A call for action and justice for this innocent opossum, that was cornered and savagely beaten and died a horrific and painful death, as reported by UGA Police and Joe Johnson, Classic City News. 

We are pleading for punishment to the fullest extent the law allows!!

https://www.classiccitynews.com/post/uga-students-charged-with-felony-animal-cruelty-in-beating-death-of-opossum

“The camera footage showed the opossum never advanced towards Clements or Law before Clements struck it with the stick,” one of the officers wrote in the report. “Clements maliciously chased, cornered and beat the opossum with a large stick. Law maliciously chased and cornered the opossum while Clements beat it. While Clements was maliciously beating the opossum to death one of the opossum’s eyes was dislodged from its socket.” 

Under O.C.G.A. § 16-12-4(d)(1) a person commits the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals when he or she:

(1) Maliciously causes the death of an animal;

(2) Maliciously causes physical harm to an animal by depriving it of a member of its body, by rendering a part of such animal’s body useless, or by seriously disfiguring such animal’s body or a member thereof;

(3) Maliciously tortures an animal by the infliction of or subjection to severe or prolonged physical pain;

(4) Maliciously administers poison to an animal, or exposes an animal to any poisonous substance, with the intent that the substance be taken or swallowed by the animal; or

(5) Having intentionally exercised custody, control, possession, or ownership of an animal, maliciously fails to provide to such animal adequate food, water, sanitary conditions, or ventilation that is consistent with what a reasonable person of ordinary knowledge would believe is the normal requirement and feeding habit for such animal’s size, species, breed, age, and physical condition to the extent that the death of such animal results or a member of its body is rendered useless or is seriously disfigured.

Any person convicted of the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, a fine not to exceed $15,000.00, or both.

No animal should have to die this way.

Please sign this petition and contact the local DA office:

District Attorney's Office
Physical Address:

ATTN: Deborah Gonzalez
District Attorney
325 E. Washington St.
Suite 370
Athens, GA 30601

deborah.gonzalez@accgov.com

district.attorney@accgov.com

Phone: 706-613-3240