# Teens burn Tortoise



## xStatic

Sorry to post another thread in this section, but I just saw this article and it made me so sad ): 

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/n...ion-for-burning-endangered-tortoise/12771423/

I don't understands how people can be so cruel.


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## LeStan82

Wth??? These girls have some serious mental problems. I hope these girls are seriously punished for this. As a owner of 2 turtles, my heart breaks. Why are there so many people with crummy lives, and feel like they have to hurt defenseless animals. This is why I hate people!


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## Charlottesmom

1st step to abusing their own children, abusing animals. My kids are being brought up to love and have compassion for animals. Some teenagers are awesome, some just suck! My eldest and his girlfriend want to get a tortoise, so in all truthfulness I did not read that story. I would more likely just get extreamly mad and pop a blood vessel in my brain, so it's better if I don't read it.


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## Aeyna

I didn't watch the video, because I don't think I could handle it. 

Don't serial killers start by experimenting with killing small helpless animals? I would be ashamed and embarrassed to be these girls parents.


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## Charlottesmom

If these kids were mine, which they wouldn't be but....I would ask them what they were trying to accomplish by torturing animals, the parents are probably the hands off kind though and wouldn't give a fudge anyways. I find that parents who love animals raise kids who love animals, in general, there are some kids who don't give a crap either way. Then there are the abused kids who abuse...sad but true.


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## Hey-Fay

I... I have no words. If I knew those two they would get the kicking of a life time. When this happens it makes me wish we still had public shaming and punishment. I bet 50 lashes would teach them that that's wrong. Or at least an eye for an eye.
I feel ill after watching this.


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## abratforarat

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! I DON'T WANT TIO BELIEVE THIS! HOW CAN YOU KILL A TORTOISE! I am going to watch the video when my computer lets me but....aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I just want to scream! I can't image killing ANYTHING! I hate these stupid idiot kids more then my ex-friend and my two enemy's put together! If I ever meat them....well, lets just say, THEY WILL REGRET IT FOREVER!


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## xStatic

I know it's so horrible ): and the girls just don't understand why what they did was so wrong. One of them was reported saying something along the lines of "it's not like we took the last one off the planet, whats the big deal"

They are just incapable of understanding that torturing animals is not only terrible but it's also completely not normal and makes them look like maniacs in the eyes of everyone around them. I hope they get tried as adults and get some serious jail time and huge fines and whatever else the court system can manage to stick them with...


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## Phantom

That's just awful! I'm from Florida and one of my friends is currently fostering a gopher tortose until he's old enough to be released in the wild. In case anyone is wondering, these are are greatly needed in the ecosystem because they help dig holes that end up being occupied by other animals.


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## gotchea

Phantom said:


> That's just awful! I'm from Florida and one of my friends is currently fostering a gopher tortose until he's old enough to be released in the wild. In case anyone is wondering, these are are greatly needed in the ecosystem because they help dig holes that end up being occupied by other animals.


Learn something new everyday! That is nifty. I'll have to google what they look like.


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## Hey-Fay

I seriously feel nauseous just thinking about it. When they stomped him i covered my eyes and almost threw up. I hate people a little more each day.


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## cagedbirdsinging

Legitimately, this makes me want to vomit.

These girls need serious help.


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## Aeyna

I'm not sure if anyone on here knows what 4chan is, but basically, there is a group and they have found out these girls names, addresses, bank info, where the incident happened, their schools... Just a ridiculous amount of info, and posted it online. I think it's a scare tactic to get them to come forward and admit that they did this.


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## Jaguar

Aeyna said:


> I'm not sure if anyone on here knows what 4chan is, but basically, there is a group and they have found out these girls names, addresses, bank info, where the incident happened, their schools... Just a ridiculous amount of info, and posted it online. I think it's a scare tactic to get them to come forward and admit that they did this.


They do that quite often with anonymous online videos, especially when it comes to animal abuse. Dusty the cat's abuse videos was another one of those cases.


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## nanashi7

The girls know they did it. Everyone knows they did it. They post to their Facebook about what they've done. Hahahahahaha don't judge those sorts of things. Feel free to find out their high school, names, facebooks...it's all available. 


Gopher turtles are peaceful, quiet breed. You can literally pick them up and move them. They don't bother much and aren't invasive or destructive that much. 


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## Jaguar

Yeah, it doesn't sound like they were trying to hide it in this case.


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## JAnimal

How found they do that. Honestly have some common sence. If I was in that place at that time I would have lit the girls on fire.


