Animal Cruelty

Animal Neglect and The Criminal Society

Animal neglect and/or cruelty is a tragic situation to endure as a child. Many American children do experience some type of animal abuse at some point in their lives. We as adults need to know the difference between animal abuse and animal neglect. It is also helpful to know what to do if we witness animal abuse and/or animal neglect. Many Americans do not know how to handle the situation properly. Many demographic characteristics and childhood experiences play a factor in the link of violence against humans. (Hensley, C. & Tallichet, S., 2005) It is hard to ask the question why children harm animals, but most of the time animal abuse can lead to child abuse within the family. We have to ask ourselves how that affects the children. One scale (P.E.T.) might help us answer that question. The P.E.T. scale (Physical and Emotional Tormenting against animals in adolescents) will help parents and Americans understand how animal abuse affects the children and what we can do to help. (Baldry, A.C., 2004) Animal cruelty encompasses a range of behavior that is harmful to animals, from neglect to malicious killings. (Baldry, A.C., 2004) Animal cruelty has been recognized as potentially leading to later violence against humans, clinicians and researchers have sought to more clearly define this phenomenon. (Hensley, C. & Tallichet, S., 2005) As many loving Americans, we would like to understand the recurrence of animal abuse to both animals and humans. Most studies have been clinical and criminological in their nature looking at the relationship between animal cruelty and antisocial behaviors, especially among violent offenders. (Hensley, C. & Tallichet, S., 2005)

When trying to help an animal that is in an abuse or neglect situation, it is important to first know and understand what constitutes animal abuse, neglect, or torture. "Cruel" means causing unnecessary and excessive pain or suffering or unjustifiable injury or death.

(Townwnd, C., 2005) Abuse is almost the same as being cruel. Abuse is to treat wrongfully or harmfully; physically injurious to another. Neglect is not giving adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care to the animal. Sometimes the situation can be unsure whether it is neglect or abuse. (Townwnd, C., 2005) In any case it is always best to report it. If anyone witnesses either animal abuse or neglect, that person should immediately report it to the local law enforcement agency or the county humane officer. Do not try to take the animal; believe it or not, it is against the law. With that being said, none of us want to break the law, but want to help. Cruelty against nonhuman animals has been a long standing societal problem. (Arluke, A. & Lockwood, R., 1997) Each of the 50 states in the United States has a statute, which makes neglect and/or deliberate abuse of animals a crime. (Arluke, A. & Lockwood, R., 1997) Punishments have traditionally been lenient. Recently, increased concern over the status of animal abuse in society as well as the burgeoning literature showing the connection between deliberate cruelty to animals, child abuse, and domestic violence have helped push state legislatures to raise the severity of punishment for deliberate cruelty to animals to the felony level. (Ascione, F. & Arkow, P. 1999)

These increased criminal penalties are a double edged sword. A significant drawback is that the quality of the evidence necessary to obtain a felony conviction will increase substantially. (Cooper, J.E. & Cooper, M.E., 1998) It will be necessarily fall back on the veterinary profession to provide the evidence and expert testimony. Unfortunately, formal training in veterinary forensic science is not even available in specialist post-graduate training programs in veterinary pathology anywhere in the United States or Western Europe. (Cooper J.E. & Cooper M.E., 1998)

The small number and geographic distribution of United States veterinary schools make it impractical for animal cruelty cases throughout the United States to all be evaluated by veterinary pathologists. (Cooper, J.E. & Cooper M.E., 1998)

The vast majority of this responsibility will fall on the shoulders of veterinarians working in private practice or in shelters.

Researchers, the FBI and other agencies in the United States, have linked animal cruelty to domestic violence, child abuse, serial killings and the recent rash of killings by school age children.

"Among the most notorious of those have been Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler), Theodore Bundy, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), Jeffrey Dahmer, Marc Lepine, Carroll Edward Coleis and Martin Bryant. All of them have a history of animal torture and killing in their childhood. Five of the six students in the United States who went on shooting rampages in 1999 had histories of animal cruelty in their childhoods. Kip Kinkel, 15, allegedly walked into his high school cafeteria and opened fire on his classmates. Two were killed and 22 others injured four critically. Later that day police found his parents shot to death in their home. It was reported by family and friends Kinkel had a history of animal abuse. He often bragged about torturing and killing animals. Mitchell Johnson, 13 and Andrew Golden, 11, allegedly shot and killed four students and a teacher at their school. A friend of Andrew's said he shot dogs all the time with a .22 rifle. Luke Woodham, 16, stabbed his mother to death then went to his high school where he shot and killed two classmates and injured seven others.

Prior to the killings Woodham stated in his personal journal that he and an accomplice beat, burned and tortured his dog Sparkle to death." (Townswnd, C., 2005)

There is a gruesome litany of case histories of killers, rapists, batterers, and child abusers who "practiced" on animals when they were children.

Most professionals agree that animal abuse is not just the result of a personality flaw in the abuser, but a symptom of a deeply disturbed family. Perpetrators of violent acts against animal are predominantly adolescent males who come from all ethic and socio-economic backgrounds. (Arluke, A. & Lockwood, R., 1997) Many are reflecting the violence they experience at home. Compelling studies show children who abuse animals have been victims of child abuse themselves. Children who witness their parents reacting to anger or frustration with violence often participate in pecking-order battering with the next vulnerable member of the family, usually the companion animal. (Ascione, F. & Arkow, P., 1999) It is estimated that 88% of animals living in households