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If your faith in humanity is on shaky footing right now, you may want to sit down for this one.
Tim the Turkey, a high school pet who was kidnapped by a couple of idiots in April, has been euthanized. Patti Williams, an agriculture teacher at Orange High School, said that Tim had never recovered from the trauma he'd suffered, and that euthanasia was the only humane option left.
Tim had been part of an Orange High agricultural program where students learn how to take care of animals. He disappeared during a mid-April weekend, and re-appeared a few hours later wandering alone on Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue. According to Williams, when discovered he was missing his tail and chest feathers, had cuts on his body, and was walking with a broken toe. He also reeked of beer and was splattered with some sticky, black substance.
A day later, the Orange Police Department arrested Steven Thomas Koressel and Richard Brenton Melbye, both members of Chapman University's lacrosse team. They never provided a real reason as to why they'd pulled this stunt (presumably because there's no such thing as a good reason).
This Thursday, days after Tim was put down, Koressel and Melbye pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of entering an animal enclosure without consent, reports the OC Register. Court records show that they were ordered to serve one day in jail, 100 hours of community service and pay $223 in restitution to the Saddleback Animal Hospital. They were also ordered to stay 100 yards away from Orange High, reports NBC 4.
"These are fine young men and they have a bright future; they made an error in judgment and they are extremely remorseful for their actions," said Lolita Kirk, their attorney.
OK, but that doesn't change the fact that Tim is now gone, and that he'd suffered for months before he passed away. According to Williams, Tim's health kept declining even after he was recovered. One of the main issues was that a part of Tim's esophagus had been punctured during his kidnapping. As a result, he was unable to digest his food properly, and Orange students had to constantly burp him to keep him from swelling up with gas.
