Granted, this is not near what has happened to some pets in the past, but even taking that into consideration the fact that some individuals cared less for the welfare of some poor trusting animal than their own amusement does not bode well for their actions in times to come.
On first look I thought they had snipped his tail off too. But the cat has lost its tail in a past accident. Ultimately, thank goodness, this appears to be a physically harmless prank, even though done in a spirit that was lower than a dachshund’s belly. Sounds like they took hair trimmers and buzzed the fur off. The fur will grow back AND so will the whiskers. But what I might use that marker to write on that kid’s forehead if I caught him might be considered rude.