Domestic Violence and Pet Abuse

Domestic violence occurs in all cultures and in every economic class.  When we think about domestic violence we usually only picture the victim and children (if the victim has children) who are affected by the violence.  However, research has shown that family pets can also be affected by domestic violence.  According to the American Humane Society, 71% of pet owning women entering women's shelters reported that their abuser had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control their victims.  More than half of the animal abuse cases occur in the presence of the abused women, and 75% of the cases happened in front of the children.  Between 25% and 40% of the abused women do not leave their abuser because, they worry about what will happen to their pets if they leave. 

The American Veterinary Medicare Association (AVMA), American Medical Association (AMA), National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), local governments, communities, and animal shelters have recognized the impact of domestic violence on family pets and the abused women.  Social workers now recognize that domestic violence victims may be hesitate to leave their abuser because of their pets. Some veterinary schools have also added abuse recognition training to their curriculum.     

In America 98% of Americans consider their pets to be a member of their family, and they provide strong emotional support for the people being abused.  If we feel so strongly about our pets, some kind of action needs to be taken to help these victims safely leave with their pets.  The American Humane Society lists some great things advocates can do for these victims with pets.

·         Help victims retrieve animals left behind

·         Help victims find pet friendly transitional and permanent housing

·         Work with animal shelters, veterinarians, and rescue groups to establish “safe haven” foster care programs for the animal victims of domestic violence

To view the complete list visit the American Humane Society’s website.

I believe it is great how more people are taking notice to the relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse.  No person should have to subject themselves to a violent household, and a pet should not be abused or used as a way to control or threaten the victim.  

Top 10 Ways to Save on Vet Care

As our economy suffers, the ASPCA has provided us with 10 ways to save money on vet care. The website is listed below.

Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Vet Care

A Win and Possible Loss for Animals

With the United States economy doing so poorly, the housing market has taken a large hit with foreclosed homes.  Due to the increasing number of foreclosed homes, there is an increase number abandoned pets.  Many of the homeowners have to leave their homes without their pets.  When bank employees enter the deserted homes they are told to leave the property, including pets, untouched until the foreclosure process is completed.  As a result many of the animals are left alone, abandoned or left to die.  But, now there is hope for the abandoned animals because of the Animal Abandonment law, or Assembly Bill (AB) 2949.  This AB introduced by Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, requires the owners of a property (bank or their agents) to notify animal control officers if a pet has been left behind (Associated Content and ASPCA).

The passing of AB 2949 is a great success for abandoned animals.  But, now with California’s state budget facing a billion dollar deficit, the Governor is now trying to propose a new tax on veterinary services.  This will supposedly help our budget deficit by placing a nine percent tax on veterinary services.  If this measure passes, veterinary care will be the only medical service taxed in California.  Both the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are against this measure along with other animal rights groups (DVM 360). 

A nine percent tax is not a great hardship for people in the higher income bracket but, for people who are struggling, a nine percent tax increase can be a hardship.  Animal shelters are already at capacity, and the number of homeless pets continue to rise during our economic crisis.  Animal abandonment, starvation, neglect, and neglect of needed veterinary services are all forms of animal abuse and, are considered a crime in California.  With the passing of this measure it may increase the number of animal abuse cases which are punishable by law.  This will result in a burden on our already congested court system, costing our state to spend the revenue from the tax increase on animal abuse cases. 

Here are websites where you can, thank the Governor for the passing of AB 2949, and another urging him to not pass the veterinary tax.  

 

Animal Abuse is Linked to Interpersonal Violence

Research conducted by Christopher Hensley and Suzanne E. Tallichet, has shown that people who engaged in violent acts against animals when they are children, are more likely to engage in interpersonal violence as an adult.  Interpersonal violence is violence between individuals, and is subdivided into family and intimate partner violence and community violence (Violence Prevention Alliance).  A study conducted at a southern state prison on 261 inmates revealed that more than half of the sample engaged in violent acts against animals.  The violent acts that the prisoners said they engaged in towards animals were drowning, kicking, hitting, shooting, choking, burning and having sex with the animal. The table below lists the researcher’s findings.

Animal abuse is no longer recognized as incidental venting and related emotions toward animals.  It is now seen as a complex incident that is determined by multiple factors.  It is now understood that people, especially youth, who commit animal cruelty are more likely to commit violent acts against humans.  Now that we know this, what do we do with the people who are guilty of sadistically abusing an animal?  Hensley and Tallichet, note that because animal abusers come from a variety of backgrounds, we need to identify the qualitative nature that links the motives, methods of abuse, and types of abuse.  By having a better understanding of this, it will aid in the intervention and prevention of the violence that these people may commit later on in life. 

It is costly, but I believe that when we find people, especially children guilty of animal abuse, some sort of therapy needs to be used.  This will hopefully deter them from abusing animals and harming people later on.  By not acting on this we are basically just waiting for those individuals to commit some other type of violent act.  We cannot wait for those people to go to prison for their acts of violence, because of overcrowding and the appalling recidivism rates of inmates.  Hopefully, with prevention we can deter those people from engaging in violent acts and going to prison.  

http://jiv.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/24/1/147  

Yes or No on Proposition 2

With the 2008 elections just around the corner I thought I would share with you a proposition that will be on California ballots, Proposition 2.  According to the Yes! On Prop 2 website, Proposition 2 is known as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, it stops the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals and, will go in to effect in January 2015.  Violators of this proposition will be imposed with a misdemeanor penalty, a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time for up to six months.  It will end the practice of farm animals being crammed into small cages where they cannot turn around, lie down or extend their limbs.  This proposition will ban gestation crates for pigs, veal crates for veal calves and the crowded confinement for egg laying poultry that was shown in an undercover video shot by Mercy for Animals at Norco Ranch in Menifee California.  That video showed thousands of chickens crammed in small cages with no room to spread their wings, dead chickens left on the floor and in the cages with live egg producing chickens.  Many of the chickens shown in the video had open untreated wounds and prolapsed uteruses.  The most horrific thing that was shown was a man trying to break sick chicken’s necks by swinging them around and then throwing them on the floor.  The chickens that did not die right away were left suffering and moving on the ground or in a pile with dead chickens.        

