On 7 May 2026, the Shadow Warriors Initiative (SWI) held a full meeting of the membership. Established as an unincorporated collective in April 2023 by retired trainer Valerie Greene and trade journalist Joe Kleiman, SWI has grown since December 2024 to fourteen members in five countries around the globe. All of its members are experienced professionals in their given fields – zoo and aquaria, law, library sciences, public administration, journalism, and international diplomacy.

The following matters were unanimously approved during the 7 May meeting:

• Though they may appear publicly and share their own information when pursuing their own endeavors, membership in SWI shall remain anonymous to non-members, with the exception of the two founders, whose membership is already in the public record. The membership maintains that the two founders will act as the sole spokespeople for SWI.
• To maintain integrity of investigations, the membership shall not discuss any confidential investigations or matters that have not been cleared for public consumption by the investigating agency or agencies. The membership shall not collaborate with any individuals or groups that publicly mention confidential investigations or share confidential material that has not been publicly released or cleared for release by the investigating agency or agencies.
• The membership shall not accept unsolicited requests for material or information related to SWI initiatives, with the exception of requests from journalists and government officials who have been vetted by the collective’s media and government affairs committees.
• SWI will accept unsolicited requests from the public to pursue campaigns on individual animals or facilities. However, it is up to a vote of the membership on whether to pursue action.
• SWI currently is working on ten different campaigns in four countries and has begun extending its efforts beyond facility-based marine mammals to other types of animals in captive situations. The membership has endorsed this strategy moving forward.
• The Flip blog, Facebook, and Instagram channels are to be placed on indefinite hiatus beginning at 12:00 am Eastern (5:00 am GMT) on 9 May 2026. SWI and the blog owners do not monetize the blog or social media channels and have provided them solely as an information resource. The membership has determined that it is in its best interest to concentrate all of its efforts on its core missions of improving animal welfare in captive situations – be it zoos, aquaria, or sanctuaries, and improving the welfare of those who care for animals in such facilities. SWI will continue to do so through the collection and analysis of material and discussions with appropriate authorities. The membership maintains that SWI will continue to pursue action on both individual incidents as well as governmental oversight and regulations as a whole.
• As SWI is not an incorporated nonprofit, the membership maintains that it is not obligated to report to the public on its actions or membership.
• SWI will maintain its current established relationships with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, elected officials, members of the media, and others.
• The membership has reinstated SWI’s current policy that the collective and its membership are not obligated to share any material or knowledge with any person, organization, or company, nor is any person, organization, or company entitled to material or knowledge obtained by the membership as part of an SWI investigation or campaign.