When you think of death threats, humans usually come to mind. Yet the top 10 animals listed below have all been on the receiving end of terrifying warnings. From heroic sniffer dogs to a fortune‑telling pig, each creature got tangled in a web of danger for wildly different reasons. Let’s dive into why these critters were singled out and how they managed to stay alive.

Top 10 Animals Threatened: Why They Faced Death Threats

10. Sombra

Sombra is a German‑shepherd sniffer dog employed by the Colombian police, renowned for sniffing out concealed narcotics. Originally stationed at seaports, she was later transferred to an airport after she became the target of a death threat.

The threat came from the Urabenos gang, the most powerful Colombian drug cartel, led by Dairo Antonio Usuga (aka Otoniel). Otoniel placed a bounty of 200 million pesos (about US $70,000) on anyone who would kill the dog.

Otoniel’s men issued the warning after Sombra uncovered ten tonnes of drugs belonging to the cartel. She first discovered 5.3 tonnes destined for shipment through Turbo, a coastal town notorious for speed‑boat and submarine drug runs into the United States.

She later sniffed out another four tonnes hidden inside car parts meant for export. In response, police relocated Sombra to the airport and bolstered her protection with additional officers.

9. Matisse

Jules O’Dwyer and her canine partner Matisse won the 2015 edition of Britain’s Got Talent, taking home £250,000 after a finale where Jules played a policewoman chasing a sausage‑stealing dog.

Matisse performed several tricks, most famously walking across two parallel tightropes. The audience loved the stunt, but after the win Jules confessed that the tightrope act had actually been performed by another dog, Chase, who had been swapped in mid‑show.

This revelation infuriated voters, who believed Matisse had completed the feat herself. Even the judging panel had been duped into thinking Matisse was the one on the rope.

Angry viewers responded with a flood of death threats on Twitter aimed at both Matisse and Chase. Jules quickly tightened security around her dogs to keep them safe.

8. Trouble

Trouble was a white Maltese owned by the late American billionaire Leona Helmsley. After Helmsley’s death, Trouble inherited $12 million, prompting a wave of death threats aimed at the pampered pooch.

Family members who were left out of the massive inheritance, including two of Helmsley’s grandchildren, were suspected of issuing the threats. Trouble lived on the 46th floor of the luxurious Helmsley Park Lane Hotel in New York, with meals prepared by private chefs and a sizable annual upkeep budget.

The caretakers of Trouble received 24 distinct death threats. To safeguard the dog, they arranged for private security and even booked her flights under an alias.

Eventually, Trouble toned down her extravagant lifestyle, switching to regular dog food and living a more low‑key existence.

7. Octopus Paul

Octopus Paul gained fame as a psychic during the 2010 World Cup, correctly predicting the winners of seven matches, including the final, which he said Spain would win.

For each match Paul was presented with two boxes, each containing a mussel and a flag of the competing nations. He would eat the mussel from the box representing the team he predicted would triumph.

His predictions angered fans of the losing nations. After Paul chose Germany over Argentina, Argentine supporters threatened to cook and eat him, even publishing a recipe for boiled octopus. German fans, upset by his forecast that Germany would lose to Spain, also called for his demise, suggesting he be fried, barbecued, or turned into a salad.

These threats highlighted how a simple sea creature could become a lightning rod for national pride and disappointment.

6. Conduit

Conduit, a racehorse, received death threats before the July 2009 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The threats came from Andrew Rodgerson, who feared a Conduit victory would plunge him into a £50,000 debt.

Rodgerson had been paid to place bets for a group of clients but failed to include Conduit’s race in his wagers. A win would have left him financially exposed.

He sent a threatening text to Peter Reynolds, the general manager of Ballymacoll Stud, demanding the horse be withdrawn, followed by a menacing email when his initial message seemed ignored. Reynolds reported the threats to police, leading to Rodgerson’s swift arrest based on his phone and computer records.

