$5,000 Reward Offered for Help in Nabbing Sea Lion Pup Kidnappers

PETA Calls On the Public to Help Find Baby Animal Who Is Likely Dead or Dying Now

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

A sea lion pup was snatched from Dockweiler State Beach around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. An eyewitness reported seeing two men and two women in their early to mid-20s throwing rocks and even cinder blocks at the pup before putting the animal in a blanket and driving away in a black Honda Civic (the license plate number reportedly ended in “56”) that was last seen heading south on Vista Del Mar. Authorities note that kidnapping a sea lion pup is punishable by fines of up to $10,000 and up to a year in jail, but police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the kidnapping—and the animal’s condition and whereabouts remain unknown.

That’s why PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits.

“This seal pup has already suffered greatly from the trauma of being separated from his or her mother and is most likely terrified, lacking proper nutrition, and in desperate need of rescue,” says PETA Senior Director Martin Mersereau. “PETA is urging anyone with information about this kidnapping to come forward immediately so that if this pup is alive, he or she can receive medical care and hopefully be returned to the sea.”

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.