PETA to Feds: Stop SeaQuest Plan to Open in Fort Lauderdale
Early Thursday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a request calling for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop SeaQuest, an aquarium and petting-zoo operator, from opening in Fort Lauderdale.
In a letter to Robert M. Gibbens, the USDA's director of animal welfare, the animal-rights group contends that SeaQuest has violated the requirements of Animal Welfare Act exhibitor licensing and that any additions to SeaQuest's current federal authorization would fly in the face of what PETA says are multiple cases of animal abuse, violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and failure to abide by state and local laws at SeaQuest's parks across the country.
SeaQuest is seeking approval to add a new Fort Lauderdale operation to its AWA license, along with new locations in Woodbridge, New Jersey; Lynchburg, Virginia; and Stonecrest, Georgia.
Ongoing efforts against SeaQuest, which was issued a city permit in February to open in The Galleria mall on East Sunrise Boulevard, include a lawsuit against the City of Fort Lauderdale regarding zoning laws.
Read more: https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/peta-urges-feds-to-stop-seaquests-plan-to-open-in-fort-lauderdale-10345410