PETITION TARGET: Anderson County Criminal District Attorney
A cat screamed in agony while high school students in a Texas classroom followed their teacher’s instructions to staple an open wound on the cat’s stomach, according to CBS 19.
The torture was captured on video, but CBS 19 reporters opted to walk viewers through various screen shots instead of releasing the full video because of its graphic nature. Screenshots from the video show the cat pinned down on its back while agriculture students hold a stapler over a laceration on the restrained victim’s stomach. The cat was alive and awake throughout the ordeal.
In spite of the excruciating pain and trauma that they likely experienced, the cat remained alive and was taken to a veterinarian for care after the incident.
Although the teacher involved in the incident was arrested, she posted bail within the same day, CBS 19 reported. She has since been “charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals,” according to Newsweek.
“This behavior is not in line with the values and standards we uphold within our district, and we are committed to taking immediate and decisive action to address this issue,” Westwood Independent School District Superintendent Wade Stanford said in a statement.
Law and Crime said it is possible that this tormented cat may never see the justice they deserve, though. While there is a statute in Texas prohibiting cruelty to some animals, Law and Crime speculates that the teacher may be protected under a section of the statute that permits the use of animals in “bona fide experimentation for scientific research.”
Please sign this petition urging the Anderson County Criminal District Attorney to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and defend the rights of all animals to be treated with respect and compassion.
