Animal Abuse & Its Repercussions

There Cannot Be Peace and Justice With Animal Abuse

During a recent trip abroad, I followed local news stories reporting an increase in cases of child abuse. Radio programs discussed terrible cases of violence and physical abuse of children, at the hands of adults. The rush of cases reached a pinnacle with the shooting of a 13-year-old girl as she left school; apparently it was meant as a warning to her father. News analysts reported unanimous condemnation of violence against children. The desire to stop it was honest and heartfelt. The need for severe prosecution of any case of violence against children was strongly supported by all. One piece, however, was missed: no one mentioned animal abuse and its connection to child abuse and violent behaviour.

In a society where mass murder is commonplace, where whole communities are tortured in bloody orgies, talking about the protection of animals from violence may seem callous, superfluous or luxurious. However, cruelty to animals has been increasingly recognized by psychologists, sociologists, and criminologists as an early sign of violent behaviour which may develop into violence towards humans. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSD), published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists animal cruelty as a sign of conduct disorder. Public displays of animal cruelty, as seen in bullfighting and cockfighting, are signs of collective conduct disorder. The glorification of these spectacles makes it acceptable to submit a living creature to psychological and physical torture for hours, until the torturer executes the exhausted victim with a single stroke, in a final act of power.

The psychology of the abuse is one of exerting power over someone else. The abuse starts with the most vulnerable individual: the animal. If that behaviour is successful, i.e. produces satisfaction, and is allowed to continue or is even encouraged, it may next be turned against children. Most cases of family abuse start with and involve the pet, where the abuser shows his/her power by torturing the animal. Massacres in conflict zones start with the killing of the animals: dead dogs are thrown onto doorsteps of potential victims. In zones of armed conflict, peasants receive a first warning when their livestock is killed. If they do not leave their land, they are next. In one case in Nova Scotia, a boy who intentionally caused the derailment of a train was found to have had a history of torturing cats. The Columbine shooters bragged about killing dogs.

Sometimes abuse of animals is a result of ignorance or poverty. Families that survive by scavenging in the streets during the day, using a cart and a horse, often rent the animal to another family to do the same work at night. In the end, the animal suffers doubly from a cruel system that forces people to survive on garbage.

Societies need to take animal abuse very seriously. A society is as good as the most vulnerable of its members. I believe that animals qualify as full members of our societies: they are our companions and teachers, they provide us with food and power. They are also part of our consciousness, our collective psyche; how they live affects our emotions and our relationships with others. The creation of peace and justice in the world must involve animals; otherwise the puzzle will not be complete.

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