(Note from Erin: As many of you may know, I live in Florida where this crime happened and am glad these men are being brought to justice. We do not condone animal abuse or abuse of any kind.)
On Tuesday, three Florida men, who can be seen in a viral video below, were charged with felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty. The video which is difficult to watch, shows the men dragging a shark at a very high speed through the water. Disgusting.
“A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission news release said 21-year-old Michael Wenzel and 23-year-old Spencer Heintz of Palmetto, along with 28-year-old Robert Lee Benac of Bradenton, each face two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
Wenzel and Benac also face a misdemeanor count of taking a shark illegally.1
Please take care watching the video below. It is disturbing, to say the least.
FWC Chairman Bo Rivard believes the charges will send a clear message that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated:
“As we’ve said since this video and other images came to light, these actions have no place in Florida, where we treasure and conserve our natural resources for everyone. We appreciate the patience and support of the public as our law enforcement investigators worked with the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office to identify a number of serious violations that will be brought to the courts for adjudication.”1
Again, this kind of senseless cruelty is NEVER acceptable. We are so glad that prosecutors are making an example of these men so we don’t see this behavior repeated.
