PETA Asks Alice In Chains To Change Their Name To Highlight Abused Elephant Campaign

Animal rights organization PETA has issued a public plea to Seattle grunge legends Alice In Chains, asking the group to undergo a temporary rebranding to highlight the suffering of an animal in captivity. In an open letter sent to the band today, the organization requested that the musicians change their name on social media to Betty In Chains for one month to draw attention to Betty, a 56-year-old Asian elephant currently performing in traveling circuses.

The campaign centers on the welfare of Betty, a disabled elephant owned by the Carden family. According to PETA, Betty was taken from her natural habitat in Thailand as a baby and has spent over five decades in captivity. The organization alleges that she is currently forced to perform in approximately 300 circus shows annually, despite her advanced age and physical limitations.

PETA claims that an elephant expert recently examined Betty and warned that the animal faces a “fatal collapse” if she is not immediately retired to a reputable sanctuary. The group describes her condition as “withdrawn and unresponsive,” noting that she often stands motionless with her eyes closed and trunk on the ground—behavior they attribute to the trauma of decades of confinement, chaining, and forced performance.

In a statement explaining the logic behind the request, PETA Senior Vice President of Communications Lisa Lange drew a timeline comparison between the elephant’s captivity and the band’s musical legacy.

“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,” Lange said according to Metal Injection. “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.”

The organization is hoping that the band—comprised of Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Mike Inez, and William DuVall—will use their massive platform to amplify the pressure on the Carden family to release the animal.

The full text of the letter sent by PETA to the band reads as follows:

“Dear Jerry, Sean, Mike, and William, 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, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)”

As of press time, Alice In Chains has not publicly responded to the request.