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ANIMAL WATCH - In Defense of Animals and Baywatch star Alexandra Paul are welcoming the permanent closure of Brennan’s Pub in Marina del Rey, marking the end of a decades-long exploitative turtle racing. While the bar’s closure brings a definitive halt to the controversial events, activists are now urgently calling on the owners to ensure the turtles are retired to a suitable outdoor home rather than sold or kept in inappropriate confinement.
For 50 years, Brennan’s hosted turtle races, an event it dubbed the “world’s stupidest sport.” In recent years, In Defense of Animals, Los Angeles for Animals, and the Los Angeles Animal Defense League escalated pressure on the venue.
Over 12,000 In Defense of Animals supporters contacted Sean Phagan — Brennan's Operating Partner, “turtle wrangler,” and Chief of Operations at Artisanal Brewers Collective — asking him to end the inhumane turtle races and be a leader for positive change. Activists also staged protests to highlight the cruelty of subjecting sensitive reptiles to the screaming crowds, bright lights, and loud music typical of the races.
“We are relieved that Brennan’s exploitation of animals to sell beer and provide cheap entertainment has finally ended,” said Lisa Levinson, Campaigns Director at In Defense of Animals. “A veteran turtle biologist who documented this for our campaign confirmed that reptiles are sensitive animals who experience stress in loud, chaotic environments like bars. Ending this spectacle, which normalizes animal exploitation, is an important step forward. But our work isn’t done until the turtles are safely rehomed in an appropriate environment. In Defense of Animals is ready to facilitate their retirement to a suitable turtle habitat with an outdoor pond at no cost to the business.”
The campaign against the races gained significant traction, drawing support from the public and celebrities alike. Alexandra Paul, star of the original Baywatch series alongside Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stars Brian Tochi and Greg Cipes, publicly spoke out against the spectacle, urging the bar to switch to animal-free entertainment.
On the night of the final race on Saturday, Dec. 27, Sean Phagan stated that Brennan’s will be seeking a new home for the turtles, but their fate remains unclear. In Defense of Animals is publicly offering its resources and expertise to coordinate the transfer of the animals to a suitable home or sanctuary where they can live out their lives in a naturalistic, peaceful environment with proper veterinary care.
“It’s wonderful that the Brennan’s turtles will no longer endure boisterous crowds on racing night, but they deserve so much more,” said Alexandra Paul. “I implore the management of Brennan’s and the Artisanal Brewers Collective to do the right thing for these animals who have worked for their business for so long. Please do not give them away to patrons or keep them in inadequate conditions. The Brennan’s turtles need a pond, fresh air, space, and sunlight.”
Brittany Michelson, Founder of Desert Oasis Turtle & Tortoise Sanctuary in Arizona, added, “Turtles should not be confined in glass tanks. They belong outside in the natural sunlight and fresh air with basking areas and space to explore. I’m offering my expertise and contacts to Brennan’s so that these turtles get the peaceful outdoor homes they deserve.”
(Brittany Michelson is the Founder of Desert Oasis Turtle & Tortoise Sanctuary in Arizona.)
