Circus Admits to Forcing Lame, Elderly Elephant to Perform; PETA Complaint Prompts Federal Citation

For Immediate Release:
March 9, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

A just-released federal report reveals that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited the Carden Circus for failing to provide adequate veterinary care to 56-year-old Betty—the “Most Depressed Elephant in the World”—and for forcing her to give rides despite obvious pain and lameness. The citations, which were finalized on February 5 and followed a recent PETA complaint, document that when the USDA inspector pointed out the “stiffness” in Betty’s right leg to Carden Circus owner Brett Carden, Carden “acknowledged that the elephant is lame in that limb.” Carden then told inspectors that Betty’s “‘stiffness’ increases when she is ridden by members of the public,” prompting the inspector to instruct Carden that allowing members of the public to ride Betty “is causing additional lameness.”

The Cardens have since leased Betty to a roadside zoo in Indiana, where she is being coerced into hands-on encounters with the public for photo ops—making it clear that they intend to keep using her until her body breaks down completely, which a leading elephant expert has warned is likely to happen in the near future. PETA is calling for Betty to be released to an accredited sanctuary where she will finally receive the medical care and rest she desperately needs.

“The Carden family has worked Betty to the brink of collapse, knowing that she is elderly, lame, and likely in constant pain,” says PETA Foundation Managing Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler. “PETA will continue fighting for Betty until she’s able to retire and rest at a reputable sanctuary and urges everyone to stay far away from animal-exploiting circuses like the Cardens’.”

PETA’s recent complaint to the USDA details how the elderly, disabled elephant shuffles slowly on her stiff front legs that hurt to bend, drags her trunk on the ground due to apparent paralysis, and is suffering from painful cracks in her toenails. Despite these ailments, Betty has been dragged from city to city and forced to perform in nearly 300 shows per year—and now being forced into photo ops at a roadside zoo, she still won’t be able to get the rest she needs to heal.

Betty was stolen from her family in Thailand as a baby and has been held by the Carden family for 40 years. PETA’s campaign for Betty’s freedom has included submitting a dozen complaints regarding Betty to the USDA, protesting at Carden Circus performances across the country, and seeking the help of local law enforcement and performance venues to stop the Cardens’ torment of Betty.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.