IV
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 empha-
sis 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 jurisdic-
tion 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 hu-
mans and urging research to increase understanding of
HCON 286 IH
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 vio-
lence 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 per-
sonality;
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 in-
volved students with a history of animal abuse;
Whereas individuals who deliberately abuse animals are more
likely to abuse their spouse and their children or other-
wise be involved in violent crimes;
Whereas some experts believe that abusing animals may in-
crease or fuel the desire the commit violence against hu-
mans in certain disturbed individuals;
Whereas animal cruelty is violence and should be recognized
as such when assessing an individual’s propensity to com-
mit 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
HCON 286 IH
of the link between violence against animals and vio-
lence against humans;
(4) urges local law enforcement officials to treat
cases of animal cruelty seriously both because such
cruelty is a crime in its own right in all 50 States
and because it is a reliable indicator of the potential
for domestic and other forms of violence against hu-
mans; and
(5) commends the fine work of local animal
control officials and humane investigators who en-
force laws against animal abuse and urges these pro-
fessionals to work more closely with local law en-
forcement personnel to identify and prevent potential
violence against humans.
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