This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

A small group of people in Tennessee set an innocent opossum on fire and laughed as they squirted more lighter fluid on the terrified animal. A video of this sadistic act was gleefully taken and posted by a Corrections Department officer. But, without your urgent action, it won't lead to repercussions for her because wild animals aren't protected from this kind of cruelty since, unbelievably, this kind of violent act isn't illegal in the state. Urge officials to protect wild animals from egregious cruelty by including them in state laws.

Even more offensive is that this horrifying act was shared online last July by Tatiyana Hughlett, who was identified as an employee of the Shelby County Corrections Department  — someone who should be held to a higher standard than most people.

When we learned of this case, we reported the incident to the Assistant District Attorney of Shelby County, the Tennessee Environmental Court and to an officer of the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. Unfortunately, wild animals who have not been previously captured are excluded from the state's cruelty statutes.

Tatiyana Hughlett, employee of the Shelby County Corrections Department showing that her attitude toward other women isn't much better than her attitude toward helpless wild animals that she jeers at while they're being burned alive.

No animal should suffer like this. We're calling for a change to include wild animals in state statutes addressing animal cruelty by amending the definition of “animal” as it is currently defined.

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.