The city of Minneapolis may get the snub from an annual fundraising circus because of an ordinance that allowed elephants to be included in the show, but prohibited children from touching or riding them.

The ordinance touched on issues of animal cruelty, as well as public safety concerns.

"We'll seriously consider leaving the city if we can't do elephant rides," said Tim Davison, the assistant circus chairman, told the Star Tribune. "That's the effect of having a ban without actually having a ban."

He added that the elephant rides were always considered one of the major attractions for the fundraising circus. The ordinance, a vote for which is expected to be held on Friday, came after last year's ban of all wild animals in circuses, introduced by Council Members Ralph Remington and Cam Gordon.

Last year's proposal ended in a compromise, with Council Members Paul Ostrow and Betsy Hodges putting forth a regulation that included increased regulations, higher permit fees and stricter penalties, going from $500 to $1,000.

The ban to ride the animals was included in the list of regulations.

The UPI reported that Minneapolis will potentially be the second city to take up such a ban, with Albuquerque being the first.