[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 286 Introduced in House (IH)]







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 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
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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) recognizes that individuals who abuse animals are more 
        likely to commit more serious violent crimes against humans;
            (2) urges social workers, teachers, mental health 
        professionals, and others to be aware of the connection between 
        animal cruelty and human violence and to evaluate carefully and 
        to monitor closely individuals who have a history of abusing 
        animals because this may indicate a propensity to commit 
        violence against other humans;
            (3) urges appropriate Federal agencies to encourage and 
        support research to increase the understanding of the 
        connection between cruelty to animals and violence against 
        humans in order to utilize instances of animal abuse to 
        identify and intervene with potentially violent individuals, 
        and urges Federal agencies which are undertaking research on 
        violent crime and its causes to incorporate examination of the 
        link between violence against animals and violence 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 humans; and
            (5) commends the fine work of local animal control 
        officials and humane investigators who enforce laws against 
        animal abuse and urges these professionals to work more closely 
        with local law enforcement personnel to identify and prevent 
        potential violence against humans.
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