‘Free Okha!’ Circus to Face PETA Uproar for Forcing Elderly Elephant to Perform in Pendleton
For Immediate Release:
June 26, 2026
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
On Monday, PETA will deploy a life size “crying elephant” outside the Loomis Bros. Circus at T. Ed Garrison Arena as it calls for the release of Okha, a 56-year-old elephant who was captured in India as a baby and has spent decades being forced to perform in circus acts, courtesy of a sharp metal-tipped “bullhook” used as a weapon to control elephants via pain and fear. Adding to her problems, Okha is morbidly obese, putting more stress on her legs and back, and causing mobility issues. Okha’s old age and dangerously unhealthy weight cause her to now visibly struggle to lie down, rise, or even move about. Her exhibitor, Brian Franzen, has previously been charged with felony cruelty to animals and was caught on camera yanking and striking an elephant in the face with a bullhook.
“Okha has endured decades of misery, forced to perform stupid tricks since the seventies, and now she staggers about in obvious pain, still in servitude to her abuser,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA wants Loomis Bros. to end animal exploitation and for Okha to be sent to a reputable sanctuary where she can get the care she desperately needs.”
When: Monday, June 29, 7 p.m.
Where: T. Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 W. Queen St. (near the intersection of W. Queen Street and Arena Boulevard), Pendleton
Why: In nature, elephants live in matriarchal herds, protect one another, and share mothering responsibilities for the herds’ babies. Yet for years, Okha has been kept in isolation, denied the companionship of other elephants and everything natural and important to her.
Franzen has a long and sordid history of federal animal welfare violations, including for keeping tigers in rusty cages and allowing ponies—one of whom died from apparent neglect—to become dehydrated and emaciated.
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.
