PETA is lobbying for Sea World to be held criminally responsible for the death of Dawn Brancheau. Since that fateful day, PETA has been launching numerous campaigns against Sea World and their operational procedures.

Their first step was to publicly protest outside the theme park’s gates and now they are upping the ante.

PETA officials have been lobbying for the criminal charges, claiming that the attack on Brancheau, from a legal standpoint, is involuntary manslaughter.

“We think that is important for the attorney general to step in, investigate and prosecute this case because otherwise it is only a matter of time before another death or serious injury occurs,” explained PETA’s attorney, Jeff Kerr.

PETA’s case is clearly stated in a huge letter, address to Bill McCollum, the acting Attorney General.

PETA has said that because the officials of Sea World knew that killer whales were dangerous, and the whale which caused Brancheau’s demise was particularly dangerous, that Seaworld – which allowed employees to interact with these creatures – was in fact criminally negligent.

“Working in a dangerous job should not mean that you are exposed on a daily basis to being killed,” Kerr explained.

Of course, the officials at Sea World have a completely different view of the situation, explaining, “The allegations made by PETA today are as baseless … In our experience, both OCSO and the State Attorney conduct their work thoroughly and professionally. PETA’s letter appears to be another example of an organization more interested in media attention than assisting animals in need.”

While it was a terrible tragedy, one has to wonder, is it Sea Worlds’ fault? There is always danger when dealing with wild animals.. But could further steps have been taken?