About Animal Cruelty

What is Animal Cruelty?

• Ranges from neglect to malicious killing
• Many cases are unintentional and can be resolved through education
• Intentional cruelty or abuse includes depriving an animal of food, water, shelter or veterinary care, and maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating or killing an animal

How Animal Abuse Effects You

The forces and influences that foster violence towards humans and animals spring from the same roots, and may even be prevented or treated in the same ways. Although animal protection workers have long suspected this, only during the last two decades have scientists, psychologists, and criminologists begun documenting this relationship.

Their research indicates:

• Young people who are cruel to animals are more likely to become aggressive toward humans as they develop.
• Violent, imprisoned offenders have usually abused animals during their childhood.
• Children raised with intense coercion may imitate this behavior with animals and people.
• Children learn cruel behaviors from adults and may reenact them on animals.
• Children abuse animals to release the aggression they feel toward abusive adults or because of psychological trauma.

Instances of Animal Cruelty

Contact Our Animal Cruelty Investigator

Call Scott Mazzo at (607) 776 - 4682

What You Can Do

Take animal and child abuse seriously, and report it to your local humane society or child welfare agency. You can stop abuse! Click here for tips on how to help a neglected or abused pet.

Other Contacts

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Page last updated: 07 May 2008