For Immediate Release:February 16, 2024
Contact:David Perle 202-483-7382
Miami – Today, in an ironic move mirroring that of the wrongful detention of marine mammals inside the Miami Seaquarium, PETA supporter Juan Endara was wrongfully detained by Miami-Dade County police during a demonstration urging Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to shut down the Miami Seaquarium and let the animals go. Endara was using a megaphone, which is permitted for political protests, but police informed him that he couldn’t use one and handcuffed him after he disagreed. Endara was later released without being booked.
Below, please find a statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman:
Someone calling today on the mayor to shut down the Miami Seaquarium because of rampant cruelty was held against his will, much like the dolphins confined to the abusement park’s crumbling, decrepit tanks. Police acknowledged their mistake and set him free, and PETA is calling on the Miami Seaquarium to acknowledge its “mistake” in wrongfully detaining these marine mammals and release them to reputable facilities to live out their lives.
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 (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.
