Animals Asia has been joined by 199 animal charities as a petition is launched against plans to build a dolphinarium in Danang, Vietnam.
Animal lovers across the world have been asked to add their name to the petition to show Danang city leaders that – despite what they may be told by investors – the world does not want more animal cruelty packaged as entertainment.
This coalition of campaigners believe that not only are dolphinariums cruel, they represent a misstep by Danang city leaders who, to date, have received praise for developing with environmental concerns in mind.
In the statement opposing the marine park, Animals Asia’s Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale said:
“There’s an ever-increasing body of research that shows capturing dolphins from the wild is cruel and causes a significant amount of suffering. Keeping dolphins and other cetaceans in captivity is harmful to them and increasingly it’s something that people don’t want to be a part of.
“It would be foolish to overlook the potential long-term economic effects of accepting the plans for a dolphin park. It could easily jeopardise future investment in Danang by investors who might see this as tarnishing Danang’s reputation as a progressive city. In addition – in one stroke – any hopes for developing eco-tourism would be gone.”
With the movie Blackfish having raised awareness in the west of the cruelty involved, exploiters of marine animals are already targeting new markets. Animals Asia believes Vietnam would be well-served not to invest in an industry that is both declining and discredited.
Since plans by a Russian company to build a dolphinarium in the central Vietnamese city of Danang were announced, Animals Asia – working with the Asia for Animals Coalition – has been putting pressure on city officials. You can read the letter sent to city leaders here.
The campaign is already prompting debate with Vietnamese newspapers having picked up on the campaign.
The 16 members of Asia for Animals Coalition are as follows:
- Animal Guardians
- Animal People
- Animals Asia Foundation
- ACRES
- Blue Cross of India
- Change for Animals Foundation
- Earth Island Institute
- Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations
- Humane Society International
- International Animal Rescue
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- Philippine Animal Welfare Society
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (UK)
- Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Hong Kong
- World Animal Protection
Also supporting the campaign are the following:
- AAP Rescue Centre for Exotic Animals, NETHERLANDS
- Action for Animals, KOREA
- All Life In A Viable Environment, JAPAN
- Andhra Pradesh Goshala Federation, INDIA
- Anima, MACAU
- Animal Conservation & Welfare Foundation, POLAND
- Animal Friends, CROATIA
- Animal Friends Niigata, JAPAN
- Animal Nepal
- Animal Projects & Environmental Education, MALAYSIA
- Animal Protection Network, SWEDEN
- Animal Rights Action Network, IRELAND
- Animal Rights Alliance, SWEDEN
- Animal Rights Centre, JAPAN
- Animal Rights Hawaii, USA
- Animal Sanctuary Trust, INDONESIA
- Animal Welfare Institute, USA
- Animal Welfare Network Nepal
- Animals Australia
- ARK Animal Refuge Kansai, JAPAN
- Australia for Dolphins
- Australians for Animals
- Bali Animal Welfare Association, INDONESIA
- Bali Sea Turtle Society (BSTS), INDONESIA
- Behavioral & Environmental Solutions, USA
- Beijing Pet Adoption Day, CHINA
- Beijing Sunflower Friends of Animal Team, CHINA
- Beauty without Cruelty, INDIA
- Bharatiya Prani Mitra Sangh, Hyderabad, INDIA
- Big Heart Foundation, RUSSIA
- Blue Cross Youth Seva Sangham - Andhra Pradesh, INDIA
- Born Free Foundation, UK
- British Hen Welfare Trust, UK
- Captive Animal Protection Society, UK
- Cat Welfare Society, SINGAPORE
- CATCHA Environmental & Wildlife Society, CANADA
- Causes for Animals Ltd, SINGAPORE
- Cee4life, AUSTRALIA
- Centre for Orangutan Protection, INDONESIA
- Cetacean Society International
- Changchun 3.10 Shanxiao Fund, CHINA
- Changsha Small Animal Protection Association, CHINA
- Chengde Cat Forest, CHINA
- Chengdu Home of Love Small Animal Rescue, CHINA
- China Farm Animal Protection Coalition, CHINA
- China Journalists Salon for Animal Protection, CHINA
- China Youth Animal Protection Alliance, CHINA
- China Zoo Watch, CHINA
- Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, Bangalore, INDIA
- CPR Environmental Education Centre, INDIA
- Dalian VSHINE Protection of Animals SPCA, CHINA
- Darjeeling Animal Shelter, INDIA
- David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, UK
- Djurskyddet Sverige (Animal Welfare Sweden), SWEDEN
- Dobro Surtse, BULGARIA
- DOGSTOP, HONG KONG
- Dolphin Project, USA
- Dzivnieku Draugs, LATVIA
- Egyptian Society of Animal Friends, EGYPT
- Elephant Aid International, USA
- Elephant Asia Rescue & Survival Foundation, HONG KONG
- ElephantVoices, KENYA
- Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali – Onlus, ITALY
- Environment Films, UK
- European Animal Protection Foundation / Europaeische Tierschutzstiftung, SWITZERLAND
- FAADA, SPAIN
- Fanciers Nanning Stray Cats, CHINA
- Finnish Federation for Animal Welfare Organisations (SEY), FINLAND
- For Elephants International
- Four Paws, UK
- Four Paws International
- Friends of the Earth, MALAYSIA
- Fuzhou Aixinyuan Stray Animal Rescue, CHINA
- Fuzhou Small Animal Protection Center, CHINA
- GAIA, Voice for the Voiceless, BELGIUM
- Gansu Green Volunteer Home, CHINA
- GREY2K USA Worldwide, USA
- Greyhound Compassion UK
- Grupo de los Cien, MEXICO
- Guangdong the Best Volunteer Center, CHINA
- Guangyuan Bo’ai Animal Protection Center, CHINA
- Guangzhou Cat -Xi Xi Forest, CHINA
- Hefei Kennel Association Care Center, CHINA
- Help Animals India, INDIA
- Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust, INDIA
- HK Dolphin Conservation Society, HONG KONG
- Huhhot Angel Guardian, CHINA
- Iceland Animal Welfare Foundation, ICELAND
- In Defense of Animals, INDIA
- In Defense of Animals, USA
- International Otter Survival Fund, UK
- International Primate Protection League
- Jakarta Animal Aid Network, INDONESIA
- JBF India Trust, INDIA
- Jinan Cattery, CHINA
- Karuna Society for Animals & Nature, INDIA
- Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre, NEPAL
- Korea Animal Rights Advocate, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
- Korean Animal Welfare Association, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
- Lanta Animal Welfare, HONG KONG
- Lanzhou Street Animal Rescue Station, CHINA
- Life Conservationist Association, TAIWAN
- Lifelong Animal Protection, HONG KONG
- Light of Life Veterinary Clinic, SINGAPORE
- Love Wildlife Foundation, THAILAND
- Lucky Cats, CHINA
- Marine Connection, UK
- MelbournDolphin, AUSTRALIA
- moonbears.org
- Nanchang Small Animal Protection Association, CHINA
- Nanjing Ping An A Fu Stray Animal Rescue Association, CHINA
- National Council of SPCAs. SOUTH AFRICA
- Navale Consulting Group, INDIA
- NY Class, USA
- Ocean Care
- Otara Foundation, SRI LANKA
- Orangutan Aid, HONG KONG
- Palawan Animal Welfare Association, PHILIPINNES
- People For Animals – Chennai, INDIA
- People For Animals – Hooghly, INDIA
- Performing Animal Welfare Society, USA
- Pet Orphans Home, CHINA
- PETA, UK
- PETA Asia, HONG KONG
- PhaNgan Animal Care for Strays, THAILAND
- Plant & Animal Welfare Society, INDIA
- ProWildlife, GERMANY
- Qingdao Society for the Protection of Animals, CHINA
- RAKSHA - Voice of the Voiceless, INDIA
- Rattle the Cage Productions, THAILAND
- reEarth, BAHAMAS
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, HONG KONG
- RSPCA Victoria, AUSTRALIA
- Sahayog Organisation, Andhra Pradesh Goshala Federation, Hyderabad, INDIA
- Save Animals Initiative Sanctuary Trust, INDIA
- Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, VIETNAM
- Shandong Yantai Caring Street Animals Rescue Shelter, CHINA
- Sichuan Qiming Companion Animal Protection Cente, CHINA
- SJZ One Meter More Love stray cats rescue group, CHINA
- Society for Animal Welfare and Management, NEPAL
- Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Penang, MALAYSIA
- Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Selangor, MALAYSIA
- Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – SINGAPORE
- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Xiangzhou, Zhuhai), CHINA
- Soi Dog Foundation, THAILAND
- Stiftung fuer Baeren / Foundation for Bears, SWITZERLAND
- Stray Relief and Animal Welfare, INDIA
- Sun Bear Centre – Kalimantan, INDONESIA
- Swiss Animal Protection SAP / Schweizer Tierschutz STS / Protection Suisse des Animaux PSA, SWITZERLAND
- Taiwan SPCA, TAIWAN
- Thai Fund for Elephant Foundation, THAILAND
- Thane SPCA, INDIA
- The Cattitude Trust – Chennai, INDIA
- The Corbett Foundation, INDIA
- The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, KENYA
- The Home of Love, CHINA
- The Humane Education Trust, SOUTH AFRICA
- The Welfare of Stray Dogs – Mumbai, INDIA
- The Winsome Constance Kindness Trust, AUSTRALIA
- Tianjin Common Home, CHINA
- Together for Animals in China, CHINA
- United Against Elephant Polo, INDIA
- Vegan Virtues, AUSTRALIA
- Vietnam Animal Welfare Organisation, VIETNAM
- Voice for Zoo Animals, JAPAN
- “We Are One Family” Charity Association of Chongqing Normal University, CHINA
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation, UK
- Wild Futures, UK
- Wildlife Alliance, CAMBODIA
- Wildlife in Need (and Active Environments), PHILIPPINES
- Wildlife Protection Society of India, INDIA
- Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre, Bangalore, INDIA
- Wildlife Salvation, SINGAPORE
- Wolf Watch UK
- Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association, CHINA
- Xi’an Grenadine Companion Animal Rescue, CHINA
- Xiamen Animal Protection Education Association, CHINA
- Xiamen Pet Web, CHINA
- Xinjiang Karamay City Street Animal Protection Centre, CHINA
- YeuDongVat, VIETNAM
- Zhangzhou Small Animal Scientifically Rescue Center, CHINA
- Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, ZIMBABWE
- Zoocheck Canada, CANADA
- Da Nang Animals Rescue Centre, VIETNAM
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