Washington Wrestling Coach Resigns Following Cruelty-to-Animals Charge

July 2002

Aron Bright, a wrestling coach at Avon High School in Cloverdale, Washington, admitted to biting the head off a live sparrow in front of his team. PETA sent a letter to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department asking that Bright be charged with cruelty to animals, and we also posted an action alert to members. Bright was suspended without pay for two weeks and charged with cruelty to animals. Though the charge was dismissed when Bright completed community service, he resigned from his post after having coached for seven years.

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 Ingrid E. Newkirk

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind