- Signatures: 3,603
- Goal: 20,000
- Deadline: 3-29-2004
| Number | Date | Name | Age | State | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,605 | 9:07 pm PDT, Apr 8 | Anne Martinez | 29 | Arizona | |
| 3,604 | 10:58 am PDT, Apr 6 | Laurel Watson | 0 | Arizona | |
| 3,603 | 9:12 am PDT, Mar 27 | Megan Sparks | 19 | Pennsylvania | |
| 3,602 | 6:32 am PST, Mar 4 | Anonymous | 0 | Colorado | |
| 3,601 | 6:05 am PST, Mar 4 | Deana Schaede | 34 | Arizona | |
| 3,600 | 8:23 am PST, Dec 29 | Anonymous | 18 | ||
| 3,599 | 7:40 pm PST, Nov 27 | Marieka Liewes | 33 | ||
| 3,598 | 10:13 pm PST, Nov 19 | K. Blake | 37 | Texas | |
| 3,597 | 12:56 pm PST, Nov 7 | nina percopo | 19 | New York | |
| 3,596 | 5:22 pm PDT, Nov 3 | Anonymous | 26 | Texas | Leave the dolphins alone!!! This is not right! |
| 3,595 | 12:03 pm PDT, Nov 3 | Anonymous | 51 | Illinois | |
| 3,594 | 12:40 am PDT, Oct 15 | Miriam Cohen | 0 | we must stop them ! God love's us all: ALL HIS/HER CREATION& want us to love each other and not to use each other!!! If i can help i'll be happy yours Miriam | |
| 3,593 | 11:52 am PDT, Sep 18 | Anonymous | 0 | Florida | You are all willing to lose a human life over a dolphins. And second, read your information, dolphind deploited in these missions are not put in harms way. Your petition sites invalid information because it blends past history that has nothing to do with the NMMP. God bless America. |
| 3,592 | 9:28 am PDT, Sep 11 | Melanie Leighton | 40 | ||
| 3,591 | 10:31 am PDT, Aug 30 | THE Phoenix | 39 | Nevada | This is inhumane beyond belief! You people have no conscious, integrity or soul. On behalf of THE Phoenix, this is ordered to STOP. We believe at best, this will be laughed off because of the dollar sign. Since money is your only language, and given the cataclysmic nature of the event to the dolphins: YOU will be reached on the same TERMS you so freely dealt to these mammals. It is WILLED sanctions, devastation and hardships to you and yours in catastrophic proportions. I PROMISE, you will know me before I am done with you! SAVVY! |
| 3,590 | 8:37 pm PDT, Aug 13 | Eva Sadler | 21 | Georgia | |
| 3,589 | 6:20 pm PDT, Aug 4 | Anonymous | 48 | ||
| 3,588 | 9:21 am PDT, Aug 2 | Shawna Wagoner | 31 | Michigan | |
| 3,587 | 4:29 pm PDT, Jul 25 | Paul De Wolf | 50 | California | After working with The World Dolphin Foundation and the Dolphin Project in Florida in the early 70's I became aware of their intelligence and compassion. They are much like humans in some ways, and far superior in others. I will sign any petition to protect these amazing friends of ours in the oceans. |
| 3,586 | 12:30 am PDT, Jul 15 | Nicole Perrot | 37 | California | |
| 3,585 | 7:35 pm PDT, Jul 2 | Jennifer Aarup | 19 | Illinois | |
| 3,584 | 11:12 am PDT, Jun 24 | Priya Amaresan | 27 | ||
| 3,583 | 6:40 pm PDT, May 21 | Miss Mila | 33 | Washington D.C. | |
| 3,582 | 6:34 pm PDT, May 21 | Steve Faulkner | 38 | Pennsylvania | |
| 3,581 | 6:27 pm PDT, May 20 | Alex Hill | 38 | Armed Forces Americas | |
| 3,580 | 5:18 pm PDT, May 19 | Shannon Wildes | 19 | Florida | |
| 3,579 | 5:15 pm PDT, May 18 | Shelby G. | 14 | California | |
| 3,578 | 10:15 pm PDT, May 13 | Nicole Dorer | 22 | Maryland | |
| 3,577 | 6:45 am PDT, May 8 | patricia hirte | 45 | when will mankind become more civilized? | |
| 3,576 | 9:00 am PDT, Apr 24 | Nadine Rinehart | 34 | Virginia | |
| 3,575 | 4:21 pm PDT, Apr 19 | Alaina Mills | 17 | Virginia | |
| 3,574 | 4:17 am PDT, Apr 17 | tze hui | 29 | ||
| 3,572 | 2:09 pm PDT, Apr 14 | Doranna Mcclendon | 39 | Arizona | |
| 3,571 | 2:01 pm PDT, Apr 14 | Audra Hughes | 14 | Florida | |
| 3,570 | 6:58 pm PDT, Apr 9 | Jaimee Alma | 19 | Massachusetts | thats sick. i dont want my country protected by such heartless people. |
| 3,569 | 11:29 am PDT, Apr 5 | Pam Wilkinson | 52 | Michigan | |
| 3,568 | 10:05 pm PDT, Apr 4 | Janeva Scofield | 37 | Arizona | |
| 3,567 | 8:57 pm PDT, Apr 4 | Bobbie Straley | 30 | New Mexico | |
| 3,566 | 4:12 pm PDT, Apr 3 | Anonymous | 28 | Missouri | |
| 3,565 | 3:14 pm PDT, Apr 2 | David Sherer | 0 | Florida | We should not involve other species in our petty disputes. |
| 3,564 | 3:52 pm PDT, Apr 1 | Keegan Amrose | 25 | Colorado | |
| 3,563 | 4:53 am PDT, Apr 1 | Jessica Umbenhour | 25 | Ohio | |
| 3,562 | 3:15 am PDT, Mar 30 | cleve hicks | 35 | North Carolina | Leave the dolphins alone. |
| 3,561 | 11:17 am PDT, Mar 29 | ALYSON MAGAZZU | 29 | Massachusetts | |
| 3,560 | 7:13 am PDT, Mar 28 | Imogen Taylor | 33 | New York | |
| 3,559 | 4:59 am PDT, Mar 27 | Patricia Habowski | 46 | Ohio | |
| 3,558 | 8:45 pm PDT, Mar 26 | L. W. | 33 | Florida | |
| 3,557 | 8:42 pm PDT, Mar 21 | Diana Summers | 50 | Illinois | |
| 3,556 | 2:29 am PDT, Mar 18 | Jenny Wild | 54 | Why???? | |
| 3,555 | 10:45 pm PDT, Mar 16 | Victoria Thomas | 30 | Wyoming | |
| 3,554 | 2:04 pm PDT, Mar 16 | Joy Berstrom | 57 | North Carolina | |
| 3,553 | 6:16 pm PDT, Mar 13 | Tracy Andrews | 29 | Pennsylvania | |
| 3,552 | 1:03 pm PDT, Mar 13 | Shonessi Tracy | 35 | Nebraska | |
| 3,551 | 12:16 pm PDT, Mar 12 | Lisa White | 31 | Rhode Island |
Stop Use of Dolphins in Mine-Hunting Operations
Despite Navy officials’ claims that the dolphins are well taken care of and are not put in harm’s way, the public has reason to believe that the full story has not been told about the exploitation of marine mammals by the military.
