The Connectio Between Animal Cruelty And Human Violence

Animal cruelty encompasses a range of different behaviors harmful to animals,

from neglect to malicious, brutal killings. Studies show that animal cruelty may lead to

more serious forms of crime, like heavy drug use, violent outbursts, and most common,

cold blooded murder. Many studies in psychology, sociology, and criminology during the

last twenty-five years have demonstrated that violent offenders frequently have childhood

and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty. A web page that goes by

the name Animal Alliance says “most cruelty investigated by humane officers, is

unintentional neglect, and can be resolved through education.” (3) I was slightly shocked

when I saw this comment. Anyone who puts an animals’ life in their hands, has a

responsibility to it. You don’t just forget to feed him/her, or forget to show them love

unless it is intentional, it get so much worse, though. These people aren’t just forgetting

to feed their pets, or give them attention, they’re kicking and beating them, poisoning and

butchering these poor creatures, and what makes me sick to my stomach, is that some of

these people do it for fun!! I recently ran across a link to a web page that contained a

online petition to put a cat’s killers to justice with maximum sentence. This is the article I

found on this brutal torture of an innocent creature.

***WARNING*** (graphic details)

“On October 10, 1999, a beautiful female cat came willingly to the four boys who

stopped on the side of the road and called to her. Her trust was rewarded by unthinkable

terror and cruelty - being used as a tug-of-war toy until the boys heard something "pop",

having her legs broken, being jumped up and down on like a trampoline. Even when her

pitiful battered body was mercifully dead, her suffering was not at an end. The boys then

placed her ravaged body under the wheel of their car, braking over her, as they drove off

to find other amusement. Once the Chesapeake Animal Control conducted their

investigation and performed a necropsy, criminal charges were filed against 3 of the 4

boys involved. If these charges are found to be accurate, these boys are not only in

violation of the laws of the State of Virginia, but are also in need of immediate

psychiatric intervention.” (1)***

Another horrific article I ran across was even worse. It was about a dog ...

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...ignore what we think of as childish exploration. Our

children learn the most important aspects of life young and if they’re not aware of what is

right and wrong, it could possibly lead to more dangerous attempts. As a society, we can

not tolerate cruelty towards animals. People inclined to inflict pain and torture upon

animals have a predisposition to violence against both animals and humans. “A 1997

study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)

reports that youngsters convicted of animal abuse are five times more likely to commit

violence against other humans than are their peers, four times more likely to be involved

in acts against property, and three times more likely to be drug offenders.” (2)

Bibliography

1. No More Cruelty- http://www.geocities.com/animalabusealert/index.html

a) Cat Killers

b) Scruffy

2. Colorado High School Gunmen Linked To Animal Cruelty (web article)

http://www.hsus.org/whatnew/litteton032399.html

a)Lockwood

3. Animal Alliance-http://animalalliance.ca/factsheets/humviol.py

4. Animal Victims/Human Victims: Reports from Police Case Files-

http://members.tripod.com/nocruelty/anicru.htm#avh