PETA Has Formally Requested Alice In Chains Change Their Name In Support of An Abused Elephant

Animal rights organisation PETA has requested Alice In Chains change their name in support of Betty the Elephant, a disabled 56-year-old circus elephant forced to perform at 300 shows a year.

PETA has launched a new campaign to rescue Betty the Elephant, a 56-year-old elephant from Thailand who is forced to perform roughly 300 circus shows a year.

To raise awareness for Betty, the animal rights organisation has requested that rock icons Alice In Chains change their social media name for a month to Betty In Chains. The organisation would say it hopes the move will “turn up the volume on the plight of the elderly elephant, who has literally spent her life in chains.”

While PETA has had a murky relationship with rock and metal in the past, this isn’t all too bad a request if you ask me.

In a statement, Lisa Lange, the Senior Vice President of Communications for PETA, wrote:

“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,” said Lange. “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.”

PETA, aware of the unusual nature of the request, shared a letter addressing each member of the band, writing:

“Dear Jerry, Sean, Mike, and William, [we are] 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.”

The letter would conclude: 

“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)”