tail in some sick Victory Parade of skill with a knife!
This barbarism has to stop. I am revolted by these injurious acts. These innocent bovine creatures are living beings, not the playthings of the heedless participants. Why won’t the governing bodies of the states do something to stop the violence? What a message that gives to our children: “Hurt animals, it’s fun!”
In Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker is eyeing a run for the presidency. He believes that enforcing the law against these events would make him lose votes with Latina voters. Pritzker prizes power over law and order.
It is, unfortunately, just that simple.
Steve is right – officials prefer to look the other way if it’s inconvenient or not advantageous for them to address these issues. We did manage to ban horse tripping in Clark County, NV a number of years ago. I credit that with countless citizens showing up at a public meeting to provide comment and graphic documentation to compel officials to ban the activity at charreadas. Sadly, we don’t have hope of succeeding with the larger annual rodeo exhibitions because of the tourism they provide to Vegas. Money trumps compassion, it appears.