Please reach us at flip@thefliponline.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The Flip is a public information campaign developed by retired trainer Flip Thompson in conjunction with the Shadow Warrior Initiative to bring light to issues regarding human care of flippered marine mammals.
The Shadow Warrior Initiative is a three-person volunteer collective, established May 2023, with
three objectives:
1. Improve the welfare situation of captive marine animals
2. Ensure accountability for welfare violations
3. Improve work and safety standards for caretakers of captive animals
We do not take a pro-captivity or anti-captivity approach, but instead consider marine mammal captivity to be an occurrence which creates welfare and safety issues that must be addressed regardless of the situation or cause. We define captivity as “forced confinement of animals within boundaries necessitating dependence upon human care.” This includes zoos, aquaria, circuses and other animal attractions, breeding and research facilities, rescue facilities, sanctuaries, and refuges.
Much of what we do is done out of the public eye, hence the term “Shadow Warriors.” In the
United States, this includes discussing the drafting of legislation with members of Congress, and working with legislators and law enforcement on the federal, state, and municipal levels.
Publicly, we have run an extensive information campaign, which includes advising mainstream journalists on news stories, appearing in media interviews, blogging on ThemedReality.com, and an extensive social media campaign called The Flip, which has centered around TheFlipOnline.com and has garnered millions of video views on its Tik Tok and Instagram channels.
The Shadow Warrior Initiative members have over 30 years of combined experience in
zookeeping, veterinary medicine, training, and animal rescue.
The Shadow Warriors are veterinarian Dr. Jenna Wallace, former SeaWorld senior trainer Valerie Greene, and attractions industry trade journalist Joe Kleiman.
Much of what we do is done out of public view as we are dealing on a regular basis with regulatory and law enforcement agencies, contributing and advising on ongoing investigations. On occasion, we will disclose new documents unearthed during our investigations to give a better or alternative understanding of events to the public.
No. Both are completely operated on a volunteer basis and are not incorporated. We do not accept unsolicited donations. We do have a fundraiser to help offset processing costs for government document requests, which will conclude at the end of February 2024.
We love to hear from our friends, Flippered and otherwise. Feel free to contact us with any questions or special requests.
The Flip
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