Supporting arguments for this proposition are it will improve food safety and, protect Californians health.  The Yes! On Prop 2 website outlined a study that compared the Salmonella risk in battery cages versus cage free eggs.  What was found was chickens in battery cages have up to a 25 times greater odds of being infected by Salmonella than the cage free eggs.  The American Public Health Association said the enactment of Proposition 2 will reduce the number of animals per operation resulting in the reduction of the untreated waste on the ground that can contaminate our waterways, lakes, groundwater, soil and air. 

The opposing arguments against Proposition 2 (NO on Prop2) say that it is risky, dangerous and costly to ban almost all modern egg production in California.  Currently, California uses a safe housing system for egg laying hens that provides: optimal feed, light, air, water, space and sanitation for the hens.  The modern housing system used in California that effectively separates the eggs from feces will be banned, resulting in a possible Salmonella contamination.  The change in housing the chickens will be costly to the farmers resulting in the cost of eggs to go up.  With the cost of California eggs rising consumers will have to be dependent on eggs from other states and Mexico, where health standards are not as high as California’s. 

The supporting and opposing sides for Proposition 2 are very informative and convincing.  However, after watching the video below about Norco Ranch and, seeing the cages that pigs and veal are kept in, I support this proposition.  No animal should have to live out its life in a small cramped and dirty cage, or be killed by being swung around by its neck.  We don’t treat our own pets like that so why should we treat farm animals any differently?  

Vick's dogs given a second chance

After I posted my previous blog about Michael Vick and his involvement in dogfighting, I began to wonder what happened to the pit bulls taken from him.  Were they euthanized or put up for adoption?

Typically the dogs that are seized from dogfighting rings are euthanized because, they are seen as menacing.  But, 49 of the pit bulls that were taken from Vick were given a second chance.  According to the Washington Post, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered each dog to be evaluated, and that Vick pay close to $1 million to pay for the lifetime care of the dogs that could be saved. 

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) evaluated the 49 pit bulls.  One was deemed too vicious to rehabilitate and was euthanized, and another was euthanized because it was sick and in pain.  25 of the surviving dogs were placed directly in foster homes and many have been adopted.  The other 22 dogs were sent to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah because, they were deemed too aggressive toward other dogs.  After intensive retraining some will move on to foster care and eventually be adopted.  

How can a pit bull raised to fight become a loving and nonaggressive dog?  According to Frank McMillan, one of the veterinarians who are studying the recovery of Vick’s dogs said they do not have an answer.  McMillan said, “We’ve assumed all pits are the same, and we’ve never let this many fighting dogs live long enough to find out.  There are hardly ever studies, because these animals don’t survive.”  Some of the dogs taken from Vick were loving when approached by humans, by licking their hands and wagging their tails. 

John Goodwin, a dogfighting expert with the Humane Society has a different opinion about fighting dogs.  He is a proponent of euthanizing the dogs trained to fight.  He claims that fighting is in their blood and said, “These groups are not rehabilitating these dogs.  They’re training them to behave in a more socialized manner.  But these pit bull should never be left alone with other dogs, because you never know when that instinct to fight another dog is going to surface.”

I am torn between the statements made by McMillan and Goodwin.  I believe it is great that some of the pit bulls taken were able to find loving homes and given a second chance.  But, what if Goodwin is right and you never know when their instinct to fight another dog will surface.  

Michael Vick

As discussed in the previous blog, dog fighting is a common form of animal abuse. One of the most recent, well known dog fighting cases is the one involving Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback Michael Vick and three others, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor. According to an article written by the Washington Post, in July of 2007 Vick and the three other men were indicted for operating the dogfighting ring “Bad Newz Kennels” on Vick's property in Virginia and across state lines. Dogfighting is a felony in Virginia and, because they transported dogs over state lines to fight it makes their offense a federal crime. A portion of the indictment said that eight dogs who did not fight well were executed by various methods including hanging, drowning, or slamming the dog to the ground. The indictment also alleged that Vick consulted with Peace before Peace killed a losing dog by electrocution.

Vick accepted a plea bargain of 12 to 18 months; however, he was sentenced to 23 months in prison in December 2007. Vick received a harsher sentence because of conflicting statements made by him to the FBI. Vick previously denied that he was involved in the killing of the dogs during questioning sessions with the FBI. But after more questioning sessions and a polygraph test he finally admitted that he hung two dogs with Phillips.

According to CNN, after Vick entered in to this guilty plea he apologized for his actions and said that he was, “disappointed in myself…for all the things that I’ve done and that I’ve allowed to happen… dogfighting is a terrible thing and I…reject it…Through this situation I’ve found Jesus…I got a lot of down time…to think about my actions.”

Click on the link below to see his full apology:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzytivQsPGI

Vick’s actions are horrendous and grotesque. I believe that his punishment is well suited for the crime he committed. His apology seems sincere and remorseful, but what other emotion is there for him to display? Vick would be an idiot to display any other emotion than remorse in the public eye. How would that look to a sentencing judge if he went in to a court room with a smug attitude and no remorse for what he did to those dogs?

Well, I hope Vick has changed and does truly feel remorseful for his actions. If he does not he has more than a year to think about his actions in federal prison.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701393.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/11/ST2007121100072.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/08/27/michael.vick/index.html