For nearly 40 years, Betty the elephant has lived in chains.

She’s old. She’s in pain. Her legs are stiff and swollen. Her trunk often drags along the ground, possibly due to nerve damage. Experts warn she could collapse and die at any moment if she is not removed from the circus and given proper care.

But instead of rest and sanctuary, Betty is still being forced to perform by the Carden family, which rents animals to traveling circuses like the Al Menah Shrine Circus in Nashville. Just last month, she was giving rides while a handler stood nearby holding a bullhook — a weapon designed to inflict fear.

This is not entertainment. This is abuse.

Elephants like Betty deserve to roam, socialize, and heal. Not be chained, prodded, and dragged around a stage. At real sanctuaries, retired circus elephants get medical care, space to move, and the dignity they’ve been denied.

We are calling on the USDA, the Carden family, and the Al Menah Shrine to immediately release Betty to a reputable sanctuary. If they wait, she may not survive.

To animal lovers everywhere: if you’ve ever looked into the eyes of an elephant and seen someone looking back, now is the time to act.

Sign this petition to help free Betty before her suffering becomes her final act.

Photo: PETA