Another animal has died at Miami Seaquarium, just months after the United States Department of Agriculture said it had plans to confiscate it from the facility.
The sea lion, Bud, was around 20 years old and may have been suffering from kidney disease at the time of his death last last month, according to court documents.
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The Executive Director of The Dolphin Company, which owns the Seaquarium, told NBC6 that Bud was considered geriatric and had been treated in December for acute renal failure and a subsequent respiratory condition.
"He continue to decline and refuse food in the last few weeks despite treatment and supportive care. He was humanely euthanized due to poor prognosis on March 28, 2024," Executive Director Edwin Gonzalez stated. "A necropsy was conducted by independent experts at a local university, results are pending.”
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Veterinary advocacy non-profit organization, Our Honor, said in a news release on Monday that the Seaquarium's former veterinarian had ordered a CT scan following kidney concerns, but the delay in scheduling diagnostics was reported as the reason Bud was among four animals set to be confiscated by the USDA when they issued a notice on January 19.
"Court documents from MS Leisure Company’s case against Phil Demers discusses the USDA’s intent to confiscate a dolphin named Aries, a dolphin named Bimini, a bird named Broomy, and a sea lion named Bud," Our Honor stated in its release.
"The veterinarian had wanted Bimini to get another CT scan for a respiratory illness, as well as a CT scan for Bud who had a kidney infection, but the USDA was concerned that it had not been scheduled yet," the release stated. "We have come to learn Bud recently passed away."
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Bud's death came just weeks after Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava cited a “long and troubling history of violations” in a lease termination notice sent on March 7 to the chief executive officer of The Dolphin Company.
The company was told to vacate the property by April 21, according to the letter from the mayor's office. The lease was originally set to be up in 2044.
The owners of the Miami Seaquarium have since said they've taken steps to improve the facility.
In a statement from the county on Wednesday, officials said they're still working to terminate the lease.
"Mayor Levine Cava and County leadership remain deeply concerned about the poor quality of animal care that has been repeatedly documented by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), which is why we took action earlier this year to terminate the Seaquarium lease," the statement read. "It is heartbreaking to learn of the death of another animal at the Seaquarium. Our County team had observed Bud’s lethargic condition during their onsite inspection of Wednesday, March 27, 2024, and repeatedly reached out to the Seaquarium for an update on his health. Confirmation that Bud was euthanized by the Seaquarium on March 28, 2024 was finally received by the County from the Seaquarium a week after his passing."