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## xStatic

If anyone is curious, action has been taken against the girls, and while their punishments can never make up for the fact that they tortured and killed another living creature, at least we can know that they didn't get away with what they did without some major consequences. I'm really hoping the 18 year old ends up getting convicted as a felon:

http://members.jacksonville.com/new...rrested-gopher-tortoise-torture-went-national

"Two girls seen on a Facebook video torturing and killing a gopher tortoise on July 16 in front of an Orange Park home were arrested Friday by investigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Clay County Sheriff’s Office.Jennifer Emoke Greene, 18, and a 15-year-old juvenile were both charged with felony cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor charge of taking, harassing, harming or killing a gopher tortoise, according to commission spokeswoman Karen Parker. Greene is in the Clay County jail on $55,000 bail.
The gopher tortoise has been listed as a threatened species in Florida since 2007, an upgrade from its previous “species of special concern” designation. “We are pleased the authorities acted so quickly and we hope this sets a precedent that animal cruelty should not be tolerated,” Welzant said. “Our Facebook and our email was getting a lot of feedback and a lot of outpouring from the community regarding this case and how upset they were.”
The graphic videos shows two Orange Park girls burning a small gopher tortoise, then laughing and cursing as they throw it down the street. The tortoise is doused with alcohol and lit as it crawls in circles through the flames. The tortoise tries to flee after it is doused again.
“Burn baby, burn baby,” one girl says as they light the tortoise on fire. “Now you are scared of us, huh?”
The second video is more graphic as one girl stomps on the tortoise until it is dead, with its organs squishing out. The girls scream in laughter. “His heart came out with a bunch of grass,” the girl with the camera says as she laughs, then kicks the corpse. “He’s dead. That’s funny.”
*If convicted, Greene faces up to five years in prison on the felony animal-cruelty charge, while the misdemeanor charge carries up to 60 days in jail and/or a $500 fine, according to commission officials. The 15-year-old’s case would be handled in juvenile court."*


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## Pandorascaisse

That made me literally sick to my stomach. These girls need help. They need more than counseling, they need more than jail time. They need to be removed from the general population until a professional deems them safe - harming animals is one of the steps to a serial killer. Ironically enough, arson, as well as "not being able to show remorse" are also signs of sociopathy, too. 

If they're allowed back out, they'll end up abusing someone - their kids, their neighbors, other animals, and maybe even strangers.

It might seem a bit extreme; but it is not. There is something mentally wrong with them and they need a great deal of help.


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## Gannyaan

Thanks so much for the update- I hope to hear that they receive the swiftest and most severe/justified punishment. 

Sigh, if only I were allowed to make laws about cruelty to animals... Ya really sad that there is no very effective treatment for sociopaths. The 18 year old would likely meet the diagnostic criteria, the 15 year old is at that weird age where some are hesitant to diagnose with personality disorders like antisocial personality disorder (sociopaths....). 

I am getting really sick of seeing so much cruelty in the world. I've watched way too many abuse and factory farming videos ...I have to remind myself that there are other beautiful , kind people out there. I feel like many of those people are long time rat forum members ... Y'all help me sleep better at night. 



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## cagedbirdsinging

Pandorascaisse said:


> That made me literally sick to my stomach. These girls need help. They need more than counseling, they need more than jail time. They need to be removed from the general population until a professional deems them safe - harming animals is one of the steps to a serial killer. Ironically enough, arson, as well as "not being able to show remorse" are also signs of sociopathy, too.
> 
> If they're allowed back out, they'll end up abusing someone - their kids, their neighbors, other animals, and maybe even strangers.
> 
> It might seem a bit extreme; but it is not. There is something mentally wrong with them and they need a great deal of help.


I agree. I became nauseous as well.

I wonder how many people realize that this is so much more than your average animal cruelty or common case of teenage brat syndrome. These girls have serious mental health problems that need to be addressed by a team of professionals.

This will happen again. And the chances of it being a human are high.


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## PawsandClaws

I know that these girls have mental health problems but I find myself being extremely angry at the people that do these types of things. I fully understand there is more to it but I cannot help but feel sick at the thought of somebody being capable of cruelty like this.


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## DustyRat

Their actions were vicious; imagine they are well on their way to becoming outstanding adults. But of course the meat industry does almost as cruel acts to the animals under their "care".


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## ksaxton

How awful, at least they're getting some kind of punishment and hopefully some counseling as well. I really hope they don't have pets. There's also that teenage girl that "hunts" animals like lions and then poses for pictures and puts them on the internet. Disgusting. 


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