Posted on October 29, 2009 by Erin Majerowicz, Staff Writer
Lynchburg College tells incoming freshmen every year, "if a pet is your wish, it must be a fish." But, what happens when that fish is found with a knife through it?
On Oct. 13, Portland, Ore. resident Donald Earl Fite was sentenced to a two-year probation, a psychological evaluation and community service after attacking his girlfriend and piercing her pet fish with a knife this summer, according to Baltimoresun.com.
"If I were that guy, I would probably have to take my anger out on a fish too; they're dangerous little things that taunt you day in and day out," senior Shane Roscher said.
Fite's girlfriend left her house and returned with police on the evening of the assault, only to find her fish, DeLorean, dead on the floor, according to Baltimoresun.com.
"Honestly, if I were a fish with the name DeLorean, I would be asking to be put out of my misery and say ‘please stab me with a knife or change my name...whatever is easiest," senior Samantha Marano said.
Fite told the police, "If she can't have me, then she can't have the fish," according the Baltimoresun.com.
"It probably wasn't a good idea to kill her pet because that is pretty messed up. You would think he would've tried talking to her instead of taking it out on the fish," sophomore Amanda Wain said.
The judge ordered Fite to stay away from his ex but did not ban him from being near fish.
"I think he deserves the punishment he was given and should have probably been banned from being near fish all together. What he did was blatant animal cruelty, even if it was in the heat of the moment. What kind of demented person would stab a fish in order to seek revenge?" junior Caitlin Gibb said.
Fite's ex-girlfriend plans to get a tattoo in memory of DeLorean and requested that Fite pay for it. The judge did not make him pay restitution for the tattoo, according to Baltimoresun.com.
"These days it's getting tougher and tougher for fish. You would think being a fish you would only have to worry about bigger fish in the ocean, now you have to look out for psychotic ex-boyfriends too," senior Jim Schuhl said.
