Science teacher fed live puppy to snapping turtle in front of students, witnesses say

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
I had a coworker with a 22' reticulated python. He feeds it piglets every week.

Some claim pigs are one of the smartest mammals. Other thing they're very cute. Oh, and they taste like humans. Crap, we eat them too.

And I think many believe that a 22' python should live in the wild.. not in some dudes house. Did it protect his home? Why did he have it? Oh yea.. because it was "cool" to own a 22' snake. Dogs have for thousands of years, been close to mankind - we formed a bond with them. Protection and service from them.. care from us. Kind of a different situation.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: operation mindcrime

The general way the 'can they be eaten' (by humans) laws work are, are they kept as pets?

Well rodents are kept as pets! And what is cuter than a Lemming?

😝

I am trying to understand your point but I really don't understand what you are trying to say...

I don't agree with the act of feeding any animal to an other animal if it is still alive (including rodents like I already said).

What happens in nature is non of our business but as soon as we take over Mother Nature's work we also get the burden of moral responsibility.

I am completely fine with my cat catching mice and eating them alive, that's natural behavior. If people want to use their snake in the same fashion that is also fine with me.

According to your logic we shouldn't have to stop at using live animals as food for other animals and using animals for entertainment purposes like bull-fighting, dog-fighting and cock-fighting shouldn't be a problem....I have a problem with that. ( )

Generally everybody agrees that dogs belong to the category of companion pet. Some dogs are service animals and in some parts of the world they are considered food (I am sure Idaho does not belong to that part of the world) but does that release you from the obligation to end it's life in a way that gives them the least pain?

Peace

a reply to: silo13

You have a point, but that teacher was an idiot and that does not change that fact. With bad judgement like that, maybe teaching was a wrong career choice.

Ironically rodents are very smart, can learn tricks just like a dog and yet it's OK to dangle them over a snakes head. It's about perception though and this teacher clearly does not get that.

Update from the statesman.

The communitie's love and possible protection of this teacher:

Parrish, 40, said the accused biology teacher — whom the Statesman is not identifying without confirmation from police or the school district — was her teacher when she was a child growing up in Preston.

She said that because the teacher is beloved in the community, local officials don’t want to ruin his career. And those who are upset by the alleged actions of the teacher are afraid to speak publicly.y

May be conflicting with state law.

Speaking generally, Rosenthal said the feeding of a live puppy to a turtle would be a violation of the state’s animal cruelty statutes. The Idaho Humane Society also contacted the Idaho Fish and Game to determine if the snapping turtle was legally obtained.

“There’s nothing under state law that would exempt that action from cruelty prosecution,” he said.

Source

As a former Idahoan, and Human Society worker in that state, I support the going state law. As he is a Biology teacher he should have been more concerned not only for the transmission of disease of the claimed sick puppy to the turtle(let alone parasites) and populations in the lake but as well as a humane death(claims the puppy yelped in pain)-not only diagnosis by a Vet but as well as a more humane euthanasia option if that was in fact the case the puppy was diagnosed as terminal.

The investigation is of course ongoing, impeded a bit by the outrage of incoming calls and more; it doesn't necessarily mean the teacher as a biology teacher was qualified to determine the fate of the puppy, nor does the child-parental guidance?- have a pass for that decision. That's where it will be taken into context if animal cruelty charges apply or not.

originally posted by: Blaine91555
a reply to: silo13
Ironically rodents are very smart, can learn tricks just like a dog and yet it's OK to dangle them over a snakes head. It's about perception though and this teacher clearly does not get that.

I think the distinction between pet/pest should also be taken into consideration. I could see a snake being an excellent solution for rodents if they are a pest (like cats clean up rodents). But these rodents are born free and have the possibility of escape.

I think it's weird they are excluded from animal rights and from what I understand there is no reason to feed them alive and is even discouraged since live prey can hurt your pet.

Peace

As a biology teacher, he must know that the brains of 12-14 yr old humans aren't fully developed yet...I'm not sure how he justified their readiness for this lesson in life? I am thankful that he is not a history teacher. I just found more on this Story Story

I had the best Biology teacher in Jr. High. Mr. Horn. He once brought in a baby goat because it was the runt and he needed to bottle feed it. He let that goat just run around the classroom - I think it was the best day of my school life. He used to make us put on a beekeeper suit and feed his bees out side the class window if we misbehaved.

Sounds like this teacher is beloved as well. Very good people will have great intentions but still make poor judgement calls.

a reply to: fleabit

Not in the slightest. In fact I agree this is messed up. I'm simply playing devils advocate.

If this man had fed to turtle a live mouse, like I've seen personally in science class when young, no one would bat an eyelash.

I'm simply pointing out the fact that when its vermin (which in my mind has the same right to a life as any animal), it's fine. When is a puppy, its not.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Of course the puppy yelped in pain if it was eaten alive..

Also how big is this turtle supposed to be?? A chihuahua puppy would still require a MASSIVE alligator snapper to eat it.


