Stop the Navy from abusing dolphins!
Stop the Navy from abusing dolphins!
The Issue
The U.S. Navy is use taxpayer's money to torture dolphins and sea lions!
Dolphins and sea lions are enslaved in 30x30ft pens, only 12 feet deep, through a program called NAVWAR (Naval Information Warfare Systems Command), formerly called SPAWAR. Almost all of the dolphins have rake marks and a collapsed dorsal fin. The sea lions pace back and forth in dark, covered pens and only see sunlight through small holes in the fencing. There are working animals and testing animals. The working animals are “always on clock” and are constantly being trained to find underwater mines, even though there are no underwater mines in San Diego. When the dolphins don’t come back from the practice dives when called, they are “punished.” The testing animals are used in cruel lab tests. The animals are kept in poorly circulated harbor water alongside U.S. Naval ships that use military sonar that severely harms mammals that use echolocation. The Navy refuses to acknowledge the abuse and refers to the marine mammals as heroes, when in fact, they are not heroes; they are victims. The facility has strict rules prohibiting phones and cameras from entering the grounds. The navy marine mammal program costs taxpayers more than $29 million per year according to federal contracts issued by the Navy. They avoid being shut down with empty promises of replacing the marine mammals with robots. They made that statement three years ago. Sea lions and dolphins are suffering at the hands of the U.S. Navy and at the cost of local taxpayers.
I visited the facility in San Diego with a marine mammal program through my school. They were very strict about not letting us bring phones or cameras into the facility. They were encouraging us to apply as trainers. They tried to glorify the program, even though we were clearly witnessing abuse. I couldn't help but cry.
Scientists have classified dolphins as non-human persons, meaning they are alive, aware of their environment, and possess emotions; they also have personalities, exhibit self-controlled behavior, and treat others appropriately, even ethically.
Although dolphins are intelligent animals, they don't understand the military nature of their assignments or the fact that lives depend on how they perform. An article published in The Contra Costa Times observes that, according to Second Lt. Paula Rood, a former trainer of the dolphin Makai, dolphins sometimes become "distracted by other animals," abandon their "missions," and remain missing for hours. Rood remarks, "If they're not interested, they're like a 3-year-old who loses interest quickly, and they're just not going to play anymore." A 20-plus-year-old male Atlantic (cold water) dolphin named Takoma, sent to hunt for mines in the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, went missing for more than 48 hours. Other dolphins in similar situations have strayed and been attacked by sharks, unable to defend themselves in foreign waters. While Takoma did return, his disappearance demonstrates that dolphins do not provide reliable defense or surveillance for our troops. Furthermore, we must consider the dangerous measures that hostile forces may take to thwart "guard" animals, such as contaminating the water, which would harm not only dolphins but all other living creatures who live in or come into contact with water (including humans). Our troops deserve the best protection, and animals deserve to be left out of human conflict. We are asking that the military employ superior, non-animal means of defending our troops.
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Dr. Mark T. Esper, should give animals an honorable discharge. Please join us in requesting that he do so by sending a letter to:
Dr. Mark T. Esper
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
What makes animals "less than" humans? They live; they breathe; they think; they feel. They are equals. We need to treat them like equals. We need to help them be freed from cages and tanks. We need to save them from being tortured and abused. We need to be their voice because they have none.
Additional Resources
CBS News Report on NAVWAR:
Editorial Article on NAVWAR:
BBC Article on Dolphins' Deserved Rights:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-17116882
Humane Society Article on Marine Mammals in Captivity:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/marine-mammals-captivity
2,678
The Issue
The U.S. Navy is use taxpayer's money to torture dolphins and sea lions!
Dolphins and sea lions are enslaved in 30x30ft pens, only 12 feet deep, through a program called NAVWAR (Naval Information Warfare Systems Command), formerly called SPAWAR. Almost all of the dolphins have rake marks and a collapsed dorsal fin. The sea lions pace back and forth in dark, covered pens and only see sunlight through small holes in the fencing. There are working animals and testing animals. The working animals are “always on clock” and are constantly being trained to find underwater mines, even though there are no underwater mines in San Diego. When the dolphins don’t come back from the practice dives when called, they are “punished.” The testing animals are used in cruel lab tests. The animals are kept in poorly circulated harbor water alongside U.S. Naval ships that use military sonar that severely harms mammals that use echolocation. The Navy refuses to acknowledge the abuse and refers to the marine mammals as heroes, when in fact, they are not heroes; they are victims. The facility has strict rules prohibiting phones and cameras from entering the grounds. The navy marine mammal program costs taxpayers more than $29 million per year according to federal contracts issued by the Navy. They avoid being shut down with empty promises of replacing the marine mammals with robots. They made that statement three years ago. Sea lions and dolphins are suffering at the hands of the U.S. Navy and at the cost of local taxpayers.
I visited the facility in San Diego with a marine mammal program through my school. They were very strict about not letting us bring phones or cameras into the facility. They were encouraging us to apply as trainers. They tried to glorify the program, even though we were clearly witnessing abuse. I couldn't help but cry.
Scientists have classified dolphins as non-human persons, meaning they are alive, aware of their environment, and possess emotions; they also have personalities, exhibit self-controlled behavior, and treat others appropriately, even ethically.
Although dolphins are intelligent animals, they don't understand the military nature of their assignments or the fact that lives depend on how they perform. An article published in The Contra Costa Times observes that, according to Second Lt. Paula Rood, a former trainer of the dolphin Makai, dolphins sometimes become "distracted by other animals," abandon their "missions," and remain missing for hours. Rood remarks, "If they're not interested, they're like a 3-year-old who loses interest quickly, and they're just not going to play anymore." A 20-plus-year-old male Atlantic (cold water) dolphin named Takoma, sent to hunt for mines in the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, went missing for more than 48 hours. Other dolphins in similar situations have strayed and been attacked by sharks, unable to defend themselves in foreign waters. While Takoma did return, his disappearance demonstrates that dolphins do not provide reliable defense or surveillance for our troops. Furthermore, we must consider the dangerous measures that hostile forces may take to thwart "guard" animals, such as contaminating the water, which would harm not only dolphins but all other living creatures who live in or come into contact with water (including humans). Our troops deserve the best protection, and animals deserve to be left out of human conflict. We are asking that the military employ superior, non-animal means of defending our troops.
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Dr. Mark T. Esper, should give animals an honorable discharge. Please join us in requesting that he do so by sending a letter to:
Dr. Mark T. Esper
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
What makes animals "less than" humans? They live; they breathe; they think; they feel. They are equals. We need to treat them like equals. We need to help them be freed from cages and tanks. We need to save them from being tortured and abused. We need to be their voice because they have none.
Additional Resources
CBS News Report on NAVWAR:
Editorial Article on NAVWAR:
BBC Article on Dolphins' Deserved Rights:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-17116882
Humane Society Article on Marine Mammals in Captivity:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/marine-mammals-captivity
2,678
Petition created on July 21, 2020