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the correlation between human & animal abuse
Posted by jld on November 02, 2002 at 11:03:13:
Greetings! My name is Jenna, my husband and I run a reptile/exotic rescue in New Hampshire. The past year we have been working our own local cruelty case (which he posted below about), as well as consulting on different cases around the country where we can offer some input or assistance.
I've provided a link to a very interesting article that may help shed some light on aspects of animal abuse. Although the name of it escapes me at the moment, there is education available that discusses the correltations between doemstic violence/human violence and animal abuse, it is a large problem in this country. For those that are interested, you may find some information in the article to help give you a broader perspective of the problems.
Additionally, what I can tell you from first hand experience and working closely with Animal Controll Officers and Cruelty Investigators that the number one complaint they have is that people who have actually witnessed the animal abuse, as well as those groups that help to literally "clean it up", are hesitant to get involved when it comes to making statements, identifying the potential defendant and testifying in court. While it is an awesome thing to save an animal from present danger, it's a greater good to help ensure that those guilty of the actual act do not go unpunished. Simply put, it makes their job harder if not impossible when it comes to putting away the bad guy/gal if no one will testify against that person.
Recently I was invited to speak to a group of people involved in ferret rescue. While they all seemed overly eager to bring current potential (& I say potential because no one offered me any evidence) cruelty cases to my attention, beyond telling me about the situations, they felt they had no other responsibility in the matter. It simply isn't enough to report to the act. Animals (for the most part unless you consider birds like my macaw lol) have no voice. The humane community and other concerend humans are their voice. If we don't speak for them, who will?