None of this story adds up..

We may never hear about it, but I bet either it wa ms a dead dog he fed to the turtle or maybe he fed a guinea pig to the turtle and said he would feed the puppy to it if the puppy died (it was sick).

A turtle eats things by slowly tearing away chunks of flesh. How does that translate to a sick puppy and a science class???

I’m telling y’all it all seems super fishy.

The school board must fire him immideatly
with out pay,
for teaching misinformation . . . .

Turtles do NOT eat dogs ! That is not
their natural diet, period !

The junior kids should not have been
subjected to his twisted
sick mind.
As a parent I would sue him big-time
for inflicting trauma on the kids,
and for not teaching the truth
and staying with the curriculum.
(Naturally turtles do not eat dogs)
The sick twisted phycopath shouldn't
be around kids, but himself fed to a gator.
What is it with the sick mental state of americans lately ?
. . . .good God.

a reply to: Vivyinsect

It’s unclear if the dog was alive or dead when Crosland fed it to the turtle and although it happened after school hours, some students did witness the feeding.

HAHA I knew this was a fake story...

I will bet dollars to donuts he fed a dead dog to a turtle and the media is hyping nothing.

a reply to: ToneDeaf

Turtles do eat dogs..

If a turtle ran across a dead dog on the wild. The turtle eats it..

It’s unclear if the dog was alive or dead when Crosland fed it to the turtle and although it happened after school hours, some students did witness the feeding.

I guarantee the teacher fed a dead dog to a turtle and the media is fabricating an atrocity.

a reply to: JoshuaCox

Sources and witness say snapping turtle bit the puppy in half, would assume full size which can be up to 35 pounds or near so by that. These are rather large, common, aggressive turtles hence the name. Now they might want to address having such an animal in a children's classroom.

originally posted by: 3daysgone
a reply to: peter vlar

Survival of the fittest is an anachronism that plays no role in biology.

I guess they forgot to tell the animal kingdoms that.

It's just hard to undo the earlier brainwashing while still maintaining your distance so people don't notice what you've been doing with that phrase 'survival of the fittest' (and pretend it doesn't matter anymore that that's what you or your spiritual fathers taught earlier and some of them still teach):


Do You Believe in What You Cannot See?

...
The Swedish man mentioned earlier was moved when he saw the suffering of fellow humans. Really, his tender concern for others confirms the existence of God. How so?

For most people, the only alternative to belief in God is belief in evolution. Evolutionists teach “survival of the fittest”​—that humans and animals compete within their kinds for survival. The fittest live; the weakest die. That is the natural order of things, they say. But if it is “natural” for the weak to die in order to make room for the strong, how can we explain the fact that, like the Swedish man, some strong humans are moved at the sight of the suffering of their fellowman?

a reply to: dreamingawake

I bet dollars to donuts it was a dog carcass that died TOTALLY unrelated to the feeding.

“Teacher feeds dog carcass to turtle” just isn’t news worthy or firable..

a reply to: ToneDeaf

They would in fact eat a small dog if they could.
LINK

As omnivores, snapping turtles feed on plants, insects, spiders, worms, fish, frogs, small turtles, snakes, birds, crayfish, small mammals, and carrion. Plant matter accounts for about a third of the diet. Young turtles will forage for food, but older turtles often hang motionless in the water and ambush their prey by lunging forward with the head at high speed and powerful jaws to seize prey.

Two thirds of their diet is live or dead animals.

Do you think children should be lied to about the natural world? I personally think all kids should experience where their meat comes from also, but this teacher used bad judgement. A law suit though? Are kids that fragile now?

a reply to: JoshuaCox

Some ex students said he often fed guinea pigs to the turtles and snakes. Some snakes and turtles won't eat dead food as regularly in captivity. Not far off to said the sick/deformed dog was live, as claims were the him and owner/s of the dog felt it was going to die anyway.

a reply to: dreamingawake

I don’t buy it...

Imho this seems like media clickbait..

a reply to: dreamingawake

If you try and visualize what would have taken place if it was a live dog. Just doesn’t sound like ANYTHING A REASONABLE reasonable person would do.

a reply to: JoshuaCox

I do agree that's my issue with the whole thing. I don't find it humane, but it looks like there was an agreement going on, will just have to see how the support goes for him vs the animal cruelty laws in the state-which are new. Wish it was click bait, the media outrage might be, however, yes the dog was alive(see the following). I have been looking at local news FBs. I found this, and it is how it's being rationalized by the kid's parent:





Source - FB
Re shared from the change.org page then displayed to FB.

a reply to: whereislogic

how can we explain the fact that, like the Swedish man, some strong humans are moved at the sight of the suffering of their fellowman?

Yes. Those are the one's considered weak by evolution. The one's who have sympathy for the weak will be devoured by the strong.

This is not a religious discussion, but that would also be a good discussion to on the perimeter of the OP.