There is a very strong link between animal abuse and violence towards humans. At the national level, the Department of Justice issued this bulletin in September 2001 regarding the connection between youth violence and animal cruelty. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/188677.pdf. Around the country, states like Delaware (http://www.state.de.us/attgen/main_page/animalcrulaccompl.shtml) have investigated the link between animal abuse and human abuse. States like Maine go one step further by actually employing humane officers who investigate abuse cases (http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/aw/). Even in the state of Texas, Austin has 2 animal cruelty investigators on their police force. Fort Worth has two animal welfare investigators that investigate animal cruelty (these positions are listed in the 2006-7 fiscal budget on page 209 http://www.fortworthgov.org/budget/0607/pdf/GeneralFund.pdf). Finally, San Antonio has an animal cruelty investigator on their police force.

In stark contrast of this trend of law enforcement agencies acknowledging the connection between animal abuse and subsequent human abuse, the City of Houston has no publicly funded position to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty. Although the hiring of Kent Robertson and Vincent Medley at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC) indicate a positive step toward animal welfare, the dismal budget that has been assigned to BARC by our City Leaders leaves no resources for the ultimate pursuit of animal cruelty charges. Every day cases of animal cruelty, neglect and abandonment are literally dumped at BARC where personnel have no resources to prosecute. By this action, one must conclude that City Hall continues to believe that cruelty against animals is isolated to animals. They fail to recognize that when a dog with a gunshot wound is brought to BARC, some where in the City of Houston someone is going around shooting living things with disregard. This attitude leaves BARC with little to do except the nasty job of euthanizing and disposing of the evidence. It’s time for a change. The people and the animals of Houston deserve better.

Thanks for posting about "Think About The Link" workshop on Friday, Nov. 10.

Just to add -- the workshop is sponsored by the Houston SPCA, Harris County Public Health-Veterinary Pubic Health Division, Harris County Protective Services, The Children's Assessment Center and PetShare: Pets and People for Positive Change, an animal-assisted therapy nonprofit.

A panel discussion with representatives from animal welfare, social services and the legal system also will be presented.

A major issue of the animal abuse-family violence connection is that if animals are abused or neglected in the family, the likelihood that children, seniors, spouses or others in the family are as well. Unfortunately, law enforcement, animal welfare, veterinarians and CPS workers often are unaware of this "link" -- which is the purpose of the workshop -- to get everyone talking and working together.

Thanks again for the PR. Hope to see you there!

Audrey Schwartz Rivers
Executive Director
PetShare