Three Fort Dodge men were sentenced to 30 days in jail Wednesday after lighting opossums on fire while videotaping themselves. 20-year-old Anthony Herrington, 20-year-old Kevin Calderon and 19-year-old David Bendickson pleaded guilty to charges of animal torture in October.
They had faced up to four years in prison. Under the plea, they were fined 500-dollars each and will have to perform 80 hours of community service and will be on probation for two years. The three made a videotape showing the burning of live opossums in Webster County and submitted the tape to the humor website E-Baum’s World, which turned the tape over to the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA contacted authorities.