Hope for Anna Louise

Today, CWI received information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regarding the elephant Anna Louise, after we submitted a request for follow-up from them.

As you may recall, CWI filed an emergency complaint with the USDA on behalf of Anna Louise last May. We found abnormalities in her gait, and were concerned about her well-being as well as the safety of the public who were riding her.

Within two weeks of filing of the complaint, to the best of our knowledge, Anna Louise has been off the road and at her "home base", which is located on the property of her "owner" in Florida.

The FWC promised us late last year that they would in fact inspect the property and follow-up on our USDA complaint. We are pleased to report that they did in fact complete that inspection, which was done extremely thoroughly.

The report showed that Anna Louise is suffering from arthritis in her right elbow and appears to be overweight. It was suggested to the owner Tom Demry that Anna Louise should lose some weight.

We were pleased to note that Tom Demry stated that he is considering retiring from performance with Anna Louise. CWI encourages Mr. Demry to follow that pursuit, and hopes he will consider retiring Anna Louise to a sanctuary environment, where she can have contact with other elephants and not live out her life as a solitary elephant on his property.

CWI has written to the FWC requesting some additional information. We will keep you apprised of any advancements for Anna Louise.