The animal rights organization PETA is asking Alice In Chains to temporarily change their name to “Betty In Chains” to raise awareness about a 56-year-old elephant named Betty. The nonprofit is currently seeking to rescue Betty, who, according to PETA, is forced to perform about 300 circus shows annually.
PETA hopes that by Alice In Chains changing their name across social media for a month, it will “turn up the volume on the plight of the elderly elephant, who has literally spent her life in chains.”
“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,” Lisa Lange, PETA’s Senior Vice President of Communications, said in a statement. “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.”
As part of its plea to Alice in Chains, the organization sent the band a letter which reads:
“Dear Jerry [Cantrell], Sean [Kinney], Mike [Inez], and William [DuVall], 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.”
PETA led a similar campaign last month when they asked Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant to temporarily change his name to “Robert Plant Wool” in order to raise awareness for plant based alternatives to sheep’s wool – a request Plant seemingly denied.
