PETA Celebrates Termination of the Miami Seaquarium’s Lease

For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2024

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

The Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Office has announced that, due to “numerous and significant violations,” the county will terminate the Miami Seaquarium’s lease, giving the company until April 21 to vacate the premises. The move follows a yearslong PETA campaign that included lawsuits, celebrity ads, letters to county officials, and numerous rallies—including just yesterday at the mayor’s office—along with a decade of weekly protests by local activists.

Below, please find a statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman:

The world watched as the Miami Seaquarium let the lone orca Lolita waste away and die, allowed animals to eat trash in crumbling enclosures, and ignored its attending veterinarian’s instructions until she finally resigned—but now the world can cheer at the news that help is finally on the way for the long-suffering animals held captive there. After more than 50 years of miserable animals and false promises to clean up its act, the Seaquarium’s impending shutdown is overdue, and PETA looks to Miami-Dade County authorities to keep up the good work by ensuring that these animals are sent to reputable facilities where they’ll get the care they so desperately need.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—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, Facebook, or Instagram.