Whatever one’s belief on the US–Iraq conflict, no member of a civilized society should condone the abuse and exploitation of dolphins for military purposes. Dolphins do not have unions, cannot speak up against abuse and unjust treatment and cannot demand better protection from their captors and trainers. They do not have informed consent or a choice as to whether to participate in naval exercises. Conscientious objectors are not recognized; neither are the dolphins’ rights to freedom and privacy.
Most dolphins are kidnapped for aquariums, academic centers and research and training facilities from their pods and families at sea by ‘aqua cowboys’ who use speedboats to corner a group of dolphins and net the young. Much of what we know about the training of dolphins of war is based on the testimonies of ex-Navy trainers. It has been reported that dolphins were beaten, kicked and starved as aids in training. There are also allegations that dolphins that have become old and of no use to the Navy any more were dumped at sea without proper rehabilitation. Those that escape often have muzzles on their snouts or rostrums that prevent them from eating. It would be naïve to assume that positive reinforcement is all it takes to train dolphins. Being wild animals, once they have had their fill of fish, dolphins are known to wander off-duty. Training dolphins would therefore be likely to involve a degree of punishment. In 1990, the use of dolphins to guard Trident submarine bases were challenged by animal rights groups. Official documents released at that time revealed that 13 had died in Navy hands, reinforcing the belief that gross mistreatment had taken place in the training of dolphins.
The use of dolphins of war by both the US and Russia has prompted Navy Lt. Commander Douglas Burnett to comment in 1981 that “In a hostile confrontation, both sides will have to consider dolphins as potential enemy biosensors or weapons. In some situations, there may be no choice but to destroy dolphins or any marine mammal presenting a similar threat… it may be a sound decision to protect shipping… by poisoning the surrounding waters to remove the threat of dolphin attacks, which would, coincidentally, remove a sizeable proportion of the area’s ecology.” That dolphins had been destroyed in the past is an indication of the possibility that more dolphins could be harmed while in action today. Since the Iraqi forces regard the Navy dolphins as enemy dolphins, there might be attempts on the dolphins’ lives. There is also the risk of indiscriminate killing of wild dolphin populations because any dolphin can potentially be an enemy dolphin. Also, the inherent danger that a dolphin may be injured or killed in mine-hunting operations remains a very real threat. If the Navy is willing to admit that dolphins are used to circumvent the risk posed to expensive equipment and human divers, isn’t it an admission also that there are risks to dolphin lives? The US National Marine Fisheries Service has reported that Navy dolphin survival rates are 95–97%. However, the US Navy’s refusal to disclose the number of dolphins deployed in the Persian Gulf indicates a lack of transparency that is worrying to animal lovers and the public. The claim by Thomas LaPuzza, a spokesman at the Point Loma Submarine Base in San Diego that ‘the mines are a danger to ships, not to dolphins’, sounds implausible and raises even more fear that the dolphins are being sent on a suicide mission without their knowledge or consent.
Just as it is very objectionable to use domesticated companion animals such as police dogs in dangerous operations without affording them sufficient protection, it is also repulsive to civilized minds that dolphins are trained to risk their lives this way. Dolphins are not American citizens or employees and gain no benefit from participating in war. To pressgang them into participating in military operations is a patronizing move on the part of the US Navy. Such disregard for the lives and freedom of marine mammals whose populations are already threatened by pollution and poaching is tantamount to cruelty to animals by the US Navy.
Humans must remember that we have our roles to play in the web of life. Our place in nature is not as its master, but as one part of a whole. As concerned individuals, we therefore urge the US government to shut down the US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program. There’s been enough loss of lives already. Please don’t let dolphins be the next casualties of war.
Note: This Stop Use of Dolphins in Mine-Hunting Operations petition was submitted by Ee lynn Wong. ThePetitionSite.com is a free service provided to help concerned citizens rally support for issues they believe in. The opinions expressed by this petition do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ThePetitionSite.com or Care2.com. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition nor any newsletter offers (except those from Care2.com) by Care2.com, Inc, ThePetitionSite.com, or our sponsors. If you believe this system is being abused, please contact customer support.
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