Conduit went on to win the race, while Rodgerson received a 34‑week jail sentence, suspended for two years, after explaining his threats were driven by fear of his bettors’ possible retaliation.

5. Punxsutawney Phil

Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog famed for predicting whether winter will linger for six more weeks or give way to early spring each February 2 on Groundhog Day.

Phil is said to have been born in 1887, making him 131 years old as of 2018, though captive groundhogs typically live around ten years. The current Phil is likely one of several groundhogs that have inherited the name over the decades.

Statistically, Phil forecasts correctly only 39 percent of the time, meaning he’s more often wrong than right. In 2014, after he predicted six more weeks of winter, disgruntled fans posted death threats on social media, demanding his removal because they expected an early spring.

This wasn’t the first time Phil faced legal trouble. In 2013, Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser indicted Phil for inaccurate forecasts, reminding the public that deliberate weather‑prediction errors could be punishable by death under Ohio law.

4. Wiarton Willie

Wiarton Willie, another groundhog, performed the same weather‑prediction duties as Phil, announcing whether winter would persist based on whether he saw his shadow on Groundhog Day.

Willie died of natural causes in 2017 at age 13 and was succeeded by an understudy. In 1996, after predicting an early spring, a wave of angry fans sent phone calls and letters threatening to kill Willie to his handler, Sam Brouwer.

The threats were so serious that Willie was placed under protective custody to ensure his safety.

3. Loki

Loki is a puppy owned by One Direction singer Liam Payne. In 2013, Payne announced the new addition on Twitter and even created a dedicated Twitter account for the pup.

Almost immediately, fans began sending death threats toward the innocent puppy. Some suggested Loki might not survive the next day, others called for his outright killing, debating whether guns or knives would be more appropriate. A hashtag #DieLoki briefly trended, though it failed to gain traction.

The threats appeared to stem from fans upset that Loki had reunited Payne with his then‑girlfriend Danielle Peazer. Those opposed to the couple’s reconciliation directed their anger at the puppy instead.

2. Unnamed Dogs

In Marian, Queensland, Australia, a resident’s dogs were the target of death threats after persistent barking annoyed a neighbour. The threats arrived in a handwritten letter dropped in the owner’s mailbox.

The writer claimed to speak on behalf of the entire neighbourhood, demanding that the barking stop, and threatened lethal action against the dogs.

Police questioned nearby residents, most of whom condemned the threats. Authorities reminded the public that animal cruelty carries up to three years imprisonment and urged anyone with information to come forward.

1. Mystic Marcus

Mystic Marcus is a micro‑pig from a farm in Heage, Derbyshire, Britain, famed for allegedly predicting major sporting and political events. He correctly foresaw the winners of the 2014 World Cup and the Wimbledon men’s final, as well as Britain’s Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory.

During the 2018 World Cup, Marcus was presented with 32 apples, each bearing a national flag. He ate four apples representing Argentina, Belgium, Nigeria, and Uruguay, claiming those nations would reach the semifinals. In reality, only Belgium made it that far.

Marcus also predicted that England would defeat Croatia in the semifinal to reach the final—a first for England in 30 years. When England lost, angry British fans flooded Marcus with death threats, demanding he be turned into sausage or bacon.

When we talk about 10 historical figures who were granted posthumous pardons, we’re diving into a world where justice stretches across centuries, even millennia. A posthumous pardon serves as a symbolic act of redemption, a way to correct a tarnished reputation long after the individual has passed away. While some argue it’s merely symbolic, others see it as a necessary step to acknowledge past injustices.

10 Cicero

Back in 63 BC, a coalition of angry politicians, soldiers, and farmers led by Lucius Sergius Catilina—better known as Catiline—attempted a coup against the Roman Republic, aiming to overthrow the two consuls, Cicero and Gaius Antonius Hybrida. Their plot, known as the Catiline Conspiracy, failed spectacularly after Cicero exposed it. Catiline fled Rome, only to meet his end at the hands of Antonius at the Battle of Pistoria.

