Archive: Companion Animals

In special recognition of April as Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, the Animal Welfare Institute announces the launch of a new feature on its website. The information and resources available through the Animals and Family Violence page are designed for families experiencing abuse against a spouse, child, elderly family member, or companion animals, as well as for the domestic violence shelter personnel, humane societies, law enforcement, and others who provide services to families in crisis.

Research and experience have both established that when animal abuse occurs in the family, other violence is also likely to be present, and vice versa. Because of the strong attachments they have with their pets, victims of domestic violence may delay leaving a dangerous situation because of fear for the pet’s safety. Victims and their families need help; so do their companion animals.

“AWI wants to provide practical tools and information to protect animals and their families,” stated AWI President Cathy Liss. “We are pleased to provide these resources to the many dedicated people who come in contact with victims of domestic violence and their companion animals.”

These tools include the National Safe Havens Mapping Project, a listing by state of safe havens for pets programs. Eventually this database will cover all states (it now covers 30) and will be searchable by zip code. The National Safe Havens Mapping Project will be an important tool for all of those who want to help domestic violence victims and their pets reach safety.

Other tools include the following: Safety Planning for Pets of Domestic Violence Victims, Questions about Pets to Ask Domestic Violence Victims Calling the Hotline or During Intake, and Including Pets in Protection Orders. There is current information about states that allow inclusion of companion animals in Temporary Restraining Orders, a model Temporary Restraining Order, and model legislation for Temporary Restraining Orders.

The new webpage also provides opportunities to network with others in the larger community who are working to help domestic violence victims and their families through a listserv of directors of safe havens for pets programs, downloadable materials, and links to other useful websites, such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and Ahimsa House.

David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys welcomes the new resource. “When there is violence in the home, everyone suffers,” observed LaBahn. “As prosecutors, we know that abusers take out their rage on the family pets as a way to exert more power and control over children, spouses, even their elderly parents. AWI is providing a great service by making so many resources available in one place for victims of family violence as well as for prosecutors, law enforcement, and service providers. We appreciate their ongoing leadership in this area.”

The Animal Welfare Institute is pleased to report that Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ)—in an effort to protect companion animals from illegal use in laboratory experiments—today reintroduced, H.R. 2256, the Pet Safety and Protection Act. This bill would prohibit notoriously shady Class B dealers from selling dogs and cats to researchers.

By law, Class B dealers are supposed to acquire the animals they sell only from other dealers, pounds, and individuals who have bred and raised the animals themselves. However, these dealers and their suppliers (called “bunchers”) routinely flout the Animal Welfare Act, obtain animals through fraud, deception, and outright theft, and falsify their records. They keep the animals in horrendous conditions. The US Department of Agriculture spends hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars each year unsuccessfully trying to regulate them and has acknowledged that it can’t guarantee that dogs and cats are not being illegally acquired for use in experimental procedures. Five of the eight dealers currently in operation are under investigation by the USDA, with one of them having recently been indicted on a number of federal charges, including identity theft. Another one who has been under investigation turned in his license though the case against him is still pending, and a third is halfway through a five-year suspension.

“Class B dealers have racked up an atrocious record of illegal activity and cruelty to animals,” Congressman Doyle said today in reintroducing the bill. “Allowing this failed program to continue is simply unacceptable. That’s why we’re re-introducing the Pet Safety and Protection Act—to shut down the Class B dealer disaster once and for all.”

In May 2009, the National Academy of Sciences released a report entitled “Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random Source Dogs and Cats in Research.” At the request of Congress, NAS assessed whether there is a scientific need for NIH grant recipients to purchase dogs and cats from B dealers. It found that animals with similar qualities are available from alternative sources. The report stated: “The Committee therefore determined Class B dealers are not necessary as providers of random source animals for NIH-related research.” In response to this report and continued Congressional concern, NIH is now phasing out the use of these dealers by its grant recipients.

The Pet Safety and Protection Act is essential to ensuring that there is a permanent end to this abuse-ridden pipeline. “Class B dealers have routinely failed to meet basic Animal Welfare Act Standards and there is no sign they will ever improve,” remarked Congressman Smith. “Reputable research institutes do not use Class B dealers because of the serious problems associated with them and their troubled past. Closing them down once and for all will give people greater confidence in our research programs and go a long way toward reducing animal cruelty.”

Animal Welfare Institute President Cathy Liss welcomed the bill’s reintroduction: “Most researchers do not use Class B dealers to acquire dogs and cats, and it is time for the remainder who do to end their embarrassing association with these habitual violators of the law.”

In special recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Animal Welfare Institute announces the launch of the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, an online listing by state of safe havens for pets programs, available on the Animals & Family Violence section of the AWI website.

Domestic violence affects everyone, including the family pet. Because of the strong attachments they have with their pets, victims of domestic violence may delay leaving a dangerous situation because of fear for the pet’s safety. Abusers are well aware of these attachments and will use violence or the threat of violence against companion animals to control, intimidate, and seek retribution against their spouses/partners, children, or even elderly parents. Victims and their families need help; so do their companion animals. In response to this need, groups in local communities have created safe havens for pets throughout the US—places where the victims of domestic violence may shelter their pets while they and their children seek safety.

Through the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, a national listing of known safe havens for pets programs will be available online to domestic violence agencies, law enforcement, humane societies, domestic violence victims, and all those individuals and groups who provide services to families in crisis.

Currently, the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project lists over 1,000 safe havens for pets programs. By the end of the year, this database will cover all states and will be searchable by zip code.

“AWI wants to provide practical tools and information to protect animals and their families,” stated AWI President Cathy Liss. “We are pleased to have initiated this national online listing, which will be an important resource for the many dedicated people who come in contact with victims of domestic violence and their companion animals.”

David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys welcomes the new resource. “When there is violence in the home, everyone suffers,” observed LaBahn. “As prosecutors, we know that abusers take out their rage on the family pets as a way to exert more power and control over children, spouses, even their elderly parents. AWI is providing a great service by developing a national listing of safe havens for pets available in one place for victims of family violence as well as for prosecutors, law enforcement, and service providers. We appreciate their ongoing leadership in this area.”

In addition to the National Safe Havens for Pets Mapping Project, the Animals & Family Violence section of the AWI website provides other tools related to pet abuse and family violence, including: Safety Planning for Pets; Asking Questions about Pets at Intake; Children of Domestic Violence Victims; and “Guidelines for Human Service Personnel: Pets, Domestic Violence, and Children,” as well as information about states that allow inclusion of companion animals in Temporary Restraining Orders, a model Temporary Restraining Order, and model legislation for Temporary Restraining Orders. AWI also provides a link to a listserv of directors of safe havens for pets programs, organized and maintained by Ahimsa House in Georgia.

On Monday, November 14, 2011, US Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson, who heads the US Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, presented the Animal Welfare Institute’s (AWI) Albert Schweitzer Medal to three outstanding prosecutors. Michelle Welch, Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Raj Prasad and Amy Slameka from the Wayne County (MI) Prosecutor’s Office, are leaders—indeed, pioneers—in aggressively pursuing animal cruelty and animal fighting cases and raising awareness about the need to take such cases seriously.

In welcoming the guests to the event, held at the Hill Center in Washington, DC, AWI President Cathy Liss recalled Dr. Schweitzer’s words exhorting humans to greater compassion for animals. She recalled that Dr. Schweitzer believed that we must watch “for opportunities to bring some sort of help to animals in recompense for the great misery that men inflict upon them….” The Schweitzer medal itself is engraved with the image of the doctor and his dog, along with his statement: “We need a boundless ethics which will include the animals also.”  Liss introduced Assistant Attorney General Robinson by acknowledging her leadership in addressing violence in the community by addressing animal cruelty.

In remarks before presenting the awards, Assistant Attorney General Robinson spoke firmly of the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence and of the need to “instill in practitioners—law enforcement officers, victim advocates, animal control officers—a heightened sense of urgency about violence against animals.”

The recipients spoke movingly of their commitment to their work and to instilling that sense of urgency in their colleagues and the community.

In 1951, Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave his permission to AWI to strike a medal in his honor to be presented for outstanding achievement in the advancement of animal welfare. In granting his permission, Dr. Schweitzer wrote, “I would never have believed that my philosophy, which incorporates in our ethics a compassionate attitude toward all creatures, would be noticed and recognized in my lifetime.”

This was the first time that AWI has honored members from this branch of law enforcement. The first honoree to come from law enforcement, in 1964, was, interestingly, also from Detroit: Patrolman John Mobley of the Detroit police department, who was recognized for his prompt reporting of the suffering and neglect of animals in an experimental laboratory, which led to improvements in their care. In 1965, Associate Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas received the award for his previous work as author of the first bill requiring the humane treatment of animals in research.

A very simple sad fact is that people abuse animals. It is hard for most people to fathom why anyone would want to hurt another living being. Who does this? Where does it happen? Is it increasing or decreasing?

The answers to these and other questions would help law enforcement, prosecutors, mental health professionals, educators, policy makers, and others address this problem more effectively. Unfortunately, not only is this information not readily available, but also, until now, it could not be said whether such information even exists.

In recognition of April as Animal Cruelty Awareness Month, the Animal Welfare Institute announces the availability of the Animal Cruelty Crime Statistics: Findings from a Survey of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs. For the first time, a snapshot has been taken of whether and how states collect and report animal cruelty crime data. Knowing this is the first step towards having such information available on a national level.

Animal cruelty in and of itself is a heinous act against some of the most vulnerable members of society. It is a crime in all jurisdictions, and some forms constitute felonies in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virginia Islands. Moreover, it is well known that animal abuse is linked to other crimes, including family violence and other forms of interpersonal violence, gang and drug offenses, and property crimes. However, the FBI does not collect animal cruelty crime statistics as part of its Uniform Crime Report (UCR), and so there is no broad picture of these crimes.

AWI has long been working to achieve inclusion of animal related crimes in the UCR. Its new report offers detailed information obtained from the 28 participating state FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) programs about if and how animal cruelty crime statistics are reported to the state UCR programs by local police and then transmitted to the FBI national office. Of critical importance, Animal Cruelty… reveals that some state UCR programs maintain retrievable animal cruelty crime statistics. This is vital information not publicly known before this survey.

AWI President Cathy Liss explained that the survey was done to gain a better understanding of what is and isn’t known about crimes against animals. “We needed to know if such information exists or can be generated for submitting to the FBI. We learned that some states are already collecting such data. And we were particularly gratified to learn that the majority agree that having such data is useful.”

This report takes an important first step toward the goal of gaining inclusion of animal cruelty crime statistics in the FBI’s national analysis.

Other resources related to animals and interpersonal violence can be found at AWI’s Animals and Family Violence page.

Click here to download a PDF of the Animal Cruelty Crime Statistics Report.

The Animal Welfare Institute commends the Illinois General Assembly for passing and sending to the governor legislation that allows the prosecution of leaders of dog fighting networks under Illinois’ anti-racketeering (RICO) laws, providing an important new tool for prosecutors to apply against dog fighting organizers and financiers. Typically dogfight arrests result in charges against those physically at dogfights during raids” and breeders often face only misdemeanor charges. But the leaders of these operations often are not caught in dog fighting busts because they are not present and thus escape punishment. If, however, if certain dog fighting offenses are made a predicate crime under Illinois’ RICO statute, the perpetrators would face tougher penalties than the current dog fighting law allows and the sentence could also include restitution and/or fines. The new law would also enable the state to seize assets from dog fight leaders, which could serve as an especially useful deterrent.

Animal fighting is barbaric. It is a violent crime that causes immense suffering to countless numbers of innocent animals. But it threatens our communities in many other ways. There is a strong connection between animal fighting and other forms of violence, and animal fighting is frequently associated with gangs, drugs, gambling, money laundering, illegal guns, and other offenses—even homicide. Reporting on the sentencing of the kingpin of a drug trafficking ring in Louisiana, the US Drug Enforcement Agency described him as “an avid pit bull and cock fighter [who] utilized these illegal events as a networking tool to recruit members to transport and sell marijuana and cocaine for his organization.” The Animal Legal and Historical Center at the Michigan State University College of Law describes dog fighting in these stark terms:

“The notion that dog fighting is simply an animal welfare issue is clearly erroneous…. The magnitude of criminal activity concurrently taking place at the average dogfight is of such a scope as to warrant the involvement of a wide range of agencies,including local, regional, and federal law enforcement agencies and their specialized divisions such as organized crime units, SWAT teams, and vice squads, as well as animal control agencies and child protective services.”

“The Illinois legislature’s action well serves the entire state by giving law enforcement a more powerful tool for prosecuting dog fighting,” said Nancy Blaney, AWI Senior Policy Advisor. “We especially want to thank the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Zalewski, for working tirelessly to get the bill through the General Assembly, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel for making this a legislative priority.  We urge Governor Quinn to sign this bill.”

Every year in South Korea, over two million dogs and thousands of cats are killed for food. Many are sadistically tortured prior to slaughter to “improve” the taste of the meat—dogs are hung, beaten, torched, and killed in a variety of other horrific manners, while cats are boiled alive. Though dogs of all shapes and sizes fall victim to the dog meat trade, those who suffer most are the “yellow dogs” imprisoned in squalid, cramped cages within the numerous dog farms scattered around the country.

Consumption of dog meat increases during South Korea’s scorching hot summers because dog meat enthusiasts believe that eating the meat keeps one cool. This is particularly evident during Bok Days, the three hottest days of the summer according to the lunar calendar—July 18, 29 and August 7.

Please join us at Dupont Circle at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, August 7. From Dupont Circle we will march down Massachusetts Avenue to the South Korean embassy to rally for a prohibition against the production and sale of dog and cat meat in South Korea. If you have a yellow shirt, wear it in recognition of the yellow dogs. We hope to see you there—and dogs are welcome!

In its ongoing effort to address the needs of victims of domestic violence and their companion animals, the Animal Welfare Institute announces a new feature on its Animals and Family Violence web page: a listing of Safe Havens searchable by zip code (www.awionline.org/safe-havens).

AWI’s National Safe Havens Mapping Project has been in the works for several years as staff and a contingent of dedicated volunteers identified programs across the country that provide care for the companion animals of domestic violence victims—whether through allowing pets to remain with shelter residents, co-location with domestic violence shelters, independent facilities, fostering services, or other means.

Research and experience have both established that when animal abuse occurs in the family, other violence is also likely to be present, and vice versa. Because of the strong attachments they have with their pets, victims of domestic violence may delay leaving a dangerous situation because of fear for the pet’s safety. Victims and their families need help; so do their companion animals. Safe havens provide that help, and the National Safe Havens Mapping Project is an important tool for individuals facing domestic violence, as well as for all of those who want to help them and their pets reach safety.

The information and resources available through the Animals and Family Violence page are designed for families experiencing abuse against a spouse, child, elderly family member, or companion animal, as well as for the domestic violence shelter personnel, humane societies, law enforcement, and others who provide services to families in crisis.

“AWI wants to provide practical tools and information to protect animals and their families,” stated Cathy Liss, president of AWI. “We are pleased to provide these resources to the many dedicated people who come in contact with victims of domestic violence and their companion animals. We are especially thrilled that the years of work that went into compiling the directory and making it searchable by zip code is paying off!”

In addition to the National Safe Havens Mapping Project, these tools provide information on addressing safety planning for pets, questions to ask about pets at intake, and helping children of domestic violence victims, as well as a downloadable version of A Common Bond: Maltreated Children and Animals in the Home, a booklet containing guidelines for human service personnel in dealing with pets, domestic violence, and children. There is current information about which states allow inclusion of companion animals in Temporary Restraining Orders, a model Temporary Restraining Order, and model legislation for Temporary Restraining Orders.

The web page also provides opportunities to network with others in the larger community who are working to help domestic violence victims and their families, through a listserv of directors of safe havens for pets programs, downloadable materials, and links to other useful websites, such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and Ahimsa House.

David LaBahn, president and CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (www.APAInc.org) welcomes the AWI resource. “When there is violence in the home, everyone suffers,” observed LaBahn. “As prosecutors, we know that abusers take out their rage on the family pets as a way to exert more power and control over children, spouses, even their elderly parents. AWI is providing a great service by making so many resources available in one place for victims of family violence as well as for prosecutors, law enforcement, and service providers. We appreciate their ongoing leadership in this area.”