OKLAHOMA CITY– Animal Wellness Action announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person seen dragging a snapping turtle along a sidewalk in Oklahoma City on Aug. 25.
After a video surfaced showing a man dragging a snapping turtle near the intersection of Southwest 25th Street and Western Avenue, the Oklahoma City Police Department began an investigation regarding this act of cruelty and has appealed to the public for assistance.
“Anti-cruelty laws should be applied to cases of cruelty not just to pets and other domesticated animals but also to wildlife,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “Random acts that cause intense suffering must be punished, and that’s why we are offering this reward to accelerate the investigation and ensure that justice is served.”
Animal Wellness Action encourages anyone with information about the suspicious individual or incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300 or submit a tip via okccrimetips.com, referencing case #25-61831.
Animal Wellness Action is also pressing for stronger federal enforcement capacity to combat animal cruelty, citing the close link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. The Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R. 1477, would create a team of dedicated prosecutors to work with local and federal authorities to enforce anti-cruelty laws, and the FBI Animal Cruelty Taskforce Act, H.R. 3683, would establish a specialized policing unit within the FBI to focus on animal cruelty crimes.