Meanwhile, Cicero moved swiftly, exposing other conspirators and ordering their execution without trial. For 2,000 years, this episode has cast a shadow over Cicero’s legacy, with many accusing him of murder to boost his political standing. Yet, centuries later, a mock trial organized by the charity Classics for All took place at the UK Supreme Court, where Cicero was finally cleared of the charges.

The mock trial, though not legally binding, featured King’s Counsel Ali Bajwa defending Cicero before a jury of 50 history enthusiasts. The defense emphasized the wartime context, arguing that Cicero’s actions were lawful attempts to protect the state. The jury voted 28‑22 in his favor, effectively exonerating the famed orator.

9 Lenny Bruce

American comedian Lenny Bruce was notorious for saying whatever crossed his mind, often offending the sensibilities of his time. His razor‑sharp humor landed him in repeated legal trouble throughout the 1960s, with multiple arrests on obscenity charges. While he was acquitted or had charges dropped in many cases, a 1964 performance at the Cafe Au Go Go led to a six‑month trial that resulted in a guilty verdict.

Bruce was released on bail pending appeal, but tragically died of a drug overdose before the appeal could be resolved on August 3, 1966. Nearly four decades later, Governor George Pataki of New York granted Bruce the state’s first posthumous pardon, clearing his name.

The campaign to secure this pardon was driven by Bruce’s daughter and ex‑wife, bolstered by First Amendment activists and fellow entertainers like Robin Williams, Penn & Teller, and the Smothers Brothers, all advocating for his right to free expression.

8 Henry Ossian Flipper

In 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper broke barriers by becoming the first Black American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Cavalry, serving with the famed Buffalo Soldiers and later becoming quartermaster at Fort Davis.

While stationed at Fort Davis, a sum of money vanished from the safe. Flipper was arrested and faced charges of embezzlement. A 1881 court‑martial cleared him of the primary charge but found him guilty of a secondary count—conduct unbecoming an officer—resulting in a dishonorable discharge in 1882.

Decades later, evidence surfaced suggesting racial bias and potential framing by a commanding officer. In 1976, the Army exonerated Flipper, converting his discharge to honorable. Finally, in 1999, President Bill Clinton issued a full pardon, restoring Flipper’s reputation.

7 Susan B. Anthony

President Donald Trump granted a full posthumous pardon to 19th‑century women’s‑rights champion Susan B. Anthony, who fought tirelessly for women’s suffrage. In 1873, Anthony was tried for illegally voting in the 1872 presidential election—a bold act of civil disobedience.

While fourteen other women from the same ward also voted, none attracted the same legal scrutiny as Anthony. The presiding judge, Supreme Court Justice Ward Hunt, harbored a clear bias against women’s suffrage, refusing Anthony a chance to speak until after the verdict and effectively directing the jury toward a guilty finding.

Anthony was fined $100, a sum she proudly refused to pay, insisting she would challenge the decision all the way to the Supreme Court. Although the judge declined to imprison her for non‑payment, the case highlighted the systemic barriers women faced.

6 Oscar Wilde

Today, Oscar Wilde is celebrated as one of the English language’s greatest writers, yet his life was marred by a notorious trial. In 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry publicly accused Wilde of “posing sodomite” because of Wilde’s secret relationship with the Marquess’s son, Lord Alfred Douglas.

Wilde sued for criminal libel, but the Marquess produced evidence confirming the accusation. The libel case collapsed, and Wilde was arrested for sodomy and gross indecency. Convicted, he endured two years of hard labor, which devastated his health and contributed to his early death.

In 2017, Wilde, along with thousands of other men convicted under antiquated homosexuality laws, received posthumous pardons under the UK’s Alan Turing Law, rectifying historic injustices.

