A large corporation only really cares about the bottom line? It’s all about the money? Realllllly??
Yeah… not much of a shocker here.
A former SeaWorld trainer, Kim Ashdown, who also starred in the cruelty exposing documentary Blackfish, opened up about what it was like to work at SeaWorld and the lies they were told.
She said:
“As a former trainer of 12 years, trainers love the animals and (want to) believe in all the PR they are told Sea World does. I took them at their word about why we medicate, why the teeth are chipped and why they live to 35 years. When I opened my eyes later I saw that the love of my life was lying to me.
I can say that corporate Sea World values the lives of the animals as much as they value a paycheck… I can say that Corporate Sea World values the lives of its trainers as much as they value avoiding another PR nightmare such as Dawn’s death. So yes, SW is concerned about the animals welfare and trainer safety… but why and to what extent? Only enough to skate by.”
Wow, that’s just awful. They even lie to their own employees.
Kim eventually realized she was uncomfortable around the whales and repeatedly asked to be transferred out of Shamu Stadium.
She was eventually fired because of SeaWorld closely watching her, nervous she might not be “drinking the Kool-aid.”
After she was let go, another SeaWorld trainer was killed by Shamu.
She got out in time and we’re so glad she was able to share her story in Blackfish!
[Image via Johnny Louis/WENN.]
