Dolphinaris Arizona Inspected by USDA Four Times Found No Violations

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service visited Dolphinaris four times to conduct routine inspections four times since 2016.

Dolphinaris was inspected on Oct. 6, 2016, in 2017 on May 26 and September 19, and July 10, 2018, according to public inspection reports posted on the USDA website. The inspectors found no violations. The reports only provide the inspection date, the inspector’s name, and any violations found.

The facility has launched an internal investigation. Animal activists held a protest on Feb. 2, 2019, saying the facility should be closed and dolphins should not be in the desert.

Last week, Dolphinaris Arizona lost a 22-year-old dolphin named Kai. He was the fourth death at the marine habitat since 2016.

The Dolphins That Died

Alia: A bottlenose, female, died from a bacterial infection on May 22, 2017.

Bodie: A bottlenose, male, died from a rare muscle disease on Sept. 23, 2017.

Khloe: A bottlenose, female died from an illness caused by a Sarcocystis parasite on Dec. 31, 2018.

Kai: The bottlenose, male, euthanized on Jan. 31, 2019. The necropsy is still pending to determine the illness that caused him to have difficulty eating, breathing, and swimming.

What Happens During A USDA Inspection

During the inspection, which is unannounced, the inspector is given access to all records from the facility. They are also granted access to the animals.

The inspector observes the animals to determine the health and well being. They also examine the animal habitats to ensure cleanliness. The facility records and food storage are thoroughly reviewed. Finally, the inspectors read documents pertaining to medical records, necropsy, and animal acquisition.

If the inspector finds violations, they are written in a report and discussed with the facility’s manager. The facility will then be given a time frame to address and fix the violations.

Facilities that have repeat violations can be fined, have their license suspended or revoked, or the animals can be removed.

The USDA reports that not all violations that are found appear in their inspection report. For example, if the facility finds non-critical violations and they immediately address them, that particular issue will not appear in the USDA’s report.

A spokesperson for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said that they knew about the death of Kai, and would not comment because they were discussing their next action.

The general manager at Dolphinaris Arizona, Christian Schaeffer wrote in a statement released last week that the facility realized it is not normal for four dolphins to die within such a short period of time, and an investigation has been launched. He continued by saying that the facility is taking measures to ensure the health and happiness of the remaining animals.

Dolphin Quest Terminates Contract With Dolphinaris

On Feb. 2, 2018, Dolphin Quest the company that loaned Kai and two other dolphins to Dolphinaris terminated their contract with Dolphinaris. They said the reason Kai’s death. They are also evaluating the future of the animals remaining on loan.

Written by Barbara Sobel
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

ABC 15 Arizona: Documents: USDA inspected Dolphinaris Arizona 4 times, no ‘critical’ violations found
MSN: USDA inspections found no problems at Dolphinaris
Daily Motion: USDA inspections found no problems at Dolphinaris

Featured and Top Image Courtesy hape662’s of Flickr Page – Creative Commons License