I have to nap or something. I promise to catch up with everyone later today. (That is, if you are caught up with me)... XOXO, Me

Method to My Madness. (Maybe)?

Happy Saturday All;
Just a brief explanation before I try to go back to sleep...

I had said in yesterdays blog that I was afraid of taking the new meds prescribed to me by my doctor. (A few of you made me giggle at your own comments as to the solution to my refusal to take the drug)! hehehe


A year ago in March, Casey was in the hospital for yet another pancreatitis attack. At that point she had been on the oxycodone drugs- (1 long acting, and one type for her breakthrough pain).
It was during the course of that drug treatment that her heart rate had gone above 200 more than a few times.
It was during that hospitalization she had that seizure.
Caseys heart rate had remained above 100 for a long time.
"Medically insignificant" is what Dr. Hujuet at St Marys Hospital in Green Bay had called it. (CLICK for that story).

It was determined that the seizure, the tremors and other problems were caused by this drug.

This oxy crap is what my doctor has prescribed for me!
(Yes, he has my medical history).
But his line of thinking is that the other (hydrocodone, aka Vicoden) was not working for me.

• Know that I was hospitalized at 3+ years old.

I had fought the good fight to NOT come inside at supper time.  To deal with such a child, my dad, along with my foster brothers had begun chasing me- (we were all laughing and having a fun time with this)...

Long story short, I jumped off the front porch at one point, and cracked my head open.

At the hospital I was given an EEG, and it was determined that I was epileptic.
I took pills (dilantin and phenobarbital) for this until I was 18; and quit cold turkey when I got married, never having had any episodes before, during, or after. (Although Mama said I did, I do not remember).

BUT...

...IF this IS what caused Casey's seizures,
and IF I have just been "lucky" so far...
do I really want to take that chance?

It has always been my assertion that anyone who falls down and cracks their forehead open, requiring 7 stitches, would have an abnormal EEG.
Not being a doctor though I do not know.
Nor do I know why subsequent EEG's showed the need for continuing meds.

I look forward to your input...
Right now though I need to rest a bit-

XOXO
Me

Animal Cruelty (ASPCA).

If you are not sickened by any of this, please let me know so I can remove you from my friends list.

XOXO
Anne

Note too there are many individual links on every page I have copied.
Please take a moment go to the links to learn more about any topic.



"
The crowd's roar dulled to a hum as the next two fighters appeared...
The previous match had been short, as one contestant quickly outmatched his opponent, mauling him badly and tearing off an ear.

But this final fight matched two highly respected and feared combatants. They eyed each other warily as their handlers finished corner preparations.

Spectators came to the edge of their seats, and fathers lifted children to their shoulders for a better view as the judge stepped to the center, called the dogs to their scratch lines and yelled, "Let 'em go!"

A cheer arose as the dogs charged across the pit and violently slammed into each other, teeth flashing as they sought a vulnerable target.
The dogs came apart once, when the brindle appeared to give up, and turned for a moment.

They were returned to their scratch lines and held.
Both dogs were breathing hard and bleeding.

"Let 'em go," the judge called again.
If the brindle failed to attack now, he would lose.
But he was a game dog, and responded to an instinct bred into him over generations and nurtured through training.
As the brindle charged across his line, his opponent's handler released him with the encouragement,
"Finish him, Bo."
Tired and weakened by his wounds, the brindle was slow to meet Bo's ferocious attacks.
Bo grabbed the brindle's right front leg in powerful jaws, bit and twisted.

The "snap" of breaking bone was heard as the brindle was flipped onto his back, while Bo sought a better grip on his opponent’s throat.

Remarkably, as the judge ordered the handlers to break the dogs, the brindle tried to crawl after Bo, still intent on fighting.
His handler gently wrapped him in a blanket, saying, "No more, boy. It's over."
"
Stolen from here:
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/history-of-dog-fighting.html

For more than a century, humans have deliberately pitted dog-aggressive dogs who will instinctively give their all in staged fights against one another. Why are animal welfare advocates no closer to ending this brutal bloodsport?

This fight could have occurred in any state, in a barn or a city warehouse.
The participants could have been Caucasian, African American or Hispanic, and the year could have been 1897 or 1997. Since the 1800's, dog fighting has attracted the attention and admiration of royalty, politicians, doctors, farmers and police officers, as well as the wrath of animal protectionists, who have fought hard to end it. Yet achieving a better understanding of this bloodsport, rather than simply condemning it, must precede any real effort at wiping it out...

