*** CORRECTION - This media release initially presented the plea deal as finalized. However, it is due to be accepted or rejected in a hearing on March 5, 2026 *** 

DANIEL, Wyo. (February 26, 2026) – In Defense of Animals is utterly appalled and disgusted by the plea agreement presented yesterday which would allow Cody Roberts, the Wyoming man who notoriously tortured a juvenile female wolf in February 2024, to completely avoid jail time.

Under the terms of the deal released by the Sublette County District Court, Roberts would plead guilty or no contest to felony animal cruelty but will serve zero days in prison. Instead, a potential two-year prison sentence will be suspended in favor of 18 months of supervised probation, a temporary loss of hunting privileges, and a paltry $1,000 fine.

Roberts' horrific actions shocked the globe and sparked international outrage. He chased down the young wolf — posthumously named Theia by advocates — with a snowmobile, deliberately running her over until she was disabled. Instead of ending her suffering, Roberts taped her muzzle shut, dragged her into the Green River Bar in Daniel, Wyoming, and spent hours tormenting and posing for gleeful photos with the terrified, agonizingly injured animal before finally taking her out back and shooting her.

“If accepted, this plea deal will be an absolute travesty of justice and a slap in the face to everyone who fought for Theia,” said Fleur Dawes, Communications Director at In Defense of Animals. “Cody Roberts committed one of the most sadistic, protracted, and arrogant acts of wild animal torture in recent memory. If the Sublette County prosecutor and judge fold before trial and let him walk away with probation and a $1,000 fine, it will  be a green light to animal abusers everywhere. By themselves, wolves bring an estimated $65.5 million into Wyoming's economy annually — yet the state treats their malicious torture as a cheap misdemeanor. We urge the Wyoming justice system not to fail Theia and the public."

Initially, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department quietly issued Roberts a mere $250 fine for "possession of live wildlife." It took a massive global outcry from animal rights organizations and the public to force a grand jury indictment for felony animal cruelty. To see this hard-won felony charge downgraded to a probation-only plea deal is a devastating blow.

Furthermore, In Defense of Animals remains outraged that the owners of the Green River Bar have faced zero legal consequences for allowing this terrible cruelty to occur and be celebrated on their premises without censure.

Through its Justice for Animals Campaign, In Defense of Animals tracks and campaigns for the maximum prosecution of animal abusers, recognizing that extreme cruelty to animals is a clear indicator of a danger to society. The leniency of this plea deal highlights the draconian reality of Wyoming’s wildlife policies, which actively foster hatred toward predators and legally sanction their abuse.

Over 16,000 In Defense of Animals members contacted Wyoming officials urging them to charge Roberts with a felony animal cruelty charge and demanding stronger legal protections to reverse years of predator hatred and cruel hunting methods, including:

• A total ban on "wolf whacking": The cruel practice of using motorized vehicles, like snowmobiles, to chase and crush wildlife must be outlawed.
• The abolition of the "predator zone": Over 80% of Wyoming currently allows wolves to be killed year-round without a license.
• A ban on cruel hunting methods: The use of dogs and wire snares to hunt and kill wildlife must end.
• Accountability for complicit parties: Businesses and individuals who facilitate or harbor animal torture must face legal repercussions.

Over 9,000 members called for stronger protections for wolves and urged legislators to resist a bill that would strip wolves of Endangered Species Act protections. Unfortunately, it recently passed the U.S. House — a dangerous move that threatens to not only hamstring biodiversity recovery but also remove vital depredation resources for ranchers. 

"This shameful incident shows why legislators must urgently fund wildlife coexistence programs instead of stripping Endangered Species Act protections from wolves," said Dawes. "We are counting on Senators to reject H.R. 845.”

Members of the public are urged to sign this alert to contact their senators to stop this dangerous and regressive H.R. 845.

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Contact: Katie Nolan, Katie@idausa.org, ‪(203) 823-8228

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in Marin County, California, with over 250,000 supporters and a history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, Mississippi, and Central California, since 1983. https://idausa.org/wildanimals

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