Target: Donald Trump, Jr., Executive Vice President of Trump Organization
Goal: Address and rectify animal cruelty allegations leveled against Trump National Golf Club.
A golf country club owned by the president recently found itself at the center of an animal cruelty controversy. On Labor Day weekend, videos and photographs emerged of scores of small fish apparently being dumped into a shallow swimming pool. Kids and adults then seemingly swarmed the pool and tried to capture the frantic fish with their hands or plastic cups.
In addition to the stress this “festive” event likely caused the fish, it also almost certainly put their lives in danger. The chemicals in the pool, especially chlorine, can cause burning and injury even in low concentrations. If the chlorine in the pool was at a certain level, the fish could have suffocated and died. The fate of the fish in the pool is unknown. But the president was apparently on-hand at the event that taught young children all the wrong lessons about animal welfare.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has offered to assume proper care of the fish…if they survived. Sign the petition below to demand this establishment disclose what happened to the fish, honor PETA’s offer, and vow that such an alleged reckless and irresponsible activity never takes place again on the property.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Trump,
“Gruesome,” “disrespectful,” “sadistic,” “disgusting,” and “unacceptable”: these are just a sampling of the reactions from social media users when video circulated – purportedly from the Trump Organization’s Virginia country club – of small and vulnerable fish being dumped into a chemically treated swimming pool filled with stampeding kids and adults. As animal care professionals have pointed out, such an action would have put these fish at grave risk for painful injury and death. If this club hosted an event with animal cruelty cloaked as entertainment for small children, then leadership must accept responsibility.
Issue a public apology for this alleged event. Accept overtures from animal welfare organizations to care for any remaining living fish. And, most importantly, make it unequivocally clear that this establishment linked to the highest office in the land will not sanction or support animal abuse in any form.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Garrison Gao