Read more about the history of dog fighting...
http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/history-of-dog-fighting.html

Cruelty Glossary
*** Farm Animal Cruelty Glossary about the same (below)...

• Animal Cruelty: Acts of violence or neglect perpetrated against animals are considered animal cruelty. Some examples are overt abuse, dog fighting and cockfighting, and denying a companion animal the basic necessities of care, such as food, water or shelter.
• Animal Hoarding or Collecting: Obsessive/compulsive disorder in which individual keeps a large number of animals-sometimes more than 100-in his or her home, and neglects to care for the animals and the home environment; "collectors" are usually in extreme denial about the situation. Technically, hoarding can be considered a crime, as it is a form of neglect.
• Animal Welfare Act: Act passed into law in 1966 that ensures that pets and animals used in research and for exhibition purposes are provided humane care and treatment. The act also assures the humane treatment of animals during transportation in commerce and outlaws the sale or use of animals who have been stolen.
• Backyard Breeder: Individual whose pet either gets bred by accident, or who breeds on purpose for a variety of reasons-a desire to make extra money, for example, or to let the children witness "the miracle of birth." The animals involved are usually not tested for genetic or health.
• Battery Cage: A wire cage, measuring no more than sixteen inches wide, in which four or five hens are housed. These cages are lined up in rows and stacked several levels high on factory farms. This system of production has been outlawed by countries in the European Union.
• Branding: The practice of burning an identifying mark onto the body of an animal using an extremely hot iron stamp, or “brand,” pressed hard into the animal’s flesh for several seconds without anesthesia. Ranchers use brands to distinguish their cattle and hogs from those owned by others.
• Broilers: Chickens raised for meat consumption on modern factory farms. These birds have been selected or bred so that their bodies grow very rapidly. Learn more about our efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Bullhook: Tool commonly used in the training and management of elephants. According to accounts by several former Ringling Bros. employees and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), elephants who perform in Ringling Bros. circuses are repeatedly beaten with sharp bullhooks.
• Canned Hunts: The canned hunt is a practice in which hunters pay fees to shoot and kill exotic animals in a confined area from which they are unable to escape.
• Charreadas (also Charrerias): Rodeos popular in Mexico and the American Southwest. Aspects of this sport—specifically, the two events known as colas (bull-tailing) and manganas (horse-tripping)—are considered by many to be extreme cruelty. Horse-tripping has been banned in California, Texas, New Mexico and Maine.
• Cockfighting: A blood sport in which two roosters specifically bred for aggressiveness are placed beak to beak in a small ring and encouraged to fight to the death.
• Debeaking: A process that involves cutting through bone, cartilage and soft tissue with a blade to remove the top half and the bottom third of a chicken’s, turkey’s or duck’s beak. This measure is taken to reduce the excessive feather pecking and cannibalism seen among stressed, overcrowded birds in factory farms.
• Declawing: The act of surgically amputating the entire distal phalanx, or end bone, of an animal's toes. The surgery is non-reversible, and the animal suffers significant pain during recovery. Declawing has been outlawed in many countries in Europe.
• Downers: Animals headed for slaughter who become too sick or injured to walk unassisted. The Downed Animal Protection Act outlaws the practice of transporting downers to auctions and stockyards for slaughter and requires that these animals be humanely euthanized.
• Ear Cropping: The cropping of a purebred dog's ears to conform to a breed standard. Although this unnecessary cosmetic surgery is regularly performed by some veterinarians, it is often done by untrained individuals, without anesthesia, in unsterile environments.
• Electric Cattle Prod (also called a Hotshot): A device that can deliver an electric current to an animal. It is used to stimulate movement in animals; commonly used with livestock and in rodeos. When animals are poked with the electrified end, they receive a high-voltage, low-current electrical shock. The short shock is not strong enough to kill a large animal, but is enough to cause some pain.
• Factory Farm: A large-scale industrial site where many animals raised for food—mainly chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs—are confined and treated with hormones and antibiotics to maximize growth and prevent disease. The animals lead short, painful lives; factory farms are also associated with various environmental hazards.
• Felony Cruelty: Animal cruelty is considered a crime in all 50 states. But in some states it is taken more seriously-and carries a felony charge, rather than a misdemeanor.(Look up your state's animal cruelty laws. See link below).
• Feral Cat: A cat too poorly socialized to be handled and who cannot be placed into a typical pet home; a subpopulation of free-roaming cats.
• Foie Gras: To make this pricey gourmet delicacy, birds are force-fed enormous quantities of food three times daily via a pipe that is inserted into the esophagus. This leads to enlargement of the animal's liver and sometimes rupturing of the internal organs, infection and a painful death. The process typically lasts up to four weeks, until the birds are slaughtered. Learn more about our efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Forced Molting: Process by which egg-laying hens are starved for up to 14 days, exposed to changing light patterns and given no water in order to shock their bodies into molting. It is common for 5 percent to 10 percent of hens to die during this process.
