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The state of Florida has stepped in to claim custody of an animal found at SeaWorld.
SeaWorld’s history of controversy over animal rights dates back decades, but it was shifted further into the spotlight with the release of the documentary Blackfish (2013).
Credit: SeaWorld
Related: Is SeaWorld Getting Rid of Its Killer Whales?
The film primarily focused on the life of Tilikum, a captive orca involved in three of the four fatal killer whale attacks on humans. This included SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was killed shortly after a Dine with Shamu show at the Central Florida theme park in 2010.
Blackfish alleged that the stress of captivity led to Tilikum’s aggressive behavior and highlighted the broader ethical concerns surrounding the confinement of large marine mammals. The documentary’s emotional and compelling narrative sparked widespread public outrage, leading to significant backlash against SeaWorld, both from animal rights activists and the general public.
Credit: SeaWorld
This negative attention pressured the company to reconsider its practices, resulting in a sharp decline in attendance and revenue. Since then, SeaWorld has axed its orca breeding program, invested more into thrill rides than animal attractions, and phased out its use of the whales for entertainment at all three of its U.S. theme parks (including SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio), instead offering an educational presentation known as Orca Encounter.
While attendance has since gradually increased at the park, SeaWorld is still a hot target for animal rights activists. After Miami Seaquarium vowed to free its killer whale, Lolita (AKA Tokitae), in 2023, many pushed for SeaWorld to do the same. While Lolita ultimately died before she was freed (and Miami Seaquarium is currently battling an eviction related to its failures in animal care), protests are still a regular occurrence.
Credit: SeaWorld
This week, another controversial story related to animal welfare and SeaWorld hit the headlines – except this time, the theme park isn’t the controversial figure in the story.
Instead, Click Orlando reports that Texas resident Briana Meshelle Moore lost custody of her dog to Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) after being accused of abandoning her pet in a car outside the theme park.
Witnesses had previously called the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on July 3 when a five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier mix was found inside a car with the windows “cracked” and covered with towels. No food or water was left in the car, despite the fact that, as per Accuweather, temperatures reached a high of 97 degrees in the SeaWorld area that day.
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When nobody returned to the car (which was a rental) within three hours, OCAS took the dog to SeaWorld’s Pet Care Center, where guests can pay $15 to leave their animals in one of 31 kennels while they visit the marine theme park.
The dog was later taken to an emergency veterinarian to be checked for heat stroke, and a Notice of Cruelty Investigation notice was left on Moore’s car.
While Moore was summoned to a virtual court hearing on Monday (August 12) to settle custody, she did not attend. The dog—which is reportedly recovering well and in good condition despite nobody knowing its name—now officially belongs to OCAS. Moore has now been ordered to pay over $1,872 to cover court costs and OCAS costs.
Credit: SeaWorld
Sadly, this isn’t the first incident of its kind this year. In May, four Burmese Mountain Dog, Poodle, and Australian Shepherd puppies were found in a car at Walt Disney World Resort’s Disney Springs in a boiling hot car after their owner (who had recently purchased them from breeders) went for food. Police were called after other guests heard the puppies whining.
The puppies were taken to the Animal Kingdom Animal Hospital by Central Florida Tourism Oversight District first responders (via Florida Politics). One puppy was sadly euthanized, while the other three recovered and were subsequently adopted by the firefighters.
Credit: Disney
Related: “She Did Not Survive,” SeaWorld Blasted After Tragic Theme Park Death
Wilson Nieves Cortes, the owner of the car and the puppies, argued that he had parked in the shade and cracked open the windows, which he thought was sufficient to keep the dogs safe. He claimed that he was dining at Blaze Pizza, where “the line was not moving fast enough.” After discovering he would not be allowed to take the dogs with him, he boarded his planned flight back to Puerto Rico that same evening.
Despite Cortes’ claims, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office studied body camera footage and found that there were nearly two hours between Wilson Cortes leaving and returning to his vehicle. Orlando area prosecutors have since sought four animal cruelty charges toward Cortes and demanded his extradition from Puerto Rico (per First Coast News).
Cortes was later booked into Orange County jail on July 10 after paying the $4,000 bond and has since pleaded not guilty to four counts of felony animal cruelty.
Stay tuned for further updates on this story.
