Epidemic:
Kids Hurting Animals

As mental-health and law-enforcement experts well know, cruelty to animals and violence against humans are inextricably linked. Many educators are aware that serial killers and school shooters—including alleged killers Salvador Ramos, Payton Gendron, Nikolas Cruz, and Ethan Crumbley—tend to have a history of cruelty to animals, and Sandy Hook Promise has cruelty to animals on its “10 Critical Warning Signs of Violence” list.

Forty-three percent of perpetrators of schoolyard massacres commit acts of cruelty to animals first. Educators can help prevent future tragedies by including kindness to animals in the curriculum. Amid the current epidemic of youth violence, PETA urges everyone to report every act of cruelty against animals and calls on authorities to take each animal abuse claim seriously—for the sake of the animal victims and to help prevent future harm. Lives may depend on it.

Browse the List

Arkansas

State Laws

A.C.A.§ 6-15-1005. “Safe, equitable, and accountable public schools. (c) Local schools will work with parents, families, and business and community members to incorporate responsibility, character, self-discipline, civic responsibility, and positive work habits into adult contacts with students and to promote student demonstration of these behaviors.”

A.C.A.§ 6-18-2003. “Comprehensive school counseling program and plan framework. (a) Each public school district shall: (1) Develop and implement a comprehensive school counseling program that ensures student services are coordinated in a manner that provides comprehensive support to all students. The comprehensive school counseling program required under subsection (a) of this section shall: (1) Guide students in academic pursuits, career planning, and social and emotional learning.” (Source)

Reported Animal Abuse Cases

May 2019/Texarkana, Arkansas

The Texarkana Gazette reported that a 15-year-old girl was arrested on a felony charge of cruelty to animals with intentional torture after she posted a photo of a puppy named Tiny hanging from a doorknob on social media. The teen apparently told police that Tiny, a 5 to 6-month-old puppy, had been chewing on clothing items, which prompted the cruel ordeal. Tiny was reportedly taken to a local veterinarian for treatment and was expected to recover fully.

January 2017/Sheridan, Arkansas

THV11 reported that two juveniles were under investigation following social media posts that allegedly depicted cruelty to animals that reporters declined to show due to their graphic content. Reportedly, one photo shared on Instagram depicted a teen holding a rifle in the back of a truck, apparently next to a deceased dog who had been strangled, with the caption, “You’ve been a very bad dog.” In a second post reportedly featuring a different teen, a video appears to show the young person swinging a cat by the tail and sending the animal into a fan nearly 7 feet away.  After which, the feline reportedly fell to the concrete and fled. Both animals’ safety and well-being remain unknown.

September 2016/Fayetteville, Arkansas

ArkansasOnline.com reported that a group of teenagers had been caught on video smashing beverage cans open on a baby goat’s horns during a party. The goat was reportedly taken in by a rescue group following the incident.

June 2016/Texarkana, Arkansas

TXKToday.com reported that a teen who had reportedly strangled his stepmother’s tabby cat and tortured and killed the family’s two companion rabbits was sentenced to four years in prison.

August 2015/Jonesboro, Arkansas

K8 News reported on two cases involving cruelty to animals that were turned over to the Jonesboro Police Department’s juvenile division. Apparently, twice in two months, police encountered groups of children who were allegedly torturing cats, some of whom were reported to be involved in both incidents. Reportedly, a witness requested police assistance after seeing several children violently beating a gray kitten with a football and a switch. During the investigation, the officer apparently recognized some of the young people from a nearby animal cruelty case that took place in the weeks prior, in which a homeowner found a dead gray kitten in “in 3-4 pieces, as if its arms and legs were ripped out of its body” in his backyard.