El Riad Shrine Circus’s Ties to Elephant Abusers Prompt PETA Plea: ‘Stop Sanctioning Cruelty!’

For Immediate Release:
April 7, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Sioux Falls, S.D. –

Ahead of upcoming performances of the El Riad Shrine Circus in Sioux Falls, Chamberlain, and Mitchell, PETA this morning fired off an urgent letter to Shrine Potentate Mark Richard urging him to drop animal acts from the show. PETA points out that the notorious Carden family—which frequently provides elephant acts for the El Riad Shrine Circus—has a long and sordid history of citations for violating federal animal welfare laws and has been forcing an elderly elephant named Betty to perform, despite her suffering from lameness, stiff joints, apparent trunk paralysis, and painful, dangerous cracked nails. Animals used in circuses live under constant threat of punishment, are caged or chained almost constantly behind the scenes, and are deprived of everything natural and important to them.

If the El Riad Shrine Circus fails to end the animal acts before the performances, PETA supporters will converge on the event to warn compassionate people away.

*Betty the elephant at a circus performance in Belton, Texas. The handler holds a sharp, steel-tipped bullhook, and large, painful cracks are visible in the nails of Betty’s hind feet. Photo: PETA*

“Elephants and other wild animals don’t want to be chained up, trucked from city to city, or forced to perform demeaning tricks while they’re menaced with weapons like bullhooks,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on the El Riad Shrine Circus to stop sanctioning animal abuse and drop these cruel acts from its shows.”

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.

PETA’s letter to Richard follows.

April 7, 2025

Mark Richard

Potentate

El Riad Shrine

Dear Mr. Richard:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with an urgent request to leave animals out of the upcoming El Riad Shrine Circus shows, in which the abuse of elderly elephants is set to take center stage. The El Riad Shrine must recognize that times have changed and finally choose to end this shameful chapter of its history by hosting only animal-free fundraisers now and in the future.

Although Shriners claim to be dedicated to compassion and service, animals forced to perform in circuses like yours live under the constant threat of being hit with sharp steel-tipped bullhooks, whips, and other weapons to force them to perform demeaning tricks. Despite its lengthy history of citations for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act, the notorious Carden family often supplies an elderly elephant named Betty for the El Riad Shrine Circus, even though she has spent decades being shackled, chained, and forced to perform and has been seen moving stiffly around the ring.

Animal acts are a cruel relic of the past. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has returned to great success without using animals, joining the many other modern, humane circuses that dazzle audiences with impressive daredevil stunts, breathtaking aerial acts, and hilarious comedy sketches. Now, hundreds of venues and dozens of communities across the country prohibit or restrict animal acts and several Shrine clubs have nixed their animal circuses entirely.

Circuses should be a place of joy and wonder, not a venue for exploitation. It’s high time that El Riad Shrine moved into the modern era and left animals out of its circuses.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman

Executive Vice President