A Volusia County man is being charged with felony animal cruelty. According to new reports, Alan McCarty tried to have his dog and an opossum fight in a cage. (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-opossum-beaten-decapitated-20130110,0,4407016.story) However, since the two creatures did not engage in fighting one another, Mr. McCarty decided to take the opossum out of the cage and brutalize the animal (this proves my theory that animals are smarter than many people). Mr. McCarty allegedly stomped on the opossum and than decapitated the animal with an ax. As if the brutality of the living life was not enough, Mr. McCarty allegedly did not even take responsibility for his actions, but instead he allegedly tried to blame his girlfriend. (http://www.wesh.com/news/central-florida/volusia-county/Man-lured-opossum-to-fight-with-dog-deputies-say/-/12983450/18079692/-/wjd0a7z/-/index.html?absolute=true)
Ultimately, if these facts are proven to be true, I believe this is a situation where the defendant should face the maximum penalty allowed with felony animal cruelty and he should not be allowed to own an animal for the rest his life.( http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0800-0899/0828/Sections/0828.12.html) Owning an animal should be a privilege and not a right that should be given to every person.