Michelle Sennett

I'm confused what your involvement is.

I think I'm just still confused about the involvement.

Ammon Covino pled guilty to wildlife trafficking charges. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.

I am the director of captive animal law enforcement at the PETA Foundation.

The San Antonio Aquarium shark in the stroller incident to me highlights how problematic these facilities are in that someone can just walk in, grab an animal out of a tank and walk away. there's no one monitoring what is happening. And that's dangerous for the public. It's also dangerous for the animals involved because there's nobody making sure that everyone in that situation is safe.

Wild animals should not be housed in interactive environments where the public can just touch them willy-nilly. There's no way to house them in a shopping mall in a way that's safe for the public or that protects that animal's welfare.

The Covinos have a track record with facilities across the country of putting profits over animal welfare. These animals are frequently not given the care that they need to survive, let alone given necessary veterinary care when issues arise.

We focus our attention on the worst of the worst. And Ammon Kavino's wildlife trafficking conviction certainly put them on our radar real fast.

And when he asked if he could purchase them, he was, you know, the guy in Florida said, I can't sell you these animals without a permit. I don't have a permit. So he knew that this was illegal. And he basically said the quote from the indictment is just start doing it. Who gives a shit, man?