ABOUT

The Link Between Violence to People and Violence to Animals.

WHO

Nevada Paws provides community outreach informational data and research about animal cruelty and addresses the precursory link to criminality and the effect it has on interpersonal relationships and the overall community safety, including domestic violence, child and elder abuse and the overall mental health wellness of populations that have been charged and convicted of such heinous crimes.

WHAT

Nevada Paws focuses on shining a public light on the correlation between animal abuse, family violence and other forms of community violence. Child and animal protection professionals have recognized The Link®, noting that abuse of both children and animals is connected in a self-perpetuating cycle of violence and the interconnected crimes.

WHY

When animals are abused and badly treated in a home, it is a warning sign that there’s a good chance that others in the household are not safe and potentially are also being abused in that home by way of child abuse, spouse abuse, and/or abuse of the elderly. When a home is not a safe and caring place for animals it is not a safe and caring place for people either.

HOW SERIOUS IS IT?

Pet owning families with substantiated child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused in 88 percent of homes where child physical abuse was present (DeViney, Dickert, & Lockwood, 1983).
Women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71 percent of those having pets affirmed that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals, and 32 percent of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets (Ascione, 1998).
Violent offenders incarcerated in a maximum security prison were significantly more likely than nonviolent offenders to have committed childhood acts of cruelty toward pets (Merz-Perez, Heide, & Silverman, 2001).

HOW IS IT BEING ADDRESSED?

There are now felony-level penalties for animal cruelty in nearly all states.
Several states require veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse and offer veterinarians who report cruelty immunity from civil and criminal liability.
Some states require animal control officers to report suspected child abuse or neglect and receive training in recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect.
A few states permit child and adult protection workers to report suspected animal abuse or receive training on identifying and reporting animal cruelty, abuse and neglect.
Nearly half the states call for psychological counseling for individuals convicted of animal cruelty.

OUR GOALS AND MISSION

Educate the public and build collaboration among human service, animal protection, public safety, law enforcement and judicial professionals by creating Nevada Paws - THE LINK Committee;
Provide resources and connection to the National Organization The Link®;
Connect concerned community members through town hall meetings;
Provide informative educational opportunities and resources;
Advocate and help pass animal cruelty legislation, drafting cross-reporting state legislation and testifying; and
Contributing to the understanding of The Link® through research on animal cruelty, its treatment in the criminal justice system and the overwhelming opportunity for detection and intervention by veterinarians.

In the best interest of Public Safety and for those most vulnerable please support our legislative efforts.

83rd Legislative Session
Bill Drafts

Courtroom Animal Advocate Program (CAAP)

Certified Therapy Courtroom Dog

Animal (Domestic) Transport

Social Emotional Learning

Bestiality

Legislative Bill Packet

Download Packet

THE LINK must be addressed in the

best interest of public safety.

Cross-training and cross-reporting among law enforcement officers, humane investigators, veterinarians, health professionals, domestic violence advocates and child protection workers;
Training and continuing education about The Link® for judges and prosecutors;
Model legislation for cross-reporting and crossreporting standards;
Systematic tracking of national animal abuse data;
Expanded research about The Link®, including evaluation of prevention and intervention approaches;
Inclusion of animal-focused violence in standard assessments and intake forms for child protective services, mental health and domestic violence workers; and
Community partnerships to respond to family violence and educate the public about taking all acts of violence seriously.