The Cruelty Connection

There’s an increasing body of studies and empirical evidence suggesting definite links between animal cruelty and human violence. Many studies in Canada and the U.S. have demonstrated this connection.

Some of the key findings are:

• Violent offenders frequently have histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty in their childhood and adolescence.

• Cruelty to animals is widely recognized as a warning sign that a child may require help to prevent further violence.

• Childhood cruelty to animals may be an indicator of other forms of abuse in the home.

• Family pets are often targets in domestic violence, and threats of violence toward a pet are often used as a means of control by an abusive family member.

• Many victims of domestic violence remain in an abusive situation out of concern for the safety of their pets or livestock.

Deliberate cruelty to animals is a form of violence. Besides being harmful to a living creature capable of suffering and feeling pain, intentional animal cruelty can be one of the earliest and most dramatic predictors that an individual is developing a pattern of seeking power and control by inflicting suffering on others. It can also be an indicator of other kinds of violence being perpetrated on family members or others.

If you have cause to believe there is animal abuse occurring in your community, you should report it to the appropriate SPCA or humane society for your area. Discuss your concerns and observations – the staff who take the calls share your concern and will help to identify the nature of the situation and the appropriate response. Your call will be treated in confidence, though your name and contact information will need to be taken in case further information is needed. On rare occasions (if cases go to court) you may need to provide written or verbal testimony.