Save Tom Turkey!!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by ruffryder

Only in FloriDUH

GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Investigators say a neighbor and his friend used a bow and arrow to shoot and kill a Panhandle family's pet turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Sheriff's deputies arrested two Santa Rosa County teens — Joshua W. Anderson, 19, and Jacob H. Provo, 18, Pensacola News Journal said.

They told deputies they planned to eat the 30-pound turkey for Thanksgiving.

They're charged with armed burglary, armed trespassing, theft of livestock and animal cruelty.

Animal lovers Brian and Christa Caponi live on 6 acres in Gulf Breeze and have more than 50 dogs, cats, goats, chickens and other animals.

They told the Pensacola News Journal that Tom the turkey was special because he was so friendly.

In fact, Christa Caponi said Tom was more like a family dog than a turkey.

When I read this it angered me and made me feel sad for the family. Their pet was killed. But, then I thought...why does it count as animal cruelty if it is an animal that people kill and eat every day? Hundreds of thousands of turkeys (ok, more than that), are killed and being killed for the Holiday. Is it how a person defines the animal they own that determines the law? It wouldn't be animal cruelty if the Caponi's killed the turkey for their Thanksgiving Dinner.

The "theft of livestock" covers the whole, it wasn't their turkey that they killed, thing.

Just something to think about.