Violence against animals (like all violence) is a horrific phenomenon. Cases of direct cruelty to animals involve the assertion of power and force by a more dominant being, upon the body and/or mind of a more vulnerable dependent being. Such cruelty inflicts pain, suffering, and often death. Direct, deliberate, intentional violence against animals-- what is usually called animal cruelty or abuse--has been perpetrated most often against cats and dogs, but is not limited to them, and has been perpetrated also against horses, cows, pigs, and numerous other animals. The horrific cases that we hear about all too often have included cases where animals have been intentionally beaten, shot, drowned, set on fire, mutilated, decapitated, dragged or run over, tied to railroad tracks, hacked to pieces, exploded with firecrackers. The penalties and punishment for these actions have historically been too little and too lax, althought this is changing somewhat. More states have raised animal cruelty from a misdemeanor to a felony, and more vigorous prosecutions have been undertaken. Cross-reporting of animal abuse and human abuse is being more often required of caseworkers in child abuse and "domestic" violence situations. Knowledge of the link to human violence has been a factor in these changes.

But it is of the utmost importance to remember--and to get the message out to people--that as important as this link is, and as important as a means of taking animal abuse more seriously, animal abuse is wrong IN AND OF ITSELF, quite aside from its connections to human violence. To neglect this fact is once again to use animals for our purposes and needs, rather than respecting and honoring them as beings with rights to their own lives and liberty.

It is also very important to realize beyond the direct cruelty to animals we have been discussing, violence against animals prevades our entire world and way of life. Many, if not most, of the ways in which humans relate to animals include some, usually many elements of cruelty. Hunting, fishing, trapping, bullfighting are forms of "sport" or "art" for us which are massively and lethally cruel. The use of animals in circuses or rodeos for human "entertainment" involves "training" which may be extremely cruel. Vivisection, or the use of animals for medical or other experimentation may include such things as cutting, burning, restraining, blinding, forcing the inhalation of toxic substances, and often finally killing the animal. And in terms of numbers, the most massive form of cruelty to animals is inescapably the raising of them in horrendous conditions on factory farms, and the subsequent slaughter of them, so that we may eat them. In 2001, about ten billion animals were killed for food in the U.S. (not including fishes or marine animals). Surely, even though said to served human purposes or needs, this is violence at at extreme. And we are teaching the message that it is "okay." This too must inevitably foster the idea that people are free to hurt animals, and contribute to some of the tragic and horrific "abuse" cases we hear about and that break our hearts.

Animals deserve better than all of this. In the area of direct cruelty, as in some others, people are taking the issues more seriously, but we must all work to educate and prevent such violence, and to punish it when it occurs. Efforts can be made on many fronts, including humane education, so that our children will learn better and more compassionate attitudes toward animals. In this regard, it is also very important to know that just as cruelty to animals and violence against people has been linked, so too has research linked the development of empathy and compassion for animals to more positive social attitudes and behaviors by people, including projects where prisoners and delinquent youth have been positively affected by taking care of and learning to love animals. Here again, we see a potential for more positive bonds between people and animals, to turn the tide away from the negative ones we have known all too well.