Humane Society chief says Warwick High School prank could become serious animal cruelty case

Warwick - What some considered a high school prank could turn into criminal charges for animal cruelty filed against any students involved. On Thursday, May 10, some students at Warwick Valley High School freed about a dozen white rats and mice in the school’s hallway. Since rats and mice do not enjoy the same good press as dogs and cats, media reports, including one on CBS TV, treated the story lightly. “But,” cautioned Suzyn Barron, president of the Warwick Valley Humane Society, “they are still live creatures that feel pain and should never be treated harshly or tortured.” According to Barron and Animal Control Officer Dawn Drake, several mice were either trampled or stomped to death. One witness saw a rat running down the hall on fire and there is another report of at least one rat being drowned in milk. The seven mice and three rats that were rescued and are now at the shelter were also covered with urine and fecal matter and had to be cleansed by a volunteer. “We’re not talking about the rodents you might find in a factory building,” said Barron. “These white rats, for example, are purchased as pets just like rabbits or hamsters. They cannot survive in any other environment.” She explained that a prank that involves hurting a live animal is no longer a prank. It’s an act of animal cruelty and it’s against the law. And this particular prank, she added, is currently under investigation. The Warwick Valley Humane Society will forward the names of the students, the pet stores involved and any other information to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. School Superintendent Dr. Frank Greenhall reported that a similar incident occurred last year. “Some people are calling this a prank,” he said. “But it’s not a prank to me and those students will face disciplinary action.” Warwick High School Principal Randy Barbarash has already banned backpacks from the school’s hallways. Barron also believes that there is a strong connection between animal abuse and human violence and that animal cruelty is a valuable predictor of present and future violent individuals. “The well known anthropologist Margaret Mead,” said Barron, “once said that one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.”