Lindsay Pollard-Post: Anyone who abuses animals in dire need of counseling
Re “16-year-old felon arrested in Delhi pig killing” (Online, Feb. 23): If he is convicted, it is vital that the 16-year-old Delhi High School student accused of torturing and killing a pig used in a FFA program receive a strong sentence, including counseling and a ban on contact with animals.
Medical experts and top law-enforcement officials agree: Cruelty to animals is a major red flag. The link between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence is well documented. Many serial rapists and murderers, including school shooters, have a background of abusing animals. The FBI uses reports of animal cruelty in gauging the threat potential of suspected and known criminals, and the American Psychiatric Association identifies such crimes as one of the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorders.
Animal abusers need prompt intervention, for everyone’s safety. To learn more, visit www.PETA.org.
Lindsay Pollard-Post, Senior Writer, PETA, Norfolk, VA
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Lindsay Pollard-Post: Anyone who abuses animals in dire need of counseling."