Anna Louise Deserves Sanctuary!

Anna Louise is a female African elephant who has been held captive and used as a money-making prop by exhibitor Tom Demry since September 1988.

Born in Zimbabwe in 1981, Anna Louise was transferred to a US-based zoo in 1983 where she passed through several zoos before ultimately ending up condemned to a life in the circus.

For three decades, Anna Louise has lived without the company of any other elephant. She is forced to give rides and perform menial tricks, which are meant to mimic "dancing" for the amusement of paying crowds. Demry is always close by, bulllhook in hand, sometimes out in the open and sometimes disguised as an umbrella.

Because elephants are herd animals, Anna Louise's solitude is detrimental to her psychological well-being. Even the American Zoological Association (AZA), which sets elephant care standards for zoos, is in agreement on this point. According to AZA guidelines, female elephants should be kept in groups of three. Yet the USDA fails to hold circuses to even these most minimum of acceptable guidelines.

Demand that the USDA adopt the minimum guidelines for elephant care laid out by the AZA and ask them to immediately send Anna Louise to a sanctuary where she can live out the remainder of her life in the company of others free from the suffering of traveling circus life. Help to end circus cruelty now by signing our petition!