The Turtle Was Allegedly Fed a Puppy. Now It's Dead

A sick puppy reportedly met an unfortunate fate in Idaho, and now a snapping turtle has too. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture on Friday said that the turtle, who was allegedly fed the puppy by a Preston Junior High School science teacher as students watched, was euthanized "humanely," per Fox13. It reports that Idaho classifies snapping turtles as an invasive species, and teacher Robert Crosland had no permit allowing him to possess one. The Statesman reports that in a press release, the ISDA explained that relocating invasive animals is a thorny undertaking due to the stress it inflicts on the animal and the limited number of appropriate release sites. A Fish and Game rep added that the turtles can have long lives and "can be highly predacious on native species."

The puppy incident reportedly occurred March 7; the turtle was seized Tuesday and euthanized the next day. The news has sparked outrage and spurred dueling online petitions supporting Crosland and calling for his firing. Fox13 reports the Preston School District reported a violent threat it received to the FBI; uniformed officers have been stationed at all Preston School District Schools. Investigators are looking into whether animal cruelty charges are justified. In a statement, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Vic Pearson said calls were pouring in to law enforcement and his office, which is "hindering our ability to complete what needs to be done to reach the end goal of justice in this case." The AP notes the film Napoleon Dynamite was set in Preston, which is home to about 5,200 people. Read about the school's assurances to parents here. (More invasive species stories.)