A Utah man has been acquitted of animal cruelty charges after videos surfaced of him eating a live baby rat, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Andy Ray Harris, 31, was charged in April with a class A misdemeaor after authorities from the Ethical Treatment of Animals reported the video to police.
But last week Judge Roberts Adkins dismissed the charges, telling police Harris ate the rat "on a dare from his friends."
The 45-second Youtube video shows a hairless rat struggling on a sheet of paper before Harris picks it up, chews it and swallows it whole. Surrounding friends can be heard cheering wildly as Harris sticks out his tongue to prove he's finished the rat.
Prosecutors argued the baby rat deserved protection because it was a domesticated animal and was killed in an unacceptable fashion.
Although Harris admitted the act was "unusual and grotesque", he pleaded not guilty to the charges of animal cruelty.
According to documents obtained by The Tribune, Harris defended himself by arguing that "for centuries rats have been a scourge to humanity and should have no legal protection," and "since the rat was destined to be eatened by a snake anyway, it made no difference" that he ate it.
Harris also noted that efforts to capture and kill rats resulted in far more painful deaths and have not ended in prosecution.
The video can be viewed here. Warning: It may contain graphic and disturbing footage.
