Time after time, people who wind up killing humans started off by abusing and torturing animals. Had these criminals been stopped after harming animals, there is a good chance that many senseless human deaths could have been avoided. We, as a society, must prosecute those who torture animals and provide them with psychological treatment before it leads to even worse behavior. People need to teach their children compassion at an early age. An animal feels pain the very same as you or me.
All life is precious.
God indeed has placed animals on earth for our use, but definitely NOT our abuse. For the many thousands of the Journal readers who have this opinion, please contact your Iowa legislator as soon as possible and encourage them to make intentional and malicious acts of animal cruelty a felony in Iowa for the first offense. Over 20 other states in the U.S. already have a law with the felony classification. Let's be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. There is no excuse for harming a child or animal.