Calgary Sun
Wed, April 25, 2007
Man fed puppy to boa constrictor
UPDATED: 2007-04-25 02:59:12 MST

By AP

PHOENIX -- A man who admitted feeding a puppy to a pet boa constrictor failed to show up for sentencing yesterday.

Joseph Beadle, 40, pleaded guilty last month to a charge of animal cruelty, a felony.

He faced sentencing court and a judge issued an arrest warrant when he failed to show.

He was facing up to a year in jail and a US$150,000 fine.

His lawyer, Gerald Bradley, said he didn't know where his client was.

Police reports said Beadle fed the mixed-breed, three-week-old puppy to the snake in June as two 15-year-old boys watched.

He poured cooking oil on the dog so it would be easier for the snake to swallow, the reports said.

Comment: All snake owners feed live animals to their snakes. Is the life of a rat or a rabbit of less worth than a dog's?