A California sea lion was trying to pull itself onto the rocks at La Jolla Cove to get away. Instead of being left alone, it was kicked over and over again while it struggled to escape. The attack was caught on video and quickly spread online, sparking outrage across the country.
Sign the petition to demand NOAA Fisheries find the person responsible and require mandatory mental health counseling to address what drove this act of cruelty.
NOAA Fisheries has opened a federal investigation, since California sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to harass, injure, or harm them. San Diego's mayor has publicly condemned the incident and asked local police to review the footage as well.
A fine or a few months in jail will not get to the root of why someone would attack a defenseless animal like this. Mandatory mental health counseling gives this person a real chance to understand and change the impulse that led to this violence, instead of simply serving a punishment and returning to the world unchanged. Rehabilitation like this protects not just this sea lion, but every animal this person may encounter in the future.
Sea lions deserve to rest on their own shoreline without fear of being attacked by the people who are supposed to share this space with them.
Sign the petition to help ensure this doesn't happen to the next vulnerable animal that crosses paths with someone capable of this kind of cruelty.
