Roundup: SeaQuest’s Founder Leaves Amid Storm of Company Allegations, Closures
Vince Covino, founder and CEO of SeaQuest, announced that he’s quitting the company! We can’t say “and STAY out!” fast enough to the infamous animal exploiter responsible for scores of animal deaths that occurred under his leadership.
The move won’t clean up the chain’s mess—which includes ballooning allegations of animal deaths, human injuries, and widespread neglect. Still, it’s a sign that SeaQuest’s ship is sinking fast.
Read a PETA Foundation Staffer’s Statement
“Good riddance to Vince Covino, whose sleazy petting zoos are responsible for scores of animals’ deaths, but moving the money man into the top spot shows that SeaQuest will keep prioritizing profits over animal protection. Since SeaQuest locations in Colorado, Connecticut, and Georgia closed down under pressure from PETA and the public, the chain needs to read the writing on the wall, shut its doors, and send the animals to reputable facilities.”
Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation General Counsel
Covino’s exit from the company follows a bloody legacy of animal welfare violations and injuries to guests at its locations since its establishment in 2016. The company’s current chief financial officer, Aaron Neilsen, will reportedly replace Covino as SeaQuest’s CEO, showing that the chain intends to keep prioritizing profits over animal protection.
SeaQuest’s Shady Operation Is Falling Apart
SeaQuest has always been an enormous flop, drawing bad reviews from appalled members of the public. PETA has also documented years of animal welfare failures at the company’s locations, including in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, and Utah, which have received citations under the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Then there’s the string of closures: SeaQuest’s Colorado, Connecticut, and Georgia locations have been shut down following pressure from PETA.
SeaQuest’s cruelty has become impossible to ignore: ABC10 recently published a bombshell series of investigations into the hellish conditions at the company. The investigations included interviews with former employees, including one who said that the experience of working at SeaQuest was “nothing short of traumatizing.”
See the ABC Investigation +
A New CEO Won’t Solve SeaQuest’s Problems
Following SeaQuest’s wave of citations, closures, and bad publicity, the company has proved itself incapable of caring for animals. Instead of burning time and energy by installing new leadership hell-bent on prioritizing profit over lives, SeaQuest needs to close and send all the animal prisoners to reputable facilities where they can get the care they need.
