PETA is seeking the help of grunge legends Alice in Chains to help free an elephant named Betty from the long-running Carden Circus. The animal-rights organization is asking the band to temporarily change its name to “Betty in Chains” for a month to help put the spotlight on the “world’s most depressed elephant.”
The 56-year-old Betty is “being forced to perform in roughly 300 circus shows each year,” according to PETA, adding that the elephant is in danger of a fatal collapse if not released to a sanctuary immediately. In a letter to Alice in Chains, the organization wrote:
“Dear Jerry, Sean, Mike, and William,
Coming to you with a wonderfully strange request from us at PETA. Would Alice in Chains be willing to go by Betty in Chains across social media — for a month — to spotlight a dear elephant who literally spends her life in chains?
In a nutshell, we’re turning up the volume on our efforts to rescue an elderly, disabled elephant named Betty, who is being forced to perform in roughly 300 circuses each year. Betty’s over 56 years old, was taken as a baby from Thailand, and has been used in circuses for more than five decades. An elephant expert who recently examined Betty warns that she faces a fatal collapse if not immediately retired to a reputable sanctuary.
By lending (a version of) your iconic name, you could set the stage for freedom, amplify her story to millions, and change the course of history for all animals used in circuses.
Will you help us show the world that Betty’s not fighting this battle alone?
Let’s make some noise,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)”
In a press release, PETA Senior Vice President of Communications Lisa Lange added, “By the time grunge swept Seattle, Betty had already spent nearly twenty years suffering as a circus prop, and every day that passes with her being hauled from town to town and forced to perform brings her closer to the brink of death. PETA is encouraging Alice in Chains to get loud for Betty with a temporary name change that reminds everyone to Stay Away from animal-abusing circuses.”
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PETA further states that Betty “appears withdrawn and unresponsive, frequently standing still with her eyes closed and her trunk on the ground.”
Those interested in helping Betty the elephant can do so at this link.