Lucy has bonded with her keepers
 In normal elephant societies, female elephants are in constant 24 hour a
day social contact with family members. This social contact cannot be
reproduced in a zoo environment. Keepers are nothing like a real family
or herd.
Think about it. Keepers at the Valley Zoo go home at the end of the day.
And when they do, Lucy is left alone in her spartan indoor facility,
until the next morning. Elephant families don’t disband in the evening
and then reassemble the next morning. They're together all the time.
Lucy’s keepers are nothing at all like a real elephant family.
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The zoo is all Lucy has ever known
 It's true that the elephant yard and barn at the Valley Zoo is probably
all Lucy has ever known, but that’s probably the best reason for moving
her elsewhere.
Denying Lucy a better life just because she’s only known the Valley Zoo
doesn’t make sense. In fact, it's a terrible reason to keep her there.
Lucy is not a social elephant
The Valley Zoo claims Lucy isn't a social elephant, but there's no such
thing. Science shows us that all female elephants are highly social.
Lucy spent many years in the company of Samantha, the African elephant
she shared her enclosure with at the zoo. If she could live with an
elephant of another species, there is no reason to believe she wouldn't
do well with members of her own species.
Numerous experts have scoffed at the Valley Zoo's claim that Lucy is not social or that she is a "people elephant." Dr. Joyce Poole, one of the world's leading elephant biologists, called that claim ridiculous. She said elephants are so intensely social that when they are denied access to members of their own species, they will try to socialize and create bonds with whoever else is there because that's all they have. But relationships with people are nothing like the complex, rich and stimulating relationships that elephants have with each other.
Before Maggie the elephant was moved from the Alaska Zoo, they also
claimed she didn't need company. But when she was moved to a sanctuary
in California, it didn't take long before Maggie was interacting and
bonding with the other elephants at the facility.
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Medical conditions prevent Lucy from being moved
 The Valley Zoo claims that, except for her respiratory problem and
arthritis, Lucy is healthy. At the same time, they also say moving Lucy
would be stressful and might kill her. But they haven't produced any
proof that what they are saying is true.
What is clear is that the Valley Zoo has not been able to resolve Lucy's
decades of ongoing health problems. And, with each passing year, those problems only worsen. Her living
conditions, lack of activity, and the frustration and stress of living
alone have all taken their toll and with Lucy now being in her mid-40s, time for her is rapidly running out.
Today, Lucy's phantom respiratory issue remains undiagnosed and a recent examination of her medical records
indicate that the zoo is struggling to manage her pain despite Lucy being on
high daily doses of opioids, noting she went down on two occasions in Oct
2018. Time may be running out for Lucy, so it's a matter of urgency that the zoo allow in a team of qualified, independent experts (with a track history in elephant biology, behaviour, veterinary care, management and welfare) to assess and treat her, to offer a prognosis and
to make recommendations about the best options for Lucy at this stage.
Can Lucy be moved? Would the potential benefits to Lucy outweigh the risks of transporting her? The first step in answering those questions is the expert assessment.
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