Last Chance for Animals' Investigation Leads to Animal Cruelty Charges for Marineland Canada

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - December 04, 2016) - An investigation released by Last Chance for Animals (LCA) exposes Marineland Canada's appalling indifference to the welfare of their animals. The controversial theme park located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is facing historic cruelty charges for their treatment of captive animals that include deer, bears and fowl among others.

The evidence gathered by LCA reveals numerous instances of improper care and mistreatment of their land animals. Evidence such as:

• The discovery of multiple dead animals -- including deer, fowl and bison -- on a daily basis. The dead bodies are stored in an onsite freezer before they are buried in Marineland's mass grave
• Animals with severely infected eyes receiving no medical treatment
• Countless fallow deer limping from undiagnosed injuries
• Hundreds of fallow deer warehoused on a barren lot hidden from public view, with inadequate access to shade
• Male pheasants being injured and killed because of aggressive flock mates
• Bears, whose diet includes moldy produce and fly infested fish, suffering from chronic diarrhea

Click HERE to view the investigative video

LCA filed a complaint in the fall of 2016 calling on the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) to investigate alleged violations of the OSPCA Act, and as a result Marineland now faces five (5) counts of animal cruelty. The complaint details multiple examples where Marineland's land animals were permitted to be in a state of distress, and where the care of deer, bear and fowl fell below prescribed standards regarding medical treatment, food, and protection from elements.

"Sick and ailing animals are left to suffer and die at Marineland, only to be replaced by another from the facility's horde of animals hidden from the public's eye," states Adam Wilson, Director of Investigations for LCA. "The charges of animal cruelty brought against Marineland highlight the suffering of all animals at the park and the need for the facility to face a lifetime ban on owning animals to end its legacy of cruel confinement."

LCA's exposé of Marineland's land animals follows the release of a five-month undercover investigation of Marineland's whales. The undercover investigation exposed inadequate treatment, housing, and care of marine mammals at Marineland, the world's largest confiner of beluga whales. LCA's findings included belugas covered in "rake marks" from being attacked and bitten by dominant whales, nursing mothers being withheld food for training purposes, and a juvenile beluga named Gia, who was left in a shallow isolation pool for three months, where she became emaciated.

Last Chance for Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating animal exploitation through education, investigations, legislation, and public awareness campaigns. Since its formation in 1984, LCA has succeeded as one of the nation's pioneer animal advocacy organizations. Working internationally, LCA's Sam Simon Special Investigations Unit documents abuse in research labs, puppy mills, factory farms, and the entertainment industry, and works with prosecutors to enforce animal cruelty laws. LCA's educational and public outreach programs have empowered the public to make positive changes for the animals in their own communities. www.lcanimal.org

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