Educational literature for decision makers (re animal abuse & violence connection)
Question from Marte:
Is there any literature we could get to send to public officials? That Montana case of the young man who used kittens to train his cougar dogs ended horribly. They slapped his wrist because he, "Only killed three kittens," that they can document. He admits killing 15, but even if it was one, it was a horrifying crime.
I still have the letter from the prosecutor and would like to send him something to show WHY it is in humanity's best interests to put a halt to animal cruelty. Something with some documented proof that a young man such as this can easily turn into a young man who also tortures, abuses, or kills other humans.
I'd also like to send some short articles to local newspapers to raise awareness. But I need some proof beyond my own beliefs.
Response from Alison Gianotto:
This is an excellent question, and one that every animal advocate faces - especially in more rural areas where animal cruelty laws are lacking and the prosecution of these cases seem to be less than rigorous. Once more prosecutors begin to see animal cruelty as a public safety issue, I believe we will have hurtled one of the most significant obstacles that face the animal welfare community - and animals. Fortunately, what you're looking for is right at your
fingertips!
Before I get to the links, here are the more significant statistical and case-study examples:
CASES:
* Patrick Sherrill, who killed 14 coworkers at a post office and then shot himself, had a history of stealing local pets and allowing his own dog to attack and mutilate them.
* Earl Kenneth Shriner, who raped, stabbed, and mutilated a 7-year-old boy, had been widely known in his neighborhood as the man who put firecrackers in dogs' rectums and strung up cats.
* Brenda Spencer, who opened fire at a San Diego school, killing two children and injuring nine others, had repeatedly abused cats and dogs, often by setting their tails on fire.
* Albert DeSalvo, the "Boston Strangler" who killed 13 women, trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes in his youth.
* Carroll Edward Cole, executed for five of the 35 murders of which he was accused, said his first act of violence as a child was to strangle a puppy.
* In 1987, three Missouri high school students were charged with the beating death of a classmate. They had histories of repeated acts of animal mutilation starting several years earlier. One confessed that he had killed so many cats he'd lost count.
* Two brothers who murdered their parents had previously told classmates that they had decapitated a cat.
* Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had impaled dogs' heads, frogs, and cats on sticks.
STATISTICS AND STUDIES:
* In 88 percent of 57 New Jersey families being treated for child abuse, animals in the home had been abused.
* Of 23 British families with a history of animal neglect, 83 percent had been identified by experts as having children at risk of abuse or neglect.
* In one study of battered women, 57 percent of those with pets said their partners had harmed or killed the animals. One in four said that she stayed with the batterer because she feared leaving the pet behind.
You will likely find those statistics published on many websites, and if you ever lose track of them, you can find them at:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/connection/
http://www.pet-abuse.com/connection/whole.php
That said, the top two places I would recommend obtaining materials from are American Humane and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). American Humane is very active in educating people about the Link, and HSUS has a fantastic program called "First Strike" which strives to raise awareness about that connection.
American Humane has two fantastic print-outs related to the link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence:
(You will need Adobe Acrobat to view and print these, as they are in PDF format.
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, you can get it for free at www.adobe.com)
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/DocServer/lk_link_article.pdf?docID=603
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/DocServer/nr_Factsheet_TheLink.pdf?docID=1727
HSUS First Strike information can be found here:
Within that section, there is a link to downloadable information:
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/first_strike_the_connection_between_animal_cruelty_and_human_violence/download_first_strike_materials.html
Scroll down to the "Making the Connection Fact Sheets" and you will find great printouts geared for vets, humane law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys and more.
And finally, if you are interested in staying on top of newer cases where the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence are present, you can visit our cruelty database:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/database/search.php?human_connection=1