Animal cruelty data collected from Michigan State Police (MSP) show an increase in animal cruelty where incidents went up by 301% percent between 2016 and 2018.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows some very frightening numbers that those being abused and the people who love them should pay attention to. The Coalition stated that 71 percent of the abused who entered a safe shelter had reported their batterer threatened, injured, or killed a family pet.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and it’s documented that animal abusers are more likely to be domestic violence abusers. The MSP’s Michigan Incident Crime Report “Crime at A Glance” reported animal cruelty crimes grew around 100 cases per ear between 2016 and 2018. This breaks down to 93 in 2016, 202 in 2017 and 297 in 2018.
A report on the correlation of domestic violence by HumaneSociety.org states
There are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. where 20 men and women are assaulted per minute (an average of around 10 million a year).
In one survey, 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.
In one study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of the families under supervision for physical abuse of their children.
Abusers like to control a person through the use of physical threats. They’re also more likely to have an arrest history for violent crimes as well as a criminal record for drug-related offenses. Domestic violence is considered a misdemeanor in Michigan with a maximum punishment being up to 93 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.
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Resources for anyone being abused can be found below.
Resources for domestic violence victims
Southwest Michigan Domestic Violence services
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE
National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
Resources for animal cruelty
American Humane Association: 303-792-9900
Michigan Humane Society: 313 872-3401
Both animal cruelty and criminal domestic crimes need to be taken more seriously, especially by anyone involved with an abuser. I’ve done numerous articles on pets being harmed or killed when the batterer decides to demonstrate power over the abused. I’ve also reported on pets being witness to their person being brutally beaten or killed.
There are MANY cases reported by news media that are simply too horrific to write on. Please, if you or someone you love is with an abuser, let them know there is help out there and if they won’t seek it for themselves then do so to protect a pet. The number of cases aren’t getting better with time. Statistics show they’re only getting worse and most of the abusers began by abusing helpless animals at a young age.
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