Jenny spent her entire captive life performing in circuses. In January 1992, after repeatedly running away from her trainers during circus performances, Jenny was sent to the Hawthorn Corporation on a breeding loan.

Four months later, Jenny sustained a serious injury to her left hind leg, caused by a bull elephant. Due to this, she walked with a limp. Jenny did not receive treatment for her injury, but instead was put on butazone, a pain killer. In addition, Jenny was exposed to the breeding bull daily for the next ten months in the hope that she would become pregnant.

This handicap did not prevent Jenny from running, swimming, and lying down. What it did was slow her down. She had a notch out of the top of her right ear, her right eye was blind and she had a bend at the bottom of her tail.

In March 1993, almost one year after Jenny's injury, she was declared "useless" as a breeder. She was sold to a small circus and traveled throughout the United States for the next two years. Competing for food with the other elephants and trying to balance herself in the moving trailer soon took its toll on Jenny's already fragile condition. She deteriorated to the point where loading in and out of the trailer was nearly impossible. As a result, Jenny was left inside the elephant trailer most of the time.

In April 1995, Jenny's owner decided that she was "worthless" and dumped her at a dilapidated animal shelter outside of Las Vegas. When Jenny arrived, she was severely underweight, not using her injured leg, and had developed chronic foot rot, which is life threatening if untreated. Her new owner insisted that now Jenny would get the care she so desperately needed.

In the intervening fifteen months, Jenny's situation did not improve. In her new home, Jenny was exposed to below-freezing weather and put in chains at night due to inadequate facilities. Because of her untreated injury and foot rot, Jenny continued to bear little weight on her leg and received no professional treatment for her condition. Recently, 20/20 did a piece on captive elephants, and Jenny was included in the story. The footage documented Jenny standing in feces, underweight, living in inadequate facilities, cared for by unknowledgeable keepers, with very little hope of change.

Amazingly, on July 22, 1996, we were contacted by Jenny's owners and asked to take her. However, due to the recent rescue of Barbara, the emaciated elephant we saved in April of the same year, we were not in a financial position to accept Jenny. We frantically began the "Rescue Jenny Fund"which was met with great response. Because Jenny's health was deteriorating daily, The Elephant Sanctuary Board took a mammoth financial risk by rescuing her before all of the funds were raised.

On September 11, Jenny arrived at the Sanctuary and took her first step to freedom. Afraid and shy at first, she visibly relaxed when Tarra (the Sanctuary's first resident) gently stroked Jenny's head with her trunk and finally coaxed her to entwine trunks! Everyone watched through tears of relief and joy at this obvious display of comfort and love.Jenny took joy in every one of her new family members over the next ten years and her life was filled with unparalled bliss when Shirley arrived, and the two reunited in a mother-daughter bond. For over ten years Jenny lived every day with adventure and joy, her spirit filled every heart that knew her.

On October 17, 2006 Jenny died after a long illness, surrounded by Shirley, Bunny and Tarra and her caregivers. Just as she lived, Jenny entered death harmoniously. In a blessing to herself and her family her final days, hours and minutes were filled with joy and love and her passing was in the arms of all who loved her so dearly.