People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is urging the Battle Ground Public Schools (BGPS) to adopt its own curriculum following the Dec. 26 arrest of Battle Ground High School student Trevor Ek, 18, who is charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty.
Ek allegedly told investigators he “enjoys killing small animals,” according to court records. Ek made his first court appearance on Dec. 29, following his arrest on allegations of first-degree animal cruelty.
Clark County Superior Court Judge Derek Vanderwood granted supervised release with Ek being prohibited from entering public parks and possessing a dart gun. Ek pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Clark County Superior Court on Jan. 2. Ek is currently out of custody, and his trial is scheduled for March 30.
The arrest, and alleged links to previous instances of animals found with blow darts
Ek also told investigators that he had killed other animals in other locations, “but was reluctant to tell me the other locations,” the investigators stated in a court document.
In February 2025, the Animal Legal Defense Fund offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest regarding reports of rabbits and birds found dead and even still alive with blow darts in them in other Clark County locations, according to previous reporting by The Reflector.
Clark County Animal Protection and Control responded to at least 10 reports of injured rabbits in the vicinity of Fourth Plain Boulevard south to Burton Road and Andresen Road east to Northeast 98th Avenue in Vancouver back to November 2024, according to Feb. 2025 reporting by The Reflector.
The darts collected from that Ogden Neighborhood are the same size and shape used at Lewisville Regional Park, investigators state in their declaration of probable cause report.
“One dart in particular was found at Lewisville Park that appeared to be homemade,” investigators state. “A dart made exactly the same way with similar materials was collected in the Ogden Neighborhood.”
According to court records, on Nov. 24, 2025, Clark County Animal Protections and Control received a report from people at Lewisville Regional Park of a squirrel with a dart embedded in its jaw, alive and still trying to eat.
Within days, the agency received reports of another squirrel with a blow dart embedded in its neck, and another handful of days later, another squirrel with a blow dart in its back and shoulder, court records state.
On Dec. 9, a witness spotted an older Toyota Tacoma leaving Lewisville Regional Park while animal control was attempting to locate the person, according to court records. The reporting party was able to obtain the license plate number, leading a Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputy to track the Toyota truck matching the description parked at Ek’s residence. According to court records, Ek greeted the deputy at the door, holding a thin wire, possibly a snare wire.
Ek allegedly answered “yes” when asked if he was responsible for blow darting squirrels at Lewisville Regional Park, court records state.
The deputy asked Ek why he thought it was OK to injure and kill squirrels at the park. Ek allegedly responded that he enjoys killing small animals and couldn't find any other place to shoot the squirrels. According to court records, Ek asked the deputy if he would receive a ticket for the alleged crimes. The deputy said he was unsure and would be in touch and left.
On Dec. 21, a Lewisville Regional Park staff member sent a text message to animal control officers about two squirrels with darts shot through their necks, court records show. Two witnesses said they saw an old Toyota Tacoma speed away from the park after finding two blow darted squirrels in a parking lot.
Ek was subsequently arrested on Dec. 26.
PETA’s campaign aimed at Battle Ground Public Schools
The arrest sparked the interest of PETA as they now seek to implement a curriculum in Battle Ground Public Schools and have built an ad campaign, as displayed in the organization’s press release.
“TeachKind — PETA’s humane education division — is rushing humane education resources to Battle Ground Public Schools Superintendent Shelly Whitten, along with an urgent letter stressing the need for classroom lessons condemning bullying and harming others and fostering empathy for all,” PETA stated in a news release. “PETA is also erecting a sky-high community message asking anyone who suspects any youngster of abusing animals—or who hopes to stop the problem before it starts—to contact TeachKind for free classroom presentations, lessons, and other resources that help parents and educators cultivate compassion.”
Battle Ground Public Schools Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Amanda Richter, acknowledged PETA’s interest.
“Battle Ground Public Schools agrees that empathy, compassion, and kindness toward animals and people are essential skills for students to cultivate,” Richter stated in an email. “In alignment with Washington state law, the Character Strong curriculum used in Battle Ground emphasizes responsible decision-making and respect for all living beings.”
At the time, Richter added that PETA’s materials should arrive by the end of Friday, Jan. 15.
“We will take a look at them after they have arrived,” Richter stated. “Our board policy outlines a local review process that must be followed prior to the adoption or use of any instructional materials.”
PETA added in its news release that the alleged crimes Ek is charged with can be deemed “behavior considered a red flag by sociologists and criminologists, and indicating the possibility of future escalated violence.”
“Terrorizing and killing animals is a shocking and horrific act, no matter the age of the perpetrator, but cruelty like this is preventable,” says TeachKind Senior Manager Faith Rutherford, in the news release. “Compassion can usually be cultivated, and TeachKind urges educators to use our resources to help kids process this cruel behavior and teach them that violence is never okay, whether the victim is a squirrel or a student.”
PETA Media Officer Sara Groves stated in an email that the TeachKind curriculum has worked with school districts nationwide to integrate humane education resources in the aftermath of cases of young people abusing animals.
“The goal is to provide trauma-informed support for students who may be affected by hearing about the incident, educate the community about the well-documented link between animal abuse and later interpersonal violence, and equip students and educators with tools to recognize, discuss, and — importantly — report animal abuse,” Grove stated.” TeachKind’s curricula can also help prevent future violence by proactively teaching empathy, as not every student receives lessons in kindness and compassion at home—and schools have a powerful opportunity to fill those gaps.”
According to Grove, TeachKind’s resources are designed to complement Character Strong, Second Step, and other social-emotional learning curricula.
“For example, TeachKind’s lessons reinforce Character Strong’s broader character instruction by centering animals in discussions about empathy, ethical decision-making, and prosocial behavior,” Grove stated. “Many students find it easier to engage with these more concrete lessons, which connect more directly to real-world behavior and community safety. TeachKind’s resources and services are modular, so they can be embedded in existing lessons and units, and they’re provided at no cost, allowing districts to add humane education without impacting budgets. Our staff is made up of former classroom teachers, so we recognize the benefit of keeping the district’s strong character work in place and enhancing it so that students learn to extend empathy beyond humans to other animals — a strategy that helps students, educators, animals, and the whole community alike.”
