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Warning: Details in this article may be upsetting to readersA southeast Idaho teacher accused of feeding a live puppy to a snapping turtle in front of students has been acquitted of misdemeanor animal cruelty.Media outlets report a Franklin County jury found Robert Crosland not guilty Friday after deliberating for about 30 minutes.The charge was filed in June after allegations surfaced that Crosland put the puppy into an aquarium with a turtle at Preston Junior High in March in front of several students.KSTU reports a 14-year-old said he played with and touched the puppy before Crosland first tried feeding it to a snake in his classroom.“It was pretty cute,” the teen witness said. “It looked like a Lab.”Crosland then reportedly put the puppy in the snapping turtle tank. The puppy swam around before it was dragged to the bottom of the tank by the snapping turtle, the teen testified.“And then the puppy passed out and became unconscious,” the teen continued.East Idaho News reports the turtle waited for the puppy to stop moving, which took around 30 seconds, before it began to eat. Jill Parrish, an animal rights activist, filed a police report, calling the incident "disgusting" and "sick." “Allowing children to watch an innocent baby puppy scream because it is being fed to an animal. That is violence. That is not OK,” she said. Crosland pleaded not guilty in July.During trial Friday, the jury heard Crosland say in a recorded interview with investigators the puppy was sick and likely to die."I honestly thought I was doing the right thing by putting it out of its misery," Crosland said in an interview, according to KIDK. Crosland's son, Mario Crosland, said his father decided to let another animal gain from the death of the puppy rather than let the dog die from illness.“If you can lose a life to help another, then why not?” Mario Crosland said.The state Department of Agriculture euthanized the turtle, which Crosland owned. It was an invasive species in Idaho, and he didn’t have a permit for it.“There was no question in my mind that he had no evil intent or no intent to harm this animal. Given the fact that what he does for a living and the area in which he teachers – there is no question he was doing what he thought was best for this puppy,” Stratton Laggis, Crosland's defense attorney, said. Crosland thanked the community for support. "I'd like to thank this community for staying behind me. It's really what got me through all of this just their comments and talking to me and expressing their love for me," he said. Crosland will reportedly now continue to teach at Preston Junior High.