Dolphin Research Center Faces FTC Complaint for False ‘Sanctuary’ Claims and More

For Immediate Release:
May 5, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Marathon, Fla. –

This morning, PETA filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), seeking an investigation into the Dolphin Research Center for deceptive marketing practices, after the facility has brazenly marketed itself as providing “sanctuary and a forever home since 1984″—despite captive-breeding dolphins and selling swim-with-dolphin programs, both of which would not be allowed at legitimate sanctuaries. The complaint details how the facility’s deceptive claims violate the Federal Trade Commission Act by duping consumers into funding animal exploitation disguised as rescue.

Dolphins imprisoned at the Dolphin Research Center are denied the opportunity to choose their own mates, hunt for food, or swim the distances their bodies and minds require. Meanwhile, the center forces dolphins to paint and tow humans by their dorsal fins.

*A dolphin used for a hands-on encounter. For illustrative purposes only.* *© Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media*

“The Dolphin Research Center is duping kind people into bankrolling their breeding and exploitation of thinking, feeling marine mammals who should be swimming free in the ocean,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on federal authorities to hold this facility accountable for misleading consumers and is urging everyone to never visit or support facilities that breed dolphins and use them as photo-op attractions.”

Dolphins can swim up to 60 miles daily, dive deep beneath the ocean’s surface, and live in close-knit family pods. But at facilities like the Dolphin Research Center, they’re denied everything natural and important to them. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS)—the gold standard for captive-animal welfare—requires accredited sanctuaries to never breed animals, allow public contact, or force them to perform in encounters. The Dolphin Research Center violates every one of these standards, yet fraudulently markets itself as a sanctuary.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any way”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a dolphin is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.