Читать книгу Animal Cruelty Investigations - Группа авторов - Страница 141

You have learned about the Five Freedoms and know that animals suffer and feel pain, and you understand these crimes must be investigated on their own merit, but we must also remember that people who willfully harm animals rarely stop there. Results of many studies have established the link between animal cruelty and human crimes. Linked closely to domestic violence, cruelty to animals is now recognized as a valid “predictor crime” of spousal and child abuse [3]. According to a 1983 study, 88% of homes in which child abuse was investigated also had identified instances of abuse of animals within the home [4].

Always be alert to the possibility of other victims in any animal investigation. Abusers frequently harm the family pet as a method of controlling their human victim [5]. These are not uncommon scenarios; they are at play within every community across the nation. By enforcing animal protection laws, in addition to saving the lives of animals, the investigator is disarming the cycle of physical violence within families and communities.