The Sign of a Disturbed Mind

In Michigan, authorities found piles of animal skins along the side of a road. At first, they thought it was a careless trapper. But then, they discovered something even more gruesome. Among the piles of skins were the decapitated remains of rottweilers and pitbulls, some whose legs had been bound.

About 15 years ago, I worked on a little known issue called the Link: it referred to the Link between animal cruelty and people abuse. At the time, most of the information was anecdotal, but it made perfect sense. People who were capable of abusing or torturing animals were capable of doing the same to people. If you can hit your dog, you are probably not far from, if not already, hitting your child or spouse. And if you can intentionally maim or torture an animal, then again, you may have an inclination towards harming people in a similar way.

One thing I learned back then and that still holds true today is that serial killers all share a propensity for killing animals at a young age. Jeffrey Dahmer use to decapitate frogs and cats and post their heads on sticks in his back yard. No neighbors reported these atrocities. His family said nothing.

Today, our lips aren’t sealed and our eyes aren’t closed. People do report animal abuses. The link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence is well known in animal groups and child welfare agencies, as well as among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges. Some states even make animal control officers mandaters for child abuse because of the strong links between animal and human violence. Some states make animal abuse a felony, and even require psychological counseling.

The signs are there. The person killing these animals is clearly disturbed. The Michigan community has every reason to worry about their pets and their families. You never know when someone that disturbed will cross the line.

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Cruelty Connections

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