Animal abuse a warning sign
Acts indicate possible future violence to people

"One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it." Anthropologist Margaret Mead made this statement in 1964 and it still holds true today.
After church last Sunday, a friend, Tonya Tolleson, asked me to stop by her house and look at a dog that had wandered up to her property. Tonya told me that the young Labrador retriever was hurt, and she was concerned for him. As soon as I examined the dog and saw the gaping hole where his scrotum should have been, I knew that I was looking at evidence of animal abuse. Some fiend had cut off the animal's testicles and scrotum with a sharp instrument and left him to die. We agreed that the dog was in need of immediate medical attention. Dr. Joe Wurster of Colonial Park Veterinary Clinic came in on Sunday afternoon to clean the puppy's wounds and prescribe antibiotics. The next day, Dr. Mike Bomar, also of Colonial Park, volunteered his services to operate on the young dog. After his surgery, the dog, now named Jesse, was taken home to begin the slow process of recovery.
Why should we as a community care about some little stray dog? Recent studies confirm a strong correlation between violence against animals and violence toward humans. Perpetrators of violent behavior are more likely to have participated in violent acts against both children and animals, and their behavior is learned in early childhood. Police, judges and social service professionals who are concerned with violence in communities are coming to recognize that animal cruelty can serve as an indicator of disturbed family relationships and future aggressive behavior.
The United States Humane Society reports the following:

• In 1997, Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals conducted a study which found that over a 20 year period, a group of 153 animal abusers were five times more likely to commit violent crimes, four times more likely to commit property crimes, and three times more likely to have drug or disorderly conduct offenses than a matched group of 153 non-animal abusers.
• A similar study of men imprisoned for violent crimes versus a group of non-incarcerated, nonviolent individuals, 25 percent of the violent criminals reported "substantial cruelty" towards animals in their childhood, while none of the non-incarcerated men reported a history of animal cruelty. In a study of assaultive women offenders, 36 percent reported a history of animal abuse compared to none of the non-assaultive women.
• The HSUS further cites a study of 53 families being treated for incidents of child abuse. In 60 percent of those abusive families, animals were also mistreated. In two-thirds of the cases, it was the abusive parent who had killed or injured the animals to control a child. In one-third, the children had abused the animals, using them as scapegoats for their anger.
• In a study of 28 incarcerated sexual-homicide perpetrators (all men), researchers found that 36 percent had abused animals in their childhood and 46 percent in adolescence. In another study using a sample of 64 men, 48 percent of convicted rapists and 30 percent of convicted child molesters reported cruelty to animals during their childhood or adolescence.

Of all the research that I examined for this article, the data on children who abused animals was most disturbing. This information indicates that young people who are cruel to animals may become aggressive toward humans later in life. Children who are raised with intense coercion may imitate this behavior with animals and people. The cruel behaviors they learn from adults may be re-enacted on animals. Children may harm animals to release the aggression they feel toward abusive adults or because of psychological trauma.
So what can be done to protect animals from abuse? The State of Texas has enacted laws to punish animal abusers. Section 42.09 of the Texas Penal Code defines cruelty to animals as:
A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:

1. Tortures or seriously overworks an animal;
2. Fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, care, or shelter for an animal in his custody;
3. Abandons unreasonably an animal in his custody;
4. Transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner;
5. Kills, injures or administers poison to an animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's effective consent;
6. Causes one animal to fight with another;
7. Uses a live animal as a lure in dog race training or in dog coursing on a racetrack; or
8. Trips a horse.

An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, and a person convicted under this section of the code could face up to two years in prison and a $2,000 fine. However, a person must be convicted twice under Section 42.09 before he can be tried for a felony crime.
In the case of Jesse, the evidence of a crime seems obvious. But we need help to bring to justice the person or persons who so cruelly abused Jesse. If you have any information about Jesse or if you recognize him from his photograph, please contact the Wichita Falls Police Department. Also, a bank account has been established at American National Bank at Midwestern Parkway and Maplewood for those who would like to contribute to a reward for the arrest and conviction of the criminal that injured this gentle pup. If statistics are correct, today's animal abuser could be tomorrow's violent offender.
Eamon Riley is a professional dog trainer and the co-host of "The Doctor Joe and The Dog Man" radio show. He also answers training and animal behavioral question on the Times and Record News CuteCritters Web page. For comments or suggestions, he can be reach at 636-5777 or by email at dogmanusmc@aol.com