The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has recently launched a campaign to increase public awareness of the animal cruelty/human violence connection.

Evidence of the connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well established. Violent offenders against humans often have childhood histories of animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty also may occur in connection with domestic violence--child abuse, spouse abuse, elderly abuse. In many cases an abusive parent has also injured or killed a pet; in other cases children are the animal abusers.

Animal cruelty is not only a serious issue in itself but it may also signal that a family is suffering from violence or that a youth may sometime turn violent toward humans.

We must all take animal cruelty seriously--for the animals' sake and for the sake of humans who may become victims of violence.

Much cruelty is unintentional and can be resolved through education. Intentional cruelty includes depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, veterinary care, or maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating, or killing an animal.

Report animal cruelty to Animal Services. Don't let anyone tell you that an act of cruelty isn't serious. Animal cruelty is always serious.

Cruelty to animals is currently only a misdemeanor in Arkansas and is punishable by a small fine. We must work to change that. Our State Legislators must treat animal cruelty more seriously and declare it a felony. The punishment must be raised to better protect both people and animals.

Update, May 2002: Citizens for a Humane Arkansas is conducting a petition drive now to make the worse forms of animal cruelty a felony in Arkansas. People will be out gathering signatures at almost every public gathering, as well as at the Shelter, humane society offices, etc. Please sign and encourage all registered voters in Arkansas to sign!

Under our current law, if someone steals your car or destroys an expensive picture of your pet, that's a felony. But if they mutilate your dog with a knife or set fire to him or decapitate your cat, that is merely a misdemeanor.

We must pass a felony cruelty bill with a provision for psychological counseling for youthful offenders so that we have a tool to stop someone who may otherwise continue to inflict pain and suffering.

We Arkansans must contact our legislators and demand such a bill.

--Lib Horn