THLN Urgent Action Alert
 
 

 

THLN NEEDS YOUR HELP TO KILL HOUSE BILL 2139/SENATE BILL 1118

INVOLVING

THE DALLAS WORLD AQUARIUM


 

BILL:                HB 2139/SB 1118


 

ACTION:          PLEASE CONTACT REP. RAFAEL ANCHIA AND SEN. ROYCE WEST TO                          ASK THEM NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HB 2139/SB 1118

 


 

BACKGROUND:

Throughout the years, THLN has received numerous complaints about the Dallas World Aquarium and its treatment of animals. This session, Daryl Richardson, the owner of the Dallas World Aquarium, approached two Dallas area legislators in an attempt to get a special tax break on his cost of trapping, transporting, housing, breeding and exhibiting exotic animals at the Dallas World Aquarium. This is nothing more than special interest legislation for a wealthy collector and exhibitor of exotic animals. To make matters worse, a recent in-depth article from the New Republic Magazine validates many of the complaints THLN has received over the years. The following are some of the allegations made in the article:


 

* Three jaguars have died.

* Three fairy penguins have died.

* Six jabiru storks have died.

* One Ridley sea turtle has died.

* Ten Mexican parrotlets have died.  


 

Former employees have publicly made many allegations that question the welfare of the animals at the Dallas World Aquarium. For example, Since 2001, the Dallas World Aquarium has imported at least 175 euphonias, but it currently lists only 60 of the birds in the main database zoos use to track their animals. The same goes for tanagers, a family of small, fluorescent birds.  Richardson has brought in more than 430 since 2001, but the database lists fewer than a third that many. These birds were small and inexpensive, but similar gaps exist with larger and pricier birds, as well. Richardson imported eight shoebill storks from Tanzania at a total cost of $90,000: only two are there today. By the end of 2003, Richardson had attempted to incorporate at least twelve three-toed sloths into his collection, and eleven had died. In the wild these animals can live up to 40 years.


 

Three-toed sloths are tree-dwelling residents of the jungles of Central and South America, and are known for being gentle, slow-moving creatures. Though perfectly suited for their natural habitat, they have not fared well at the Dallas World Aquarium, where 11 of the 12 sloths owned by that facility have died.  


 

Also, Richardson has been accused of mistreatment of his employees, one of which sued him for harassment, including intimidation and infliction of emotional distress.
 

Source: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121184/daryl-richardsons-dallas-world-aquarium-causes-zoo-controversy


 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL:

The bill creates special tax breaks for American Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited facilities like the Dallas World Aquarium.  This is not good public policy for the following reasons:

  • Why should the Dallas World Aquarium derive any special tax breaks when it is mistreating its animals and harassing its employees?
  • Giving the Dallas World Aquarium these tax breaks affectively means that Texas taxpayers will be subsidizing the Dallas World Aquarium and its mistreatment of animals.
  • Also, if this bill passes it will open the flood gates for every animal exhibitor in Texas to ask for that special tax break and it will be hard to deny them if the legislature is giving those same tax breaks to the Dallas World Aquarium.

ACTION NEEDED:

To KILL this legislation, it is imperative that we get hundreds of comments back to the legislators listed below and tell them that we do not want to subsidize Dallas World Aquarium or any other animal exhibitor in Texas.  We are dealing with a very wealthy individual with tremendous influence at the Texas legislature and the only way to stop this is with a huge ground-swell of protest opposing this bill. Please act today and get your friends to do the same. The contact information is as follows:


 

REPRESENTATIVE RAFAEL ANCHIA (elizabeth.zornes@house.state.tx.us

Tel:  (214) 943-6081


 

SENATOR ROYCE WEST (graham.keever@senate.state.tx.us

Tel:  (512) 463-0123


 

PLEASE ACT TODAY!


 

Thank you for taking action!


 

Questions? Contact Stacy Sutton Kerby at ed@thln.org