Colorado Alliance for Cruelty Prevention: Safe Pets, Safe Families, Safe Communities

• Publication year: 2004
• Pages: 37
• Citation: Vol. 33 No. 4 Pg. 37

33 Colo.Law. 37 Colorado Lawyer 2004.

2004, April, Pg. 37. Colorado Alliance for Cruelty Prevention: Safe Pets, Safe Families, Safe Communities

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37

Vol. 33, No. 4, Pg. 37

The Colorado Lawyer
April 2004
Vol. 33, No. 4 [Page 37]

Departments
CBA Family Violence Program
Colorado Alliance for Cruelty Prevention: Safe Pets, Safe Families, Safe Communities
by