Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A high school in the U.S., ranked the best in its state in 2012, has come under fire after animal rights advocacy group released footage of nine of students making what appears to be a “dance” video with dead cats, the Daily Mail reported.

Students at Oklahoma City’s Harding Charter Preparatory High School are seen in the video bouncing cats and moving them across their desks as a song plays in the background.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) posted the video online, explaining that the cats were meant to be used in an anatomy lesson part of biology class. In response to the incident, PETA started an online petition calling the school administration to investigate.

“The video of the choreographed display was posted on social media, and the students’ teacher was even tagged in the post,” the group said in a statement.

“Students learn faster and better by using non-animal methods such as interactive software programs, and with these modern tools, they don’t learn to treat or think of animals as equipment to be used and discarded.”

PETA attempted to contact the school several times, but without success, the group’s spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

“Cats used for dissection are often lost or stolen animal companions,” Goodman said.

“But in classrooms like this one, students are taught that they’re props and inanimate laboratory tools to be mocked, used, and discarded,” he added.

According to its website, Harding Charter was ranked as the top school in Oklahoma by U.S. News and World Report in 2012.

* Al Arabiya