Lucy The Elephant Says “No” To PETA

Lucy The Elephant in Margate is in need of about $60,000 worth of repairs and financial help will not be coming from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

PETA had reached out to Lucy's officials offering to make a $2,000 donation towards their maintenance efforts in exchange for allowing Lucy to be used to promote how circus elephants were being treated. Had Lucy's board accepted the donation, PETA would have displayed a big banner on the iconic elephant, attached a foam shackle to one of Lucy’s legs, and put a teardrop below one of her eyes.

In their decision to not take PETA up on their offer, Lucy's CEO Richard Helfant said in a press release, “Lucy is a happy place. We must always insure that children who visit Lucy have a happy experience and leave with smiles on their faces. Anything that could sadden a child is not acceptable here at Lucy. While every donation is important to an almost completely self-funded non-profit organization, this one comes with too many conditions. Lucy is a National Historic Landmark whose mission is historic preservation. We must be diligent in maintaining her stature as an NHL”.

Lucy is also in need of a fresh coat of paint which will cost over 20,000. You can help buy purchasing a “I Helped Paint Lucy” T-shirt for $20.