Observe Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week The 3rd Week in April
Background image by cocoparisienne @ Pixabay; CCO (Public Domain)
Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week is a time to recognize the connection between cruelty to animals and violence toward people.
Neither act is ever ok.
Animal’s lives do matter. Deliberately hurting them should not be excused. And it’s not.
Animal abuse is a crime in every state.
But not everyone takes animal abuse seriously. They look the other way. Or think animals’ owners have the “right” to treat their “property” however they want.
That’s a mistake.
Not only because it’s hurting a living creature. Although that really should be enough reason.
But also because evidence shows people who abuse animals are more likely to also be violent in their human relationships.
Children who abuse animals are more likely to have conduct disorders. And more likely to escalate to other violent behaviors. School shooters often have a history of animal cruelty.
Take a look at these statistics collected by North Dakotans to Stop Animal Cruelty (PDF file). They include their sources if you’re interested in seeing the actual studies.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this worthwhile unofficial holiday.
Ideas For Observing Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week
Spread the word about the connection between these two acts of violence.
A good way to start is by tweeting and/or posting about Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week.
Learn more about this connection in this article from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. It includes reasons to report both animal and human abuse. Also links to more information and reporting options.
Learn to recognize the warning signs of possible animal cruelty.
Donate to the Animal Legal Defense Fund or another organization working to prevent animal and/or domestic violence. (Remember to always check out a charity before donating).
Watch this short video on the importance of reporting animal cruelty. It’s from the Animal Rescue League of Boston.
Learn how to report suspected cruelty in your community. Your local animal control center should be able to help.
Remember, all states have laws against animal abuse. If the first person you talk to doesn’t take you seriously, keep trying. You might save an animal’s life. And maybe a human’s too.
[…] Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week (April 15 – 21): This week starts on Sunday the 15th and runs through the following week. It raises awareness of the connection between animal abuse and violence toward humans. […]
[…] Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week (April 15 – 21): For this week, learn more about the connection between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. And spread the word. Mistreating animals is not ok. It’s wrong all by itself. And it’s also a sign a person may be (or may soon start) mistreating humans. […]
[…] 12-18: Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week. The Human Society of the United States (HSUS) brings awareness “to recognize the connection […]
[…] Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week (April 19 – 25, 2020): People who are cruel to animals are also more likely to be violent towards people. It’s long past time to recognize this link and stop the violence all around. Use this week to learn more and help spread the word. […]
[…] Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week (April 18 – 24, 2021): People who abuse animals are more likely to be violent towards humans, too. During this week help spread the word that not only is hurting animals wrong, but it’s likely to escalate into hurting humans, if it hasn’t already. And do what you can to stop violence/abuse toward any living being any day of the year. […]