Why? How sick a society we have become!
Last week, a beached dolphin washed up on the shores of Texas. But rather than help the poor stranded animal return to the water so it could live, a crowd of beachgoers decided to try and turn it into a toy for their own amusement. Imagine how frightened this poor animal must have felt. It was already in distress, out of water and away from its pod. And then humans descended on it: shrieking, making loud noises, crowding it, and mounting its slowly asphyxiating body. Dolphins are already endangered, so we should be doing everything within our power to save them — not turning them into entertaining rides and, through our negligence, killing them. Those people who harmed this dolphin must be held accountable and educated on how to appropriately handle situations like this.
Not only is such behavior incredibly dangerous for wildlife, it is also illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Even if the beachgoers were innocently misguided and never intended to hurt the stranded dolphin, there is no excuse for their actions. Research tells us the best way to prevent similar incidents in the future is through education. Many Americans lack proper training on how to interact with wildlife if they come into contact with it — and educating these beachgoers can help spread the word. In this way, we can stop more dolphins from tragically dying this way ever again. The beachgoers who harmed this animal must be held responsible, and wildlife education training is the best strategy to prevent more of these devastating incidents in the future. Sign the petition now if you agree!