The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a new report revealing another slew of federal Animal Welfare Act violations at the Miami Seaquarium—including a dolphin found with a 2-inch nail in his throat—so a large pod of PETA supporters and anti-captivity demonstrators will dump a bucket of nails outside the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on Monday in the first of a two-part action to demand that officials shut down the notoriously derelict marine park. The dolphin defenders will launch another action on Friday morning outside an event hosted by Levine Cava at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium.

PETA supporters converge outside the office of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava last month to demand the closure of the Miami Seaquarium. Credit: PETA

“Animals will continue to suffer and die as long as this sleazy, incompetent abusement park stays open,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Mayor Levine Cava and county officials to put the final nail in the Seaquarium’s coffin and use their authority to help get these animals moved to reputable facilities, where they can finally receive the care they need.”

The USDA report also revealed such serious failures as not having the basic equipment needed to provide animals with necessary veterinary care and neglecting to schedule cataract surgery for a sea lion whose eye pain became so severe that she began refusing food. Dolphins were also found with other dangerous foreign objects in their mouths and throats; a dolphin was kicked in the mouth by a customer during an interaction; and numerous dilapidated enclosures were once again found to contain rust, mold, and bubbling paint.

Where:           Outside the Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Office, Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. First St., Miami
When:             Monday, February 12, 12 noon

Where:           Outside the Joseph Caleb Auditorium, 5400 N.W. 22nd Ave., Miami
When:             Friday, February 16, 9:30 a.m.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

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