Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

We must all strive to live a life of compassion towards our fellow man and for our non-human friends, who are equally as important.
" Protecting animals " and to " protect animals in captivity" is on the Liberal Platform and is the reason for sending you this letter.
I would like to request that Lucy, the lone suffering Asian elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo be thoroughly examined by international experts to determine the safety of moving her to one of the two accredited U.S. sanctuaries that have already offered her a home.
Offers to accept her have been in place for over a decade. To date, only zoo / circus industry vets have been allowed to assess her. They claim she should remain in Edmonton.
After over 45 years of captivity at the Valley Zoo, Lucy is still middle aged and could have 20 or more years ahead of her if she is allowed to live as an elephant should. Not confined in a small concrete enclosure but roaming, swimming, foraging on soft terrain and most importantly companionship with her own kind, in a climate designed for an elephant.
" Canada is lovely but it's no place for an elephant " as Bob Barker stated when he visited Lucy over a decade ago. He tried his best to help her.
Lucy's plight is garnering world - wide attention. People are shocked at the appalling conditions she lives in. In fact, superstar Cher and her organization Free the Wild, have offered to cover all associated costs with bringing in independent experts. Ricky Gervais and Moby have also called for her release to sanctuary.
Lucy's current conditions are truly deplorable for this majestic animal and her true needs on a social, emotional and physical level have not been met for all these years.
I was happy to see that you visited the Wildlife SOS sanctuary in India, a few years ago. You were able to witness first-hand what life should offer to retired elephants who have been forced into captivity. It was beautiful, wasn't it? Lucy deserves this too.
Please reach out to Mayor Sohi and the Director of the Edmonton Valley Zoo and urge them to finally allow the best possible species experts to evaluate Lucy for the possibility of transport to a beautiful warm climate sanctuary. All costs will be covered by Free the Wild.
Lucy deserves compassion from the City of Edmonton and all Canadians which she has yet to receive. She desperately needs your help before it's too late. Elephants in zoos rarely survive until the age of 50.
Thank you,
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