In February 2024, Cody Roberts hit a wolf with a snowmobile

taped its mouth shut

brought the wounded animal into a Wyoming bar

and killed it.

Photos and video of the wolf lying on the floor, alive but barely moving, circulated widely and sparked national outrage.

This week, he was sentenced to 18 months probation and a $1,000 fine.

No prison time. One thousand dollars. That is what a court decided a wolf's suffering was worth.

Roberts had faced up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. A plea deal erased all of it. He told the judge he regretted what he did and apologized — to his family and community. Not to the animal he tortured.

Felony animal cruelty should mean something. It should carry real consequences that reflect the severity of what happened. What it should not mean is walking out of a courthouse with probation and a fine that costs less than a plane ticket.

This sentence sends a clear message to anyone who would do the same: the consequences are worth the risk. That is unacceptable.

We are calling on Wyoming lawmakers to strengthen mandatory sentencing guidelines for felony animal cruelty convictions, so that judges cannot reduce a felony torture case to a slap on the wrist.

Sign this petition and tell Wyoming: a $1,000 fine is not justice for torturing a living creature.