The link between animal abuse and human violence has been well-documented and should alarm us all! In fact, the mass shooter who fatally shot 19 children and 2 teachers at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school had a history of animal abuse. Similarly, the Buffalo shooter had committed animal abuse prior to committing mass murder. A recent study by the Chicago Police Department showed that people who abuse animals are likely to commit violent offenses toward human victims, too. Animal abuse is a horrific crime on its own, but when you factor in the likelihood that the violent behavior will escalate into more animal abuse and future violence against people, it's downright frightening. The data is clear: Animal abuse must be taken more seriously.
Sign the petition to demand Congress pass legislation to curb the escalation of violence by animal abusers.
The Uvalde shooter allegedly posted animal abuse online, with one witness describing how he would "put cats in plastic bags, suspend them inside, throw them at the ground and throw them at people's houses." Just weeks before the Buffalo shooter murdered 10 Black people motivated by white supremacist ideology, he stabbed and decapitated a feral cat.
"How the Buffalo shooter attacked and killed the cat indicates a level of aggressiveness that would have put his actions into a category of high risk on a scale used by animal cruelty experts in assessing public safety risk," according to Philip Tedeschi, clinical professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver.
There have been steps taken to address the link between animal abuse and human violence. The FBI began tracking animal cruelty cases in a database, and earlier this year, Congress passed the PAWS Act, which expanded domestic violence protections to include victims' pets. But in the aftermath of Buffalo and Uvalde, it is clear that more needs to be done.
Sign the petition to insist that Congress pass legislation to save both animal and human lives by preventing the escalation of violence by animal abusers!
