The radical activist group, PETA, was forced to throw together a hastily constructed press conference in San Antonio to criticize SeaWorld when it was discovered that one of their young employees, a veterinarian fresh out of school, was traveling to the various parks around the country riding the rides and enjoying the shows.
Her picture was captured at the peak of the fan-favorite roller coaster, “Manta,” with her hands in the air like she just didn’t care.
Eye witnesses reported that the young radical activist was also seen at the dolphin show cheering and telling people in the crowd that the dolphins were just too darn cute to resist.
When news reached PETA HQ, Ingrid Newkirk, President of the organization, reminded her group that “…everything we do is a publicity stunt … we are not here to gather members, to please, to placate, to make friends. We’re here to hold the radical line.”
That’s when the plan to turn the misadventures of the 20-something veterinarian into an attack on SeaWorld was hatched.
To cover the reality that Dr. Heather Rally actually had a “whale of a time” as she described it while high-fiving guests at Shamu Stadium and to write off the travel expenses, PETA quickly organized another press conference to claim that Dr. Rally had actually been actually undercover to observe the animals.
And, of course, to make it seem at least a little realistic, PETA rehashed the same debunked accusations they used during the last nine times when attacking the conservation themed park.
All of which have been thrown out by federal regulators.
Despite the fact that this is all satire (including PETA’s accusations). The truth is SeaWorld like all aquariums that house marine mammals and cetaceans undergo rigorous inspections and compliance.
Here are the facts:
SeaWorld Parks are Highly Regulated Facilities
SeaWorld Parks are highly regulated facilities that are governed by three federal agencies:
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- National Marine Fisheries
- United States Department of Agriculture
Beyond the legal requirement to keep and display marine mammals in the United States, SeaWorld has gone above and beyond the minimum legal requirements to meet the accreditation requirements of:
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums
- International Marine Animal Trainer Association
No non compliance found by the Federal Government during a 2014 inspection.
Despite the fact that SeaWorld San Antonio has been inspected by the federal government and accredited by organizations who represent some of the world leaders in animal care, PETA decided to send their Wildlife Veterinarian who graduated in May of 2014 to SeaWorld San Antonio for a day.
While PETA continues to file complaints to the USDA, SeaWorld continues to be cleared of any wrong doing.
So while PETA continues to make complaints, hold press conferences and waste tax payer money, SeaWorld continues to serve millions of guests, inspire them to preserve and conserve the natural world, and rescue, rehabilitate and return to the wild injured animals from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
We apologize to the news media for having to cover this and waste their time. It would be truly newsworthy if PETA’s paid staff did not see anything they thought was ‘horrific’. Let’s be honest, they will say anything for a headline.