I have lost all faith in Humainty

Please respond promptly and forward widely.It is one of the most cowardly and pathetic acts of cruelty to animals ever seen by PETA caseworkers. And it was all caught on videotape, apparently by the abusers themselves.The video footage shows that several individuals gleefully doused a large turtle in gasoline and then set her on fire. They watchedlaughing all the whileas the animal frantically crawled about in vain attempts to escape her suffering and her tormentors. They eventually doused her with a bucket of water in order to extinguish the flames that engulfed her. As she lay there charred and motionless, they repeated the sadistic process, again dousing her in gasoline and setting her on fire, and again, the burning animal flailed about frantically, to the delight of her attackers. The video footage ends at that point, and the animal's ultimate fate is unknownbut we doubt that she survived. View the video footage (warning: this footage is extremely graphic).Thankfully, prosecutors filed cruelty-to-animals charges against 18-year-old Hawley resident Joel Charles Ross and his unnamed, alleged juvenile accomplices.Ross reportedly pleaded guilty to his charge on August 7, admitting in court that he knew his act would cause the turtle to suffer and that he and his accomplices wanted to make the video "more funny and exciting." Judge Michael Kirk will sentence Ross on September 18. Kirk has already wisely ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Ross and may also send him to jail for up to 90 days.Please respectfully remind His Honor that people who abuse animals rarely do so only once and almost never stop there. Politely explain that the safety of the community's human and nonhuman residents may well be at stake and ask that he do the following:Incarcerate Ross for 90 days.Order Ross to undergo any counseling recommended by psychiatric professionals.Bar Ross from all future contact with animals in Minnesota, as is allowed by state law.Impolite correspondence will detract from the consideration of our requests.The Honorable Michael L. KirkChief Judge, Seventh Judicial DistrictClay County Court Administration807 11th St. N.Moorhead, MN 56560218-299-7307 (fax)
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