5 Jack Johnson

In 1908, Jack Johnson shocked a racially charged America by becoming the first Black world heavyweight boxing champion. His victory over James Jeffries in the 1910 “Fight of the Century,” where Jeffries was billed as the “Great White Hope,” sparked race riots across dozens of cities.

Chicago targeted Johnson in 1912 after a white woman from Minneapolis alleged her daughter, an employee at Johnson’s Café de Champion, was romantically involved with the boxer. The city council revoked the club’s liquor license, barred music, and barred Johnson from the premises.

Further harassment came when another white woman claimed a relationship with Johnson that crossed state lines, prompting authorities to charge him under the Mann Act—an anti‑human‑trafficking law. Convicted, Johnson fled to Europe before eventually serving his sentence. Actor Sylvester Stallone led a campaign that culminated in President Trump granting Johnson a full pardon in 2018.

4 Robert E. Lee

Following the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a broad amnesty to Confederates who pledged allegiance to the Union and accepted the abolition of slavery. However, certain exceptions existed, notably for former officers who had resigned commissions to join the Confederacy. These individuals could still apply for clemency.

General Robert E. Lee, the Confederate army’s commander, submitted his oath and petition but the paperwork vanished. Secretary of State William Seward allegedly kept the petition as a souvenir, instructing subordinates to “lose” the oath. Subsequent amnesty measures failed to reach Lee, who died in 1870 without formal restoration of his citizenship.

Decades later, an archivist uncovered Lee’s lost oath in the National Archives. After five more years of bureaucratic navigation, President Gerald Ford signed a congressional resolution on August 5, 1975, granting Lee a posthumous pardon and reinstating his full citizenship.

3 The Groveland Four

In 1949, four Black teenagers in Groveland, Florida—Ernest Thomas, Samuel Shepherd, Walter Irvin, and Charles Greenlee—were accused of raping a white woman and assaulting her husband. Thomas fled and was captured by a mob, who shot him over 400 times. Shepherd was killed by a sheriff claiming he attempted escape.

Irvin and Greenlee, after enduring torture, confessed and were convicted. Irvin was paroled in 1968 but died in a car accident a year later; Greenlee was paroled in 1962 and lived until 2012. The Supreme Court in the 1950s ruled the trials were unfair, yet a second trial still resulted in convictions, even with future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall on the defense team.

It wasn’t until 2019 that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a posthumous pardon to the Groveland Four. Two years later, a judge fully exonerated them of all charges, finally acknowledging the grave miscarriage of justice.

2 Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great faced a mock trial identical to Cicero’s, organized by Classics for All. The moot court convened at the UK Supreme Court, where the Macedonian king was charged with war crimes for the burning of Persepolis.

The prosecution argued the destruction was a deliberate political act, while the defense claimed it resulted from drunken mishap—a scenario many can relate to. King’s Counsel Patrick Gibbs defended Alexander, and Justice Philippe Sands served as prosecutor, with Lord Leggatt presiding.

After deliberation, the court acquitted Alexander on all four war‑crime counts, allowing the legendary conqueror to walk free, at least in the realm of historical imagination.

1 Alan Turing

Alan Turing, the English mathematician, computer scientist, and wartime codebreaker, laid the foundations for modern computing and artificial intelligence. His brilliance helped the Allies decipher Axis communications during World War II, earning him a place among Britain’s most celebrated figures.

Despite his contributions, Turing’s personal life led to tragedy. In 1952, he was convicted of “gross indecency” for being gay—a crime under the laws of the time. To avoid imprisonment, he accepted chemical castration, a treatment that devastated his health. Two years later, he died from cyanide poisoning, with lingering debate over whether it was suicide or accident.

In 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a formal apology, describing Turing’s treatment as unjust. Although Justice Minister Lord McNally initially denied a pardon, the Queen eventually exercised the royal prerogative of mercy, granting Turing a full pardon. The 2016 Alan Turing Law extended retroactive pardons to thousands of men convicted under outdated homosexuality statutes, including Oscar Wilde.