SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — After calling for an investigation into SeaQuest, Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-District 7) sat down exclusively with ABC10.
Hoover's request for an investigation from California's Department of Fish and Wildlife comes after ABC10's investigative report into SeaQuest uncovered allegations of animal neglect and mistreatment. Former SeaQuest employees came together to share their concerns, along with detailed evidence, of what's happening inside the popular interactive aquarium/zoo located in the Folsom Palladio Mall.
"I obviously watched the wonderful reporting you guys have been doing on it and was really concerned about the the number of employees that had come forward," Hoover told ABC10. "We had certainly heard whispers before about things like this, but the fact over 15 employees came forward and were willing to share their story really got our attention and we wanted to take a closer look."
Tuesday, 20 employees have come to ABC10 with allegations of animal mistreatment at SeaQuest.
Hoover, who represents the Folsom area, said he believes it's important kids and families have an opportunity to experience animals, but must be done in a way where animals are well-treated, safe and cared for.
"And the (ABC10) report really showed there are some serious concerns about whether or not SeaQuest Folsom is striking that balance," Hoover said.
Other findings in the report that deeply concerned him, as well as members of his staff, were disease spreading, animals dying and that animals at SeaQuest were not being fed.
In an effort to make more money, SeaQuest employees told ABC10, at one point, management instructed them to stop feeding animals — and the only time animals were fed was when customers paid for it. Employees also documented instances of this and shared it with ABC10.
"That's the bare minimum for what these animals need," Hoover said. "That really was a concerning finding for us."
On Thursday, Asm. Hoover issued a letter to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham asking the state agency to do an investigation.
Multiple agencies are supposed to regulate SeaQuest, including California's Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as the federal agency, the United States Department of Agriculture. Hoover said he issued the letter to CDFW as a way to start elevating the issues brought forward by employees.
"I think there's some federal issues here with the USDA and that's not necessarily in my purview as a state legislator — so I wanted to start somewhere in my purview," Hoover said. "We felt that (CDFW) would be a really good place to start in terms of enforcement to really have the state agency go in and look at what's really going on."
However, CDFW has been entrusted to regulate SeaQuest for years.
CDFW's Patrick Foy told ABC10 they've conducted multiple unannounced inspections of SeaQuest within the last year where a CDFW wildlife officer, wildlife veterinarian and species compliance expert went into SeaQuest Folsom. Foy said they found no violations.
CDFW has been taking all allegations against SeaQuest seriously, Foy said, and will continue to do so.
Restricted species permits issued by CDFW require a zoo or facility to have certain caging and veterinary requirements — and that's what they look for during inspections, Foy explained.
But employees ABC10 spoke with are critical of CDFW. As of April, CDFW holds permits for 26 animals at SeaQuest, but employees said the facility has over 100 animals.
"What I would love to see is if the (CDFW) can't substantiate — or the animals they regulate are not the problems, so to speak — that they do elevate this to the USDA," Hoover said.
The USDA is entrusted to uphold the Animal Welfare Act, a federal law made to protect and safeguard animals. Records show multiple employees sent formal complaints to the USDA, most were deemed unsubstantiated.
That's why Jenny Berg, the California Director of the United States Humane Society, previously told ABC10 the animal welfare law needs to be strengthened. While Hoover agreed this may be a federal issue, new state legislation is something he'd also consider.
"I think a lot of this is preempted by the federal government, which does make it challenging for a state," Hoover said. "But I think there may be some areas where the state legislature can step in and get some new protections, and we're definitely willing to look into that."
Hoover said he also spoke with the city of Folsom prior to releasing his letter requesting an investigation from CDFW to see what enforcement action, if any, the city had taken.
"Interestingly, the city of Folsom was really grateful for the letter," Hoover said. "They have heard the concerns from the community as well. I think similarly to the employees, they really haven't seen a strong response from any of the agencies that oversee the permits for SeaQuest. They were really thankful to see some light shined on it."
It's a light that would not have come without employees blowing the whistle.
"I'm really grateful for the employees that've chosen to come forward," Hoover said. "We need to make sure if SeaQuest continues to operate in Folsom, that it's taking care of their animals — that it's feeding their animals, that it's making sure animals are in the best shape and healthiest they can be. That's good for the animals, and it's also the best for the public that's visiting them. I think that's the ultimate goal."
