Residents urge Woodbridge to close SeaQuest exhibit amid animal-welfare and health concerns; officials say complaints forwarded to state agencies

Residents urged the Woodbridge Township Council to close SeaQuest, an interactive animal exhibit at the Woodbridge Center Mall, citing alleged animal-welfare violations and public-health risks and presenting more than 400 petition signatures urging a local ordinance to ban live-animal exhibits.

"Our goal is to close SeaQuest in Woodbridge and to assure that we do not see another establishment like Blue Zoo or Aqua Zoo move into that space," Nicole Paternoster, an Avenel resident, told the council, saying the petition includes "more than 400 signatures, 184 from residents of New Jersey and New York." She asked the council to support a proposed local ordinance prohibiting live-animal exhibits in commercial spaces.

Jessica Mayer Vivoneto, also of Avenel, said SeaQuest's permits expired Dec. 31 and said she has submitted open-record requests but was awaiting a response. "The permits at SeaQuest expired on December 31," she said on the public-record microphone.

Carrie Espuga, who identified herself as from Seaside, described alleged injuries and poor care documented in a New Jersey Fish and Wildlife report and other media coverage. "We have bloody iguanas, bloody iguanas, bloody iguanas," Espuga said. She said employees had come forward as whistleblowers and cited federal and state agency findings, including USDA and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife entries, and said there are ongoing investigations by PETA and state authorities.

Council and staff responses described the local process for complaints. Health Director David Kolodzinski said sanitary complaints are routed to the health department and noted that permits for keeping animals would be issued only if the establishment adheres to local ordinances. "It probably will be issued as long as they adhere to all of our ordinances," Kolodzinski said when asked about permit status.

Police Director Abner said cruelty complaints are initially investigated by police detectives and then turned over to state authorities when appropriate. "Any time we receive a complaint about any type of cruelty to animals, we send our police detectives. They do the initial investigation and turn it over to the state authorities," Abner said.

Speakers requested that the council and administration reach out to state agencies and the mall owner, identified in testimony as Spinoza, to expedite investigations and address public-health concerns. Officials said the township has contacted or forwarded complaints to multiple state agencies, including the state health department, New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Agriculture.

No formal council action (motion or vote) to revoke permits or to pass an ordinance was recorded at this meeting; public commenters urged the council to take legislative or enforcement steps going forward.