A High School Teacher Is Fired After A Student Records Him Drowning A Wild Opossum And Two Raccoons During Class
It goes without saying that many people are sensitive to the killing of animals, and this is especially true when it comes to cute animals. Although wild animals like raccoons, opossums, rats and squirrels are considered nuisance animals due to their habit of causing problems within human populated areas, most people agree that such animals should be treated with respect. For the most part, the killing of nuisance wildlife is discouraged, or in many cases, legally prohibited unless they are posing a dangerous threat to humans or are known to be infected with rabies, distemper or any other disease. In cases when a wild animal needs to be exterminated for the safety others and/or itself, it is generally understood that the method of extermination should be humane. Sadly, a recent incident at a high school saw a long-time teacher dismissed for drowning two raccoons and one opossum in front of his class. The incident was recorded by one of the teacher’s students, and since then, the video has surfaced online and has been aired on local news stations.
A teacher, Dewie Brewton, of Forest High School in Ocala, Florida had his students fill a bathtub with water in order to drown two raccoons and one opossum that had been killing chickens that the students had been raising as a class project. One student captured a 14 second video that detailed the inhumane execution of the three animals, and as a result of this act, many of the student’s parents are outraged. It seems that at least one animal was forced below the surface of the water after being placed within a metal cage while two others were kept below the water with the aid of metal rods. According to the students present within the class at the time, the animals had repeatedly attempted to surface for air, but they were either pushed back down into the water or a hose was used to aim a stream of water into the animal’s noses, causing them to endure much suffering and panic before finally succumbing. After being placed on paid administrative leave, the 34 year employee of the school district decided to resign under pressure. Animal control authorities are still investigating the situation in order to determine if any laws were broken during the unfortunate incident.
Do you believe that it is morally wrong to execute any animal by painful means?