• Hog-Dog Fighting (also called Hog-Baiting or Hog-Dog Rodeos): A blood sport in which a hog or feral pig is mauled by a trained fighting dog in an enclosed pen. Because its legality, as determined by state anti-cruelty laws, can be vague, many states, particularly in the American South where hog-dog fighting is more common, have passed laws specifically criminalizing it.
• Intentional Cruelty: Intentional cruelty occurs when an individual purposely inflicts physical harm or injury on an animal; usually an indicator of a serious human behavior problem..
• Internet Hunting (also called Remote-Controlled or Computer-Assisted Hunting): Combines video shooting games with the power of Internet technology to allow a remote computer user to kill real animals. At the game ranch that the “hunters” see on their monitors, a gun is mounted on a robotic tripod controlled by their computer mouse. Animals are lured within close range with food, at which time the armchair hunter can line up a shot and “fire” at will. Legislation has been passed to ban Internet hunting in many states.
• Killer Buyers: Middlemen who travel from horse auction to horse auction, purchasing any horse they can. They eventually sell these animals to slaughterhouses for human consumption, but regularly subject horses to cruel and inhumane treatment-i.e. beating them, depriving them of food and water.
• Leghold Trap: The steel-jaw leghold trap is most often used to trap wild animals who are killed for their fur, such as beavers, lynx, bobcats and otters. Trapped animals usually do not die instantly, and are left to suffer intense pain, dehydration and starvation. Sometimes dogs and cats who are allowed to roam outdoors are also caught and killed in these traps.
• Neglect: The failure to provide an animal with the most basic of requirements of food, water, shelter and veterinary care. Neglect is often the result of simple ignorance on the animal owner's part and is usually handled by requiring the owner to correct the situation.
• Pit Bull: A great deal of confusion surrounds this term. This label is used for a type of short-coated large terrier, anywhere from 40 to 80 pounds, characterized by wide, powerful jaws and a muscular, stocky build. Some of the dogs that fall under this category are purebred-either the American Staffordshire Terrier (the "AmStaff") or the American Pit Bull Terrier; term is often used for pit bull mixes.
• Premarin: A hormone replacement therapy drug made from pregnant mares' urine, collected from horses who are confined in stalls for half the year, strapped to urine collection funnels.
• Pound Seizure: The transfer or sale of shelter animals to research facilities of any kind, including those that engage in scientific research and experimentation. The ASPCA is unalterably opposed to this practice. As of 2004, 14 states and many communities prohibit pound seizure either by state law or local regulation.
• Puppy Mill/Kitty Mill: Breeding facilities that produce large numbers of purebred dogs and cats. The animals are regularly sold to pet shops across the country. Documented problems of puppy mills include overbreeding, inbreeding, poor veterinary care and overcrowding.
• Soring: Abuses to show horses include painful "soring," whereby a mechanical or chemical agent is applied to the lower leg or hoof of a horse, for the purpose of "enhancing" the animal's gait, forcing him to throw his front legs up and out. This is often done to Tennessee Walking Horses.
• Stray: A currently or recently owned dog or cat who may be lost; usually well socialized but may become wary over time. A stray's kittens or pups may be feral.
• Spent Hen: After one or two years of producing eggs at an unnaturally high rate, female fowl in factory farms are classified as "spent hens.” No longer financially profitable, they are slaughtered.
• Tail Banding: A method of docking an animal’s tail in which a rubber band or similar ligature is wrapped tightly around the tail at the desired point of removal. This cuts off the blood supply to the end of the tail, which atrophies and usually falls away after a few days. Banding is legal in the United States, and is frequently practiced by laypersons on dairy cows.
• Tail Docking: The cutting of a purebred dog's tail to conform to a breed standard. Although this unnecessary cosmetic surgery is regularly performed by some veterinarians, it is often done by untrained individuals, without anesthesia, in unsterile environments.
• Tenectomy: An operation performed on cats that severs the tendons in the toes so that the cat is unable to extend her nails to scratch. Owners who choose to have this surgery performed must clip their cat’s nails regularly, as the cat is unable to maintain them herself.
• Tethering: The act of chaining/tieing an animal, usually a dog, to a stationary object as a primary means of confinement. Tethering is a risk factor for aggressive behavior and dog bites.
• Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR): A method of managing feral cat colonies that involves trapping the animals, spaying or neutering them, vaccinating them and returning them to where they were found. The ASPCA promotes this ethical and humane practice.
• White Veal: From birth to slaughter at five months, calves used to produce "formula-fed" or "white" veal are confined to two-foot-wide crates and chained to inhibit movement. They are fed an iron-and fiber-deficient diet resulting in anemia; the lack of exercise retards muscle development, resulting in pale, tender meat.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/cruelty-glossary.html

