Outrage Grows Over Photos of Young Men Abusing Opossum

Almost as soon as they were posted on Snapchat last week, disturbing images of three young Pennsylvania partygoers abusing an opossum went viral and outrage quickly spread worldwide.

In the images, the opossum is seen being forced to drink beer, being kissed by one of the young men and curled up at the bottom of the garbage can where it had been dumped.

The abusers have been identified as David Snook, Michael Tice and Morgan Ehrenzeller, who is a student at Bloomsburg University.

After being flooded with angry phone calls, the university issued a statement on Facebook condemning the acts of cruelty. It said it would investigate the incident and take disciplinary action against violations of its student code of conduct. “We are taking this matter very seriously and do not condone the actions depicted on social media,” the university stated.

Kenzi Kemmerer, a senior at Bloomsburg University, told WNEP she had seen the three abusers chasing the opossum up an alley with a bat. “I was really, really upset because, personally I think that’s wrong to do to any kind of animal, doesn’t matter if it’s wildlife, doesn’t matter if it’s a dog or a cat, like you shouldn’t be doing that.”

The opossum was a familiar sight in the Bloomsburg neighborhood, according to Rebecca Shuman, a neighbor of the house party’s host. “My kids named it Pete,” she told WNEP. “So to know we live next to someone who could do something so inhumane, it’s scary.”

Along with Bloomsburg University, the Pennsylvania Game Commission also conducted an investigation into the incident.

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NO ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES?

Pennsylvania used to have some of the country’s weakest animal cruelty laws (the state is still home to one of the largest hunting populations in the lower 48), but in August, “Libre’s Law” (HB 1238) was enacted, making animal cruelty a felony offense in some situations. The law was named after a sick Boston terrier, later named Libre, who was rescued from a puppy farm where he’d been left to die alone in a pen.

Under section 5533 of Libre’s Law, animal cruelty is defined as when someone “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly ill-treats, overloads, beats, abandons or abuses and animal and the treatment causes bodily harm to the animal.” Felony aggravated cruelty is defined under section 5534 as “torturing an animal or violating either of the above sections and causing serious bodily injury or death of an animal.”

That’s why it’s so shocking, then, that the three men involved in the disturbing opossum images are not facing any animal cruelty charges, according to news reports.

Instead, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has only charged Ehrenzeller, Snook and Tice with two violations: disturbance of game or wildlife, and unlawful taking or possession of game or wildlife. The harshest punishment the three are facing is up to a $1,500 fine and three months in jail for the first charge, and a $200 fine for the second one. (Bloomsburg University has not yet announced whether it will expel or otherwise discipline Ehrenzeller.)

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Bloomsburg University, the opossum survived its ordeal. It was apparently “playing possum” at the bottom of the trash can and was either set free or escaped – although several people commenting on social media say the opossum was later beaten with a bat and set on fire.

It seems pretty clear that those three young men “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly ill-treated” that poor opossum, whether or not it survived. There are disturbing images to prove it.

TAKE ACTION

Please sign and share this petition telling Columbia County District Attorney Thomas E. Leipold to charge Ehrenzeller, Snook and Tice with animal cruelty – and if the opossum died, charge them with a felony of the third degree, for which each abuser would face up to seven years in jail and/or a $15,000 fine.

Photo credit: Heather M Hockenberry/Facebook

Clock HERE to sign the petition. Please do it now.
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/348/299/534/?TAP=1007&cid=causes_petition_postinf