Emergency Humane-Education Packs Rushed To Schools In Wake Of Animal Abuse Cases

For Immediate Release:
15 October 2008


Contact:
Sam Glover 020 7357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]


Wales – Today, the PETA Foundation – a charity committed to ending animal suffering and providing children with tools to make compassionate choices – is sending emergency humane-education materials to all schools in Wales, free of charge. The mailing comes on the heels of a number of vicious attacks on animals. The attacks have been occurring across the country and have included the decapitation of a rabbit in Pentwyn, the stabbing and subsequent drowning of a cat in Barry and the crossbow killing of a cat in Holyhead. The PETA Foundation’s mailing points out that research in criminology and psychology suggests that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals rarely stop there – many go on to harm humans.


The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits which regularly appear in the records of serial rapists and murderers. Child-killers Mary Bell, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables as well as serial murderers Ian Huntley, Thomas Hamilton (Dunblane massacre), Fred West, Denis Nilsen, Ian Brady and Jeffrey Dahmer all started out by deliberately harming animals.


“Animal abuse should never be overlooked in children”, explains PETA Founder Ingrid E Newkirk. “Putting a stop to violent tendencies as soon as they become apparent should be a priority and the responsibility of all members of society. After all, the whole of society pays the price when these violent tendencies escalate.”


The educational materials sent by the PETA Foundation are designed to help children of all ages recognise the importance of compassion and empathy for all beings.


For more information about the link between cruelty to animals and violence towards humans or to order a free education pack, please visit PETAF.org.uk