This petition stems from a deeply personal fear and concern for the life of a nearly killed dog and potential future victims. A 15-year-old named Cole Prevost almost fatally beat a dog, laughed about it, filmed the abhorrent act, and then posted the evidence on social media. What's more, he showed no signs of remorse or regret. We are horrified at the level of aggression displayed by Cole at such a young age, especially because research indicates that most serial killers start with grave acts of animal cruelty (FBI studies).

Cole's friends – who filmed the act and laughed about it – should also be held accountable. If they saw no issue with such violent behaviour, they, too, are part of the problem and similarly pose a risk to animals in their care. Addressing this issue means not just penalising Cole and his friends, but also removing any animals from any residences associated with them – for the animals' safety.

We urge the Louisiana judicial system to impose suitable sanctions on Cole and his friends for their inhumane actions and to have all animals removed from their care. Our purpose is not only to serve justice for the nearly killed dog, but also to prevent prospective crimes against animals by these individuals. This petition calls for these young individuals to serve real time for their actions as a hard message against animal cruelty.

Please, stand with us in this fight for justice and prevention of future harm by signing this petition.