DOG FIGHTING- GLOSSARY

• Barrels: Metal barrels are often used as shelter for fighting dogs. Placed horizontally, an entrance hole is cut out from one side, for the dog to enter and exit its shelter. Sometimes plastic barrels, attached to poles, are also used for this purpose.
• Bite Stick or Prying Stick: These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are usually short wooden sticks with tapered ends. A bite stick is inserted into the side of a dog’s mouth, and then manipulated to make the dog release its hold on its opponent.
• Cajun Rules: A detailed list of 19 rules covering all aspects of fights. The rules were created in the 1950s by G.A. “Gaboon” Trahan, a police chief in Louisiana.
• Campaign: A fighting dog’s career.
• Chains: Chains of varying length and weight serve a dual purpose; to confine a dog, as well as to strengthen their neck muscles.
• Champion: A dog who has won three or more fights.
• Convention: A large dog fighting event, sometimes with accompanying activities like music and food.
• Dogmen: Professional trainers and handlers.
• Gameness: A dogs tenacity and willingness to fight.
• Grand Champion: An undefeated dog with five or more wins.
• “Jenny” or “Cat Mill”: A projecting pole or spoke in which a dog is harnessed. A small bait animal is attached to the leading spoke to entice the dog.
• Non-Prospect: A dog who is deemed unqualified to fight. They are often neglected, abandoned or killed.
• Prospect: A young, aggressive dog identified as a potentially good fighting dog.
• Rape Stand or Breeding Stand: This is a stand used to strap and immobilize female dogs for breeding purposes.
• Roll: A dog’s first fight, takes place when the dog is around 15 months of age. The fight usually lasts about 10 minutes and allows handlers to measure each animal's demeanor.
• Scratch Lines: Lines in a dog fighting ring behind which the animals start in a match.
• Spring Pole: A spring pole usually consists of a rope, hide, inner tubing or tire, which is suspended from a large spring attached to a tree limb, rafter or pole. The dog is made to jump up and grab at it, and then hang suspended in mid-air for extended periods of time. It is used to reinforce the strength of the dog’s bite.
• Keep: The training a fighting dog undergoes prior to a fight. It typically lasts about six weeks.
• The Show: A cruel "contest" in which two dogs—specifically bred, conditioned, and trained to fight—are placed in a pit to fight each other for the purpose of entertainment and gambling.
• Treadmill or Slatmill: Used for endurance, strength and speed training. A slatmill is a treadmill whose running surface is composed of wooden slats.
• Washtub: Dogs are washed down in tubs immediately prior to fighting, to ensure they have not been coated with a noxious substance that may be harmful to the opposing dog.
• Weights: Weights are used for strength training as well, and can be attached directly to the dog’s collar. They can also be attached as long cylinders to chains, increasing the weight that the dog has to drag when it moves.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/dog-fighting-glossary.html

