Crown not pursuing animal cruelty charge against Marineland

Crown prosecutors stayed a legal cost towards Marineland in a Niagara, Ont. courtroom Wednesday that alleged the ability was internet hosting dolphin reveals with out the authority to take action.

Charges are “stayed” when a choose or the Crown decides that it will be towards the general public curiosity for the case to proceed.

The cost was initially positioned by Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) in December 2021 after activists filed a grievance claiming that the ability, situated in Niagara Falls, Ont., was utilizing its mammals to host for-profit leisure.

The passing of Bill S-203 in 2019 made it unlawful beneath the legal code to make use of mammals for leisure performances.

To date, the park has denied all allegations of animal cruelty, claiming their mammal reveals are of “educational nature.”

“Marineland of Canada Inc.’s educational presentation was designed by experts to provide Canadians with an accessible opportunity to learn about marine life,” the assertion issued by the park in December 2021 learn.

“Our animal presentation contains marine mammals undertaking behaviours they exhibit in ocean environments.”

Advocacy group Animal Justice, one in every of two organizations to offer proof of Marineland’s alleged mammal misuse to the Crown, says it’s shocked and disenchanted to be taught the cost has been stayed.

“Animal Justice obtained video footage of Marineland’s dolphin performances in 2021, which featured pop music like “Mambo No. 5”, trainers saying a “dolphin dance party”, and dolphins performing tips that included leaping out of the water, spinning within the air, and pushing trainers by means of the water,” a launch issued by the group Wednesday stated.

“It has been a criminal offence since 2019 to use whales and dolphins in performances for entertainment [..] but the ban didn’t stop Marineland, which continued to use dolphins and beluga whales in daily shows that it described as “educational performances.”

According to lawyer and government director of Animal Justice Camille Labchuk, the choice to remain the cost “sends the message that animals don’t matter to the legal system.”

“It’s deeply disappointing that there will likely be no justice for the dolphins utilized in leisure reveals at Marineland—one thing our nation outlawed in 2019,” Labchuk stated.

‘What’s the purpose of passing new legal guidelines to guard animals if prosecutors refuse to simply accept that animal cruelty is a critical matter of public curiosity, and gained’t convey Marineland to trial?”

CTV News Toronto has reached out to Marineland for touch upon the stayed cost, however didn’t hear again in time for publication.

Marineland opened to the general public in 1961.