PETA asks Alice in Chains to change name to raise awareness for disabled elephant

Nic Huber

To raise awareness for PETA's ongoing fight to rescue an elderly disabled circus elephant named Betty, the animal rights group is asking grunge legends Alice in Chains to change their name for a month to help spread the word.

Betty, who is 56-years-old, is forced to perform hundreds of circus shows per year, according to PETA. The nonprofit also added that she is in danger of a "fatal collapse" if not retired to a sanctuary immediately.

PETA Senior Vice President of Communications Lisa Lange further commented:

“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.”

Elephants owned by the Carden International Circus are forced to perform when sick, injured or elderly, like Betty, "who appears withdrawn and unresponsive, frequently standing still with her eyes closed and her trunk on the ground," according to PETA.

From 1994 to 2013, Carden Circus had nearly 30 federal violations for various things like inadequate space and transport requirements to failure to provide exercise plans for certain animals, according to records from the United States Department of Agriculture.

You can read PETA's full letter to Alice in Chains below:

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)

Alice in Chains has yet to respond or change their name on socials.

Nic Huber

Paris, Texas

I write (and sometimes edit) things

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