Farm Animal Cruelty Glossary

• Animal Cruelty: Acts of violence or neglect perpetrated against animals are considered animal cruelty. Some examples are overt abuse, dog fighting and cockfighting, and denying companion animals the basic necessities of care, such as food, water and shelter.
• Battery Cage: A wire cage, measuring no more than sixteen inches wide, in which four or five hens are housed. These cages are lined up in rows and stacked several levels high on factory farms. This system of production has been outlawed by countries in the European Union. Learn more about efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Branding: The practice of burning an identifying mark onto the body of an animal using an extremely hot iron stamp, or “brand,” pressed hard into the animal’s flesh for several seconds without anesthesia. Ranchers use brands to distinguish their cattle and hogs from those owned by others.
• Broilers: Chickens raised for meat consumption on modern factory farms. These birds have been selected or bred so that their bodies grow very rapidly. Learn more about efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Debeaking: A process that involves cutting through bone, cartilage and soft tissue with a blade to remove the top half and the bottom third of a chicken’s, turkey’s or duck’s beak. This measure is taken to reduce the excessive feather pecking and cannibalism seen among stressed, overcrowded birds in factory farms. Learn more about efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Downers: Animals headed for slaughter who become too sick or injured to walk unassisted. The Downed Animal Protection Act outlaws the practice of transporting downers to auctions and stockyards for slaughter and requires that these animals be humanely euthanized.
• Electric Cattle Prod (also called a Hotshot): A device that can deliver an electric current to an animal. It is used to stimulate movement in animals; commonly used with livestock and in rodeos. When animals are poked with the electrified end, they receive a high-voltage, low-current electrical shock. The short shock is not strong enough to kill a large animal, but is enough to cause some pain.
• Factory Farm: A large-scale industrial site where many animals raised for food—mainly chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs—are confined and treated with hormones and antibiotics to maximize growth and prevent disease. The animals lead short, painful lives; factory farms are also associated with various environmental hazards.
• Foie Gras: To make this pricey gourmet delicacy, birds are force-fed enormous quantities of food three times daily via a pipe that is inserted into the esophagus. This leads to enlargement of the animal's liver and possible rupturing of the internal organs, infection and a painful death. The process typically lasts up to four weeks, until the birds are slaughtered.
• Forced Molting: Process by which egg-laying hens are starved for up to 14 days, exposed to changing light patterns and given no water in order to shock their bodies into molting. It is common for 5 percent to 10 percent of hens to die during this process. Learn more about efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Killer Buyers: Middlemen who travel from horse auction to horse auction, purchasing any horse they can. They eventually sell these animals to slaughterhouses for human consumption, but regularly subject horses to cruel and inhumane treatment—i.e. beating them, depriving them of food and water. Learn more about horse cruelty.
• Neglect: The failure to provide an animal with the most basic of requirements of food, water, shelter and veterinary care. Neglect is often the result of simple ignorance on the owner's part and is usually handled by requiring the owner to correct the situation.
• Premarin®: A hormone replacement therapy drug made from pregnant mares' urine (PMU), collected from horses who are confined in stalls for half the year, strapped to urine collection funnels. Learn more about Premarin®.
• Soring: Abuses to show horses include painful "soring," whereby a mechanical or chemical agent is applied to the lower leg or hoof of a horse, for the purpose of "enhancing" the animal's gait, forcing him to throw his front legs up and out. This is often done to Tennessee Walking Horses. Learn more about horse cruelty.
• Spent Hen: After one or two years of producing eggs at an unnaturally high rate, female fowl are classified as "spent hens.” No longer financially profitable for factory farmers, they are slaughtered. Learn more about efforts to protect animals in factory farms.
• Tail Banding: A method of docking an animal’s tail in which a rubber band or similar ligature is wrapped tightly around the tail at the desired point of removal. This cuts off the blood supply to the end of the tail, which atrophies and usually falls away after a few days. Banding is legal in the United States, and is frequently practiced by laypersons on dairy cows.
• White Veal: From birth to slaughter at five months, calves used to produce "formula-fed" or "white" veal are confined to two-foot-wide crates and chained to inhibit movement. They are fed an iron- and fiber-deficient diet that causes anemia; the lack of exercise retards muscle development, resulting in pale, tender meat.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty-glossary.html

State Animal Cruelty Laws

Most animal cruelty laws vary from state to state.
Knowing your state's laws is crucial to help fight animal cruelty.
The ASPCA offers this online database with more than 550 animal cruelty laws -- and their penalties -- from all 50 states. This database, maintained by the ASPCA Government Affairs and Public Policy department, will be a dynamic resource for providing information relating to animal cruelty laws.
You can select your state, or even use our keyword search to find a specific topic.

