Church Pastor Nixes Rat ‘Roulette’ Cruelty at Festival

October 2007

PETA received complaints about a “rat roulette” game at the 2007 Sacred Heart Fall Festival at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinellas Park, Florida, in which a rat was placed in the middle of a spinning roulette wheel and had to locate one of the holes along the side of the wheel in order to get off. After PETA sent a letter to the church’s pastor and called his office, Reverend Gerth agreed to have the cruel game stopped. On PETA’s recommendation, he has created a compassionate policy against the use of animals in games at all future festivals.