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 who to was also a

victim of rancid brutality. Here is that story.

***WARNING*** (graphic details)

"Jose, Marcus, Richard and Lance are accused of obtaining a video camera, pressing the

'record' button, luring Scruffy from his home, and then torturing and killing him in an

unspeakably monstrous act of cruelty. In the videotape that the police and media have in

their possession, four men are shown torturing and killing Scruffy in lurid detail. The

quality of the tape is very good, and the police have been able to obtain photographs of

the men in the tape. In this tape, one of the four men is shown to elevate Scruffy off the

ground by the neck, and then begin this horrific abuse by choking him. This 6 pound little

dog did not have a fighting chance against these men. Scruffy, still alive, was then placed

in a trash bag. The four men shown in the tape then doused the trash bag with what

appeared in the video to be lamp oil, took a cigarette lighter, and set Scruffy on fire.

Scruffy, at this point in the video, began to run wildly in pain and agony around the trees

while the four men watched and laughed. When the flames finally went out, Scruffy was

still alive, but his torture was not over. Next, the men decided to try to decapitate Scruffy

with a shovel. After slamming the shovel into Scruffy's neck and not being able to attain

their goal, they realized that Scruffy was more of a fighter than they had expected. The

men then opened Scruffy's mouth and began to pull his jaws apart, as if trying to rip his

face in two. Using the shovel in place of a club, the men then beat Scruffy until his tiny

body gave out, and he died. Throughout the videotape the four men are all shown

laughing and having a good time as they are carrying out these unspeakable tortures." (1)

***

After I read these stories I was disgusted, revolted, down right sickened by the realization

that these men needed to be institutionalized or locked down. It's scare's me to think of

what they would and are capable of doing to a human being.

The FBI uses reports of animal cruelty in analyzing the threat potential of

suspected and known violent criminals. Dr. Randall Lockwood, vice president of

Training Initiatives for The Humane Society of the United States, states that

"Researchers, as well as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies nationwide, have

linked