Devastating Deals
Groupon, the major discount and travel company, known for its discounted deals to restaurants, gyms, and hotels, is selling deals for businesses that exploit wild animals for tourist entertainment and profit.
In the past several years, Groupon has sold deals for:
- SeaWorld, where dolphins, orcas, and other marine mammals are forced to perform tricks and shows under unnatural and cruel conditions
- Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, a pseudo-sanctuary in Florida where primates are kept in barren cages
- A Washington petting zoo where a sloth and tamandua died due to the facility’s lack of knowledge and experience in caring for these animals
Groupon deals are time-limited, meaning venues and offers change constantly. The cruel venues currently promoted are not a new phenomenon. Historically, Groupon has done business with some of the most infamous wildlife exploiters in the country, including Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park (G.W. Exotic), the facility owned by Joe Maldonado, aka the Tiger King, as well as multiple circuses that used elephants in dangerous and harmful performances such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
What We’re Asking
Groupon profits whenever it features discounted deals for these venues on its website–it takes a cut of every deal sold. We’re urging the company to prohibit venues that offer interactions with wild animals and/or captive wild animal performances.
Send an email to Groupon asking it to stop profiting from wild animal suffering and adopt a public animal welfare policy that protects animals and doesn’t exploit them.
Looking for more ways to support this campaign? Check out our digital activist toolkit for different ways put pressure on Groupon and urge company leadership to stand up for animals.