Phil Arkow was our guest speaker. Phil writes the "Pet Pals" column in the Sunday "Courier Post," with information and insights into companion animal behavior, health matters, events, and other interesting animal topics. He also teaches courses in Pet Therapy at Camden County College, helping people in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and other types of institutions by bringing animals to visit the residents. He has written the definitive book on the topic, "Pet Therapy: A Study and Resource Guide for the Use of Companion Animals in Selected Therapies," now in its 8th edition.
Phil spent some time as director of Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, and has spent a great deal of time in Colorado working with animal shelters. He is now working with the Latham Foundation and their ongoing Child and Animal Abuse Prevention Project.
He pointed out two recent events that he expects to make a great difference in the way animals are perceived in the court system. Historically, animals have always been seen as "property" - with no more rights than a toaster. But within the past couple of weeks, the Pennsylvania SPCA was given legal standing to sue to protect the pigeons that are used as living targets each year in Hegins, PA. For many years, animal activists have protested and tried to put an end to the annual Labor Day event, where approximately 5,000 pigeons are killed to raise money for a park. The courts have always said that the groups did not have legal standing to sue to prevent the shoot. But this year, the State Supreme Court unanimously voted to give the SPCA standing, and the shoot will not be held (for the first time in 67 years).
Additionally, both Harvard and Georgetown law schools have added courses offering animal law to their curriculum, lending tremendous credibility to the concept of animals as beings rather than objects.
Phil's main topic was the relationship between Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Animal Abuse, and he has edited a book by that name, a collection of essays dealing with the many aspects of family violence. He also wrote "Breaking the Cycles of Violence: A Practical Guide," a training manual in conjunction with a video put out by the Latham Foundation in 1995. The goal is to have the three social service areas report and work together, because these forms of abuse frequently go hand-in- hand. Phil believes animal abuse must be looked upon as a public health and community violence issue.
A serious issue involves battered women who don't seek help because that would put their animals at risk. We need to work toward getting a shelter specializing in housing animals of abused women. A study in NJ of families involved with Division of Youth & Family Services for child abuse revealed that pets had been abused or neglected in 60% of those homes, and in 88% of families where physical abuse occurred, animal abuse was also observed.
Practically every serial killing, mass murder, and violent episode in schools and work places has involved people who had a history of animal abuse. The connection is strong, and animal agencies need to work toward cooperation with other social service agencies. It is unlikely that those which service humans will seek us out, so it is up to us to forge alliances. Grant money is probably available for such endeavors.
To order "Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse," contact Purdue University Press, 1207 South Campus Courts-E, W. Lafayette, IN 47907, or call 800-933-9637. Call Phil Arkow at 856-627-5118, fax 627-2252, email arkowpets@snip.net. Look for his Pet Pals column Sundays in the "Courier Post."
SHARE Meeting Aug. 22, 1999