Kitsap Humane Society : Dedicated to Respecting All Animal Life

is not only wrong—it is against the law in every state in this country! Animal abuse can also be part of a pattern of other violent acts within families and society. Abuse of any kind should be reported to the appropriate authorities immediately.

Dog Beaten And Shot To Death

Puppy Mill 18 dogs seized

Dog Collar Grown Into Neck

Cat Tied To Truck

Left Without Food And Water

Animal Cruelty Articles

Animal Cruelty / Acts of Violence

Death Camp For Dogs

Animal Cruelty Defined

WHERE DO I REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY?
In Kitsap County: Cruelty situations involving animals in our County should be reported to the Kitsap Animal Rescue department at (360) 698-9654, ext. 216, or dispatch@kitsaphumane.org

Outside Kitsap County: You will need to find out the name of the persons in your area who are responsible for investigating and enforcing the anti-cruelty codes in your town, county and/or state. These people typically work for your local humane organization, animal control agency, taxpayer-funded animal shelter or police precinct.

To find out what agencies are authorized to investigate and arrest instances of animal cruelty in your state (i.e, does the enforcement of animal cruelty laws fall under the authority of the police department or animal control officers?), visit our state-by-state list of state anti-cruelty investigatory-arrest powers.

TIPS FOR REPORTING ANIMAL CRUELTY
Once you have found out which law enforcement agent you should speak to, it’s important to provide him or her with a concise, written, factual statement of what you observed, giving dates and approximate times whenever possible. If at all feasible, try to photograph the abusive situation and date your pictures. It would also be helpful to get short, factual written statements from other witnesses.

When you call to report animal cruelty, always make sure to keep a careful record of exactly whom you contact, the date of the contacts and the content and outcome of your discussion. Never give away a document without making a copy for your file! Make it clear to the agent that you are very interested in pursuing the case, and that you are willing to lend whatever assistance you can.

FOLLOW UP IF NECESSARY
If you don’t receive a response from the officer assigned to your case within a reasonable length of time, don’t be afraid to present your information to his or her supervisor and, if necessary, to local government officials, such as the county commissioner, and ask them to act.

Acts of Animal Cruelty Can Point

to an Offender's Potential for Violence Against Humans

Most people are aware that animals play an important role as sentinels of disease and toxins in our environment. The proverbial canary in the coal mine is a well-known example: the sick canary served as a warning sign for impending physical danger to the miners.

Recently, more and more evidence suggests that animals can play a similar role with regards to social violence. Some of the most striking evidence for a link between animal cruelty and human violence lies in the case histories of many of the 20th century's most infamous criminals.

Mass-murderer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer killed neighbors' pets and impaled a dog's head on a stick.
Patrick Sherril, who murdered 14 co-workers and then killed himself, stole pets, then tied them up and allowed his own dog to mutilate them.
David Berkowitz, the so-called "Son of Sam," shot his neighbor's labrador retriever.
Albert DeSalvo, the "Boston Strangler," shot arrows into boxes of trapped cats and dogs.
Brenda Spencer, who fired 40 shots into a crowd of children, murdering 2 and wounding 9, had a history of setting the tails of neighborhood cats and dogs on fire.
Edmund Emil Kemper III, who murdered his mother and 7 other women, used to abuse cats and dogs.
Carol Edmund Cole, who murdered 35 people, admitted that his first violent act was strangling a puppy.
Richard Allen Davis, kidnapper and murderer, doused cats with gasoline and set them on fire.

Studies of prison inmates reveal that as many as 75% of violent offenders had early records of animal cruelty. There is also a high correlation between family violence and animal cruelty. A study in 1983 of New Jersey families referred to youth and family services for reasons of child abuse reported that 88% of cases had at least one member of the household who physically abused animals. An English researcher found that 83% of families reported for animal abuse also had children listed at high risk of abuse or neglect.

We close with the words of Immanuel Kant: "He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."

This information was compiled and researched by Eleanor Shelburne DVM of the Portland Veterinary Medical Association's animal welfare committee.