Science teacher who ‘fed a live puppy to a turtle in front of his class’ faces being sent to jail
Robert Crosland allegedly threw the baby pooch into the predator’s tank at Preston Junior High School in Idaho
A SCIENCE teacher accused of feeding a live puppy to a snapping turtle in front of his class faces being sent to jail.
Robert Crosland allegedly threw the baby pooch into the predator’s tank at Preston Junior High School in Idaho.
The little dog was reportedly sick but still alive when it allegedly met its grisly end in front of horrified students.
Several parents came forward to claim Crosland fed the puppy to the turtle on March 7.
Snapping turtles are omnivores in the wild, meaning they eat both plants and animals.
They have razor sharp beak-like mouths and prey on nearly anything they can get their powerful jaws around.
The reptiles eat insects, fish, frogs, snakes, birds, small mammals and even other turtles.
They are known to kill by dragging their prey beneath the water to drown it, or by simply biting its head off.
Crosland was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty on Friday.
He faces up to six months in jail and a $5,000 (£3,750) fine if convicted.
The charge came after nearly 200,000 people signed a calling for the educator to be sacked.
The petition reads: “This is an extreme example of extremely poor judgment.
“Even if the puppy was so sick it was eventually going to die, Crosland should not have fed it to a snapping turtle – especially while still alive.
“There are humane ways to deal with dying animals.”
Most read in news
Animal lovers were even more incensed when the turtle was later put down by authorities because Crosland didn’t have a proper permit for it.
Marc Gee, superintendent for Preston schools, told the on Friday he had heard about the charges but hadn't seen the details.
He is quoted as saying: "Once we have seen the details, we will release a statement for the district."
The school is in rural Preston, where the 2004 teen cult classic film "Napoleon Dynamite" was set.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.