P.O. Box 1036
Bowie, MD 20718 (301) 262-6452
Last Updated: 7/24/2014 6:10 PM
© 2024 PGFerals
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The Link
When we ignore the plight of homeless cats, or when we destroy them
merely for lacking homes, we are making a statement about the value of
life. It is common sense that young people, like the rest of us,
understand that statement and align their values and behavior with what
they see as what is accepted and honored in the community.
But common sense is not the only argument for being kinder to feral
cats. Today, hard evidence supports the belief that there is real
danger in allowing animal abuse or suffering to go unanswered. Cats
outdoors without management and caretakers can fall victim to cruelty.
And the same impulse to treat a cat cruelly, can and frequently does
lead to treating other people with equal violence. There IS a
connection between abuse of animals and later criminal acts of violence,
involving humans. Read more about the Link, here:
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nr_fact_sheets_link
then find out how you can help educate others in the community about the
connection, courtesy of this page:
http://www.hsus.org/ace/15828
http://www.vachss.com/guest_dispatches/ascione_1.html
Above is a link to a paper on one study of the connection, the Link. As
you read the quotes of the abuse victims here, you may notice that the
cat in the story seems to be outside -- not necessarily an owned pet,
more likely a "stray" cat in the yard, whom the child in the violent
situation had taken pity on. This abuse victim befriended a helpless,
homeless cat, probably wanting to help ONE other creature in trouble.
The abuser here used the cat as a part of his control of his victims.
Colony caretakers would, at worst, have noticed this cat was missing, if
they had not been able to intervene before the cat was killed. That
cat's life would have mattered, and very possibly this abuse situation
could have been identified sooner.
How does a Trap, Neuter and Return program contribute to breaking this
link? Easy. It offers veterinary care and daily monitoring and care of
the cats in our community that have no home with a human. Participating
in a TNR project shows others in your neighborhood that you recognize
the value of the life. And if a community cares about the needy animals
in its midst, it's much more likely to know how to care about the needy
human beings. Young people learn by seeing that even if a living
creature is small and without a voice, it is important for us to care
for that creature. They learn that the answer to our problems is never
the taking of a life, and they see that it's possible to solve any
dilemma if we approach it with compassion and respect.
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