In Texas County, Missouri, a young man was convicted of burning a cat named Tinkerbell.

When Tinkerbell was set on fire she sustained burns on most of her body and her ears were partially burned off. (Photo: The Animal Shelter of Texas County)

The cat died after she was unable to fight off massive infection resulted from her burn injuries and subsequent extensive skin loss.
Overwhelming evidence shows that human abusers, murderers or violent criminals began their first abuse on animals.

A selection of cases being followed by the Animals and Society Institute:

• A man in St. Louis, Missouri, burned or strangled five dogs.

• In Flushing, Michigan, a man beat his 10 pound Pomeranian to death.

• An 11-year-old girl in Saratoga Springs, New York, killed her foster mother’s puppy after the woman refused to take the girl shopping.

• An elementary school teacher in Chicago beat his dog Queso, whom he adopted from a rescue group, to death in a fit of rage.

• in Reno, Nevada, a man threw a puppy off a third-floor balcony, killing him.

• A woman in California stabbed her dog to death following an argument with her husband;

A study in Boston found 70 percent of all animal abusers have committed at least one other crime, and that 40 percent had committed violent crimes against humans. Studies also found that a history of animal abuse was found in 25 percent of male criminals, 30 percent of convicted child molesters, 36 percent of domestic violence cases and 46 percent of homicide cases. And 30 percent of convicted child molesters and 48 percent of convicted rapists admitted animal cruelty in their childhood. Prosecuting animal cruelty can help take dangerous criminals off the streets. We can help stop the cycle of violence by recognizing that animal abuse is an indicator of serious problems.

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Source: The Animals and Society Institute.