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SeaQuest Fort Worth opened in 2017 at the Ridgmar Mall in west Fort Worth. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SeaQuest_CamiloDiaz-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SeaQuest_CamiloDiaz-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>Nothing was amiss at SeaQuest Fort Worth during visits by city animal control staff after PETA alleged abuse and neglect, according to a city official.People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals published an investigation Aug. 12 alongside a letter to Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells asking for law enforcement to investigate SeaQuest Fort Worth, an aquarium located inside Ridgmar Mall. The nonprofit national animal rights organization claimed several animals died because SeaQuest Fort Worth did not provide adequate care. Specific allegations PETA outlined include the death of two nurse sharks, Icarus and Achilles, who allegedly starved to death because of crowded and inappropriate living conditions. The initial investigation was based on allegations from three former employees, who the nonprofit did not name because they are whistleblowers.Since publishing the investigation last week, Michelle Sinnott, director of captive animal law enforcement at the PETA Foundation, told the Report that a third nurse shark, Zeus, had died due to similar causes, according to information from two new whistleblowers.A Tarrant County district attorney spokesperson said the office has forwarded PETA’s information to the police. Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson Daniel Segura said a complaint was received and an investigation has begun, but that no other details can be provided.Neither SeaQuest Fort Worth nor the principal company responded to requests for comment.The company, which owns seven locations across the U.S., is no stranger to controversy.ABC News published an investigation into its practices in February, documenting 80-plus instances where SeaQuest was cited for incidents like human injuries, inadequate animal care and conditions that led to animal deaths. Former SeaQuest CEO Vince Covino stepped down earlier this month after serving as CEO since its founding in 2012. In the press release announcing his departure, SeaQuest recognized criticisms from animal rights organizations while also noting the success of the company.What are the allegations made by PETA against SeaQuest Fort Worth?

Two nurse sharks, Icarus and Achilles, died due to failure to provide care and overcrowding. A PETA official later told the Report that a third nurse shark had died at the aquarium. 

Several fish transferred from a closed SeaQuest location in Colorado arrived in Fort Worth dead due to inappropriate shipping.

A blacktip reef shark has not received necessary care for a curved spine.

Koi fish died after being left in a tank experiencing a filtration pump failure.

Gourami fish died due to cold temperatures in their tank.Animal control involvementIn the letter, PETA claimed Fort Worth Animal Control did not act after it was alerted about alleged animal mistreatment. “Fort Worth Animal Control refused to intervene when it could, and now there’s a third shark who’s died,” Sinnott said.Fort Worth Animal Control did not act because unnamed officials believed that the animals were owned by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration, PETA alleges. Sinnott said animal ownership does not restrict the city’s ability to enforce animal safety laws.Fort Worth Animal Control is overseen by the city’s Code Compliance Department. Code Compliance Director Brian Daugherty said the FDA statement was an error from an animal control officer. Daugherty, who took over the department in June, said animal control made several visits to the aquarium, referencing two visits within the last two months. One was July 1, when animal control visited the location after a sloth bit a visitor. The sloth was later isolated.“Our officers met with the manager, inspected the animals in the exhibits and spoke with the veterinarian responsible for their care. Officers did not find any issues at that time,” Daugherty said.He noted that the sloth bite led to five follow-up inspections by Fort Worth Animal Control.Another visit was Aug. 14, two days after the publication of PETA’s investigation. Daugherty said officers met with management and inspected all the animals. “SeaQuest animals all appeared to be healthy and cared for,” he said.Daugherty also said SeaQuest management noted several former employees had been let go because of “issues related to animal care and disciplinary matters.”All officers have general knowledge of aquatic and marine animals, Daugherty said. While they are not experts, animal control staff can recognize animals in distress, he added. “Several of our officers have experience as veterinary technicians, having worked in vet clinics where they’ve encountered a wide range of animal species and breeds,” he said. “Others have gained extensive knowledge of livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals through years of work in animal control.”The city also maintains strong external relationships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas Parks and Wildlife and local veterinarians, Daugherty said.SeaQuest Fort Worth’s historyThe case is the latest in a string of investigations into SeaQuest. PETA has previously reported animal safety and well-being concerns at several SeaQuest locations. “Across the country, whistleblower allegations have been pouring out in the last several months,” Sinnott said. “They all echo the same thing — these animals are neglected. They’re being subjected to inhumane conditions.”SeaQuest Fort Worth, which opened in 2017, has previously been under the spotlight. An investigation this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated cramped and unsanitary conditions for some animals.Dan Ashe serves as president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits zoos and aquariums as they maintain standards of safety for both animals and visitors.Ashe noted that while parts of the zoology industry have gotten better, other facilities continue to lag behind.“Just in the last couple of years, SeaQuests in Folsom, California, Denver, Colorado, and Trumbull, Connecticut, we see these facilities closing down because of government and citizen concern about where they’re acquiring animals that they’re displaying and how they’re caring for those animals,” Ashe said.At SeaQuest Fort Worth, management has assured city staff that they are addressing issues identified by Department of Agriculture staff. Following a June inspection, the location corrected a “minor issue concerning inadequate hide space for animals in two exhibits,” Daugherty said. The location remains open to visitors, with documentation showing it meets compliance standards through 2025.Ismael M. Belkoura is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.