Dear John,

We have just received confirmation via APHIS and Western Mass News that our elephant client Karen has indeed died, as we suspected. It is abhorrent that the Commerford Zoo denied Beulah and Karen the opportunity to find peace and dignity in a sanctuary, choosing instead to exploit them and force them to work under threat of physical violence until the very end of their deeply impoverished lives. We are disgusted by officials’ failure to protect Beulah and Karen from known violators of animal welfare standards, which only underscores elephants' urgent need for fundamental legal rights.

We will work diligently to obtain our surviving client Minnie’s freedom and ensure that she does not die alone in the Commerfords' care. NhRP President Steven M. Wise will appear on Western Mass News tonight.

More updates to follow. 

Lauren Choplin
Communications Director, the NhRP