• Disclaimer: The ASPCA is providing you this listing of state laws to assist you in reporting cruelty in your area. Your local and state police are generally mandated to enforce all laws in your state, including animal cruelty, even if these laws are not included in your state's penal code. Please contact them should you witness animal cruelty (including animal neglect), or have information regarding an incident of animal cruelty in your area. Please be aware that local law enforcement may have a limited familiarity with animal cruelty issues and make sure you inform the police of the specific section of law listed under the animal cruelty summary and provide them with the summary to assist them in their investigation.
• Please note: The ASPCA only has law enforcement powers in New York State. If you live in New York State, you may also contact your local or state police to report animal cruelty.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/lobby-for-animals/state-animal-cruelty-laws/

Top 10 Tips to Prevent Malicious Poisoning

Don't let your pet be the victim of a cruel act!

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center receives many calls from owners whose animals were maliciously poisoned—sometimes right in their own backyards.
APCC has provided the following tips to prevent this from happening to your animal companions:

1. Be a good neighbor! Please don’t allow your pets to have access to your neighbors’ yards and trash cans. If your dog is an incessant barker and/or howls and whines while you are away, you may want to work with an animal behaviorist or dog trainer to solve the problem. Should your neighbors have concerns, try to address them in a positive, constructive manner to avoid serious conflicts.

2. Is your pet allowed outdoors in your fenced-in or otherwise secure area? It’s smart to do routine checks of this enclosed area.

3. Be sure to remove unfamiliar or questionable items from the enclosure.

4. Supervise your pets when they are outdoors whenever possible. Do not allow your pets to spend significant amounts of time unsupervised outdoors.

5. Develop relationships with neighbors who have pets. You can join forces to create a neighborhood watch for the companion animals in the area. Be alert for anything out of the ordinary!

6. Provide a safe, confined area with a secure gate when pets are left alone outdoors.

7. Never let your pet run loose or allow him to roam free. Animals who are allowed to roam simply have more opportunities to get into potentially poisonous substances.

8. Teach your pet not to accept food or treats from strangers.

9. Report any suspicious behavior to local authorities. Remember, animal cruelty is a crime!

10. If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned,
call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately at:
(888) 426-4435.
 
For more information on substances in and around your home that could be potentially toxic to your pet, read what our experts have to say.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/top-10-tips-to-prevent.html

Talking to Kids About Animal Cruelty

www.animaland.org/

From cats to canaries, from Dobermans to dachshunds, our pets often seem to know how we feel. They comfort us when we're hurt, and make us happy when we're sad. They share our joy, and stay by our side when times are bad.

But, sometimes, some people are mean to animals.
How do you explain this to a child?

What Is the Impact of Animal Cruelty?
Mahatma Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Animals feel pain and fear like we do, but they are often helpless victims because they can't say what happened to them. In fact, some people choose to abuse animals instead of people for this very reason! If we wish to create a humane society, we must stop cruelty against those who are most vulnerable-like animals.

Cruelty toward animals does more than cause other living, feeling beings to experience pain and fear. Like the death of a canary in a coal mine, violence toward animals can be an indicator that people are also in danger. Someone who commits animal abuse may have serious psychological problems.
Studies have found that many people convicted of violent crimes had a history of animal cruelty. Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Andrew Cunanan, David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz, and Albert "Boston Strangler" DeSalvo were cruel to animals before they started hurting people.
Adults are not the only ones whose cruelty to animals can be a sign of deeper troubles.
Many murderous children and teenagers-such as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of Columbine High School-also have histories of animal cruelty.

Animals in homes with family violence are also often victims of violence.
One study found that animals were abused in 88 percent of the homes in which a child was abused. Another study found that 83 percent of families reported for animal abuse also had children at high risk of abuse or neglect. Although most of the abuse toward the animals came from the parents, about a quarter of abused children abuse animals.

What Can You Do About It?
"Animal cruelty is a national problem," says ASPCA Supervisory Special Investigator Annemarie Lucas. "Violence towards animals crosses all racial and socioeconomic lines and reaches from coast to coast." No matter where you live, there is a lot you can do to stop animal cruelty.

One of the most powerful tools we have for preventing cruelty to animals is education.
It is important to plant the seeds of kindness in children early, and to nurture their development as the child grows. Children not only need to learn what they shouldn't do, but also what they can and should do. When children see that their pets are happy and loving, it will make the child feel good, too. This in turn will help the children care for their pets' feelings.

However, since people don't always realize that they are being cruel, adults need education, too.
If you are not a teacher, please urge your local schools to integrate humane education into their curricula.
If you are a teacher, bring humane education into your classroom.
To help you, your local shelter may have outreach programs, education materials, camps, etc. You can also find plenty of humane ideas and activities on our children's website, ASPCA Animaland, and our site for educators, librarians and parents, ASPCA Education.

Every child is unique, and adults should use caution and careful thought when discussing cruelty with children.

• In general, children under four simply should not be exposed to cruelty.
• Two-year-olds can begin to learn that their actions make others-including animals-happy and sad.
• With two- and three-year-olds, discuss their own experiences and how they would feel if they were treated the way they treat their pets or other animals in their immediate lives. Help them relate not only the ways they would feel hurt, but also the ways they would feel happy.
• With all children under six or so, you may wish to help guide their hands so they can learn how to pet and hold their animal companions. Children do not have fine control over their movements and impulses—they will want to treat their pets with love, but will need a little help from you to do it correctly.
• Children who are between about four and six often begin to understand basic moral concepts, such as fairness. These children can learn to be kind to animals because the animals "deserve" it. Children may discuss injuries they have had themselves, but do not introduce discussions about other types of injuries. Try to limit discussions of animal cruelty to the simple fact that animals can be hurt; do not describe how they can be hurt (e.g., starvation, physical abuse, etc.).
• With most children who are six to ten years old, you can begin to discuss why someone might be mean to an animal-as long as you make sure the child always keeps in mind that it is wrong to hurt animals. In addition, do not let discussions of animal cruelty satisfy the morbid curiosity some children of this age may have. Children of this age often form some of their earliest memories and impressions about the state of the world beyond their families. It is very important that adults filter what these children perceive! Even if children witness violence as a "bad example" or as a way NOT to act, they are still witnessing violence, and can be strongly affected by it.
• Many children between 10 and 14 are exploring their self-image and reflecting upon their relationships with others. Studies indicate that children of this age are still strongly affected by violence, so discussions about animal cruelty should still be kept free of details about the violence. Nonetheless, the issue can be raised directly—if delicately—with most of these children. Adults should make it clear that they do not condone violence in their own thoughts and behavior. Children of this age are finely attuned to the words and actions of adults, and still rely on them as role models.

Parents, teachers, and trusted adults can also discuss with 10- to 14-year-olds how they would act if their peers or friends treated animals cruelly. By couching the advice in terms of what you would do if you were in a given situation, you can help children overcome peer pressure and follow what they know is right. These children may encounter others abusing animals—knowing that they are in the right and will be supported for standing up to it is very important at this age of strong peer pressure.

Again, with all children-even older teens-keep in mind the importance of modeling appropriate behaviors.
Our children do emulate us, even if they wouldn't admit it. If we treat animals cruelly or as unfeeling machines, our children will probably think that this is right or, at least, normal. The more a child identifies with an adult, the greater an impact that person will have on the child-in both good ways and bad ways.

Children who know of animal cruelty should tell an adult about it.
Make sure children know who they can trust—such as parents, teachers, police officers, etc.—and nurture their trust so they can tell you.

For an in-depth explanation of animal cruelty written especially for older kids, please visit the Real Issues section at ASPCA Animaland, the website for kids who love animals.

http://www2.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kids_ri_home


RESOURCES
DeViney, E., Dickert, J., & Lockwood, R. (1983). The care of pets within child abusing families. International Journal
for the Study of Animal Problems, 3, 321-329.
Ascione, F. R., Weber, C. V., & Wood, D. S. (1997). Animal welfare and domestic violence: Final report. Logan, Utah: Utah State University.
Further Reading:
Ascione, F. R., & Arkow, P. (Eds.). (1999). Child abuse, domestic violence, and animal abuse: Linking the circles of compassion for prevention and intervention. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/talking-to-kids-about-animal.html