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April 23, 2008 05:00 pm
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Reader: Don’t be cruel to animals
Two recent incidents serve as stark reminders that animals are victims of human violence, too. In Elkhart, a dog was shot with a BB gun during an alleged domestic dispute, and a young girl in Muncie was allegedly forced by her father to stab an 8-month-old kitten. Abuse of this nature does more than harm the individual animal; it erodes the fabric of civil society.
During Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week, April 20 to April 26, The Humane Society of the United States and the Monroe County Humane Association, will co-host a statewide animal cruelty seminar for police and prosecutors. The groups will gather to discuss the well-established connection between violence against animals and violence against humans.
The evidence of the connection is clear: A 1997 survey of 50 of the nation’s largest shelters for battered women found that 85 percent of women reported pet abuse in the family. Abusive family members can threaten, injure or kill pets, often as a way of threatening or controlling others in the family. Clearly, injuring or killing animals can indicate the potential for violence against people.
Effective investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty will ultimately create safer communities for humans and animals alike.
—Anne Sterling, Indiana Director of the Humane Society of the United States
Let’s prevent child abuse
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. In 2006, over 84,000 children in Indiana were reported as victims of child abuse and neglect. This is proof that we must get our heads out of the sand, join hands and raise awareness about the state of our children in Southern Indiana. Lets turn the tide on this and think of how in 2005, Clark and Floyd Counties welcomed approximately 2500 newborns into the community.
Be an advocate to the children and parents in your life. Find an agency that serves children and get involved, give a break to a single mom, play basketball with a struggling teen, give time to the future generation.
No matter what you do, small or large, you are making an impact. And thank you, thank you for saving our next generation.
— Sarah Bucy, president, Prevent Child Abuse Council of Clark and Floyd Counties, Inc.
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