Bailey intended to use the elephant for farm work, but the number of people it attracted caused Bailey to tour her throughout the northeast. Old Bet was killed on tour in 1816, when she was shot by a local farmer.
Bailey had envisioned utilizing the elephant for farm labor, however, the considerable attention it drew prompted Bailey to take Old Bet on a tour of the region. Unfortunately, Old Bet's life was cut short in 1816 after being fatally shot by a local agriculturalist.