VIRGINIA KEY, Fla. — The animals still being kept at the Miami Seaquarium could soon be moving out.
Some will be going across the country while others will get to stay closer to home.
According to new court filings, the Dolphin Company wants to send some dolphins to Indianapolis, while others will move to marine-mammal centers in the Florida Keys.
Zoo Miami would take in several reptiles, including a bearded dragon and a python.
The Seaquarium closed in October after its parent company went bankrupt and sold its lease.
After the animals are out, developers claim the site will be transformed into a $100 million entertainment destination.
PETA President Tracy Reiman released a statement to Local 10 News regarding concerns for the remaining sea lions at the Miami Seaquarium.
Court filings show that the bankrupt owner, The Dolphin Company, plans to transfer nine sea lions and three seals from the now-closed facility to Sea Lion Splash, a traveling animal show with a history of violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
"The Dolphin Company is as bankrupt morally as it is financially, as after years of subjecting the animals in its clutches to a life of deprivation and misery, it now plans to extend their suffering indefinitely by shipping animals off to a seedy traveling show where they’ll be forced to perform circus-style tricks and treated as nothing more than props for photo ops," the statement read. "These animals have been through hell, and PETA is pleading for them to finally be allowed some semblance of a normal life at a reputable facility."
PETA notes that Sea Lion Splash has been cited for a litany of violations of the Animal Welfare Act—including keeping saltwater animals in freshwater and failing to provide sea lions with adequate veterinary care.
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