PETITION CLOSED
PETITION TARGET: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement; Southeast Regional Division
UPDATE (8/21/2023): We sent our petition, signed by more than 25,000 people, to the NOAA. Thank you to everyone who signed our petition! Unfortunately, we were not able to get any additional details about this case despite multiple checks back. We’ll continue to advocate for animals! —Lady Freethinker Staff
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A slaughtered dolphin bearing a gruesome, fist-sized hole in her face from a gunshot or close-range impalement – this is the latest in a series of sadistic killings along Florida’s coastline.
Last week, a second dolphin died from a gunshot or sharp object wound to their side, and a third dolphin was shot off Captiva last year.
This could be a response to dolphins following boats and begging for food, Stacey Horstman, a bottlenose dolphin expert with the NOAA, told the Palm Beach Post. This behavior can develop when people frequently feed them, which is illegal in the United States.
Regardless of why this barbaric phenomenon is happening, no creature deserves to suffer such an excruciating death, especially in his or her own home.
The individual(s) who mercilessly executed these helpless animals must be found before others are harmed or killed. Sign this petition urging the NOAA’s Southeast Regional Office of Law Enforcement to use all available resources to find the person(s) responsible.
Anyone with information about these cases, please call the NOAA wildlife hotline at (800) 853-1964. The NOAA is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to civil penalties or an arrest.
