Her miserable existence at the Miami Seaquarium—for interminable days, years, and decades—is finally over. Earlier this year, during a news conference held in Miami on March 30, the Miami Seaquarium announced plans to release the long-suffering Lolita (aka “Tokitae,” “Toki,” and “Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut”) to a seaside sanctuary in Washington state. This announcement followed a massive campaign by PETA—which pursued several lawsuits on her behalf—and local residents and celebrities who raised awareness of her plight through dozens of protests as well as The Dolphin Company’s partnership with Friends of Toki. This plan, though it never came to fruition, had been made possible through the generosity of philanthropist Jim Irsay, owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts.
Elaine will include a Memoriam of her story in our next Compassion Consortium Newsletter. Suzanne McCallister and Anne Piotrowski from the Post-Animal-Use World (www.pauwproject.com) have worked with years together with Friends of Toki to save her life.
In hoping to include more positive information regarding animals who have had more positive outcomes and inspiring efforts to save them, please read this article:
“5 Times Animals Escaped Slaughter, and How to Support Those Who Saved Them: Very Few Animals Make It Out of the Food System Alive: We Take a Moment to Celebrate Some of those Who Have”
Rev. William