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105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 286

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the link between violence

against animals and violence against humans and urging greater emphasis upon identifying and treating individuals who are guilty of violence

against animals, which is a crime in its own right in all 50 States,

in order to prevent violence against humans and urging research to

increase understanding of the connection between cruelty to animals

and violence against humans.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 3, 1998

Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr.

CONYERS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. FARR of California, Ms. FURSE, Ms.

JACKSON-LEE, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MANTON, Mr. OLVER,

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mrs. MORELLA, and Mr. SHAYS) submitted

the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee

on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture and the

Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the link

between violence against animals and violence against

humans and urging greater emphasis upon identifying

and treating individuals who are guilty of violence

against animals, which is a crime in its own right in

all 50 States, in order to prevent violence against humans and urging research to increase understanding of
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the connection between cruelty to animals and violence

against humans.

Whereas an urgent need exists to prevent violence, especially

among juvenile offenders and in domestic situations;

Whereas a strong correlation between animal abuse and violence against humans has been documented by criminal

profiling experts associated with the Federal Bureau of

Investigation, who have identified cruelty to animals as

one of the three traits often found in the ‘‘homicidal

triad’’ which indicates the characteristics of a violent personality;

Whereas a disproportionately high number of violent killers

in the prison system admit to having abused animals, and

virtually every serial killer and many violent killers have

a history of abusing animals;

Whereas many of the recent cases of school violence have involved students with a history of animal abuse;

Whereas individuals who deliberately abuse animals are more

likely to abuse their spouse and their children or otherwise be involved in violent crimes;

Whereas some experts believe that abusing animals may increase or fuel the desire the commit violence against humans in certain disturbed individuals;

Whereas animal cruelty is violence and should be recognized

as such when assessing an individual’s propensity to commit future acts of violent crime;

Whereas intentional animal abuse is an early warning signal

that individuals, including young people, could perpetrate

violent crimes against other individuals; and
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Whereas laws against cruelty to animals have been enacted

in all 50 States and provide penalties for the purposeful

torture and killing of animals, and the enforcement of

these animal abuse laws provide law enforcement officials

with an opportunity to bring potentially violent offenders

into the criminal justice system before they commit more

serious crimes against humans: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) recognizes that individuals who abuse ani4 mals are more likely to commit more serious violent

5 crimes against humans;

6 (2) urges social workers, teachers, mental

7 health professionals, and others to be aware of the

8 connection between animal cruelty and human vio9 lence and to evaluate carefully and to monitor close10 ly individuals who have a history of abusing animals

11 because this may indicate a propensity to commit vi12 olence against other humans;

13 (3) urges appropriate Federal agencies to en14 courage and support research to increase the under15 standing of the connection between cruelty to ani16 mals and violence against humans in order to utilize

17 instances of animal abuse to identify and intervene

18 with potentially violent individuals, and urges Fed19 eral agencies which are undertaking research on vio20 lent crime and its causes to incorporate examination
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1 of the link between violence against animals and vio2 lence against humans;

3 (4) urges local law enforcement officials to treat

4 cases of animal cruelty seriously both because such

5 cruelty is a crime in its own right in all 50 States

6 and because it is a reliable indicator of the potential

7 for domestic and other forms of violence against hu8 mans; and

9 (5) commends the fine work of local animal

10 control officials and humane investigators who en11 force laws against animal abuse and urges these pro12 fessionals to work more closely with local law en13 forcement personnel to identify and prevent potential

14 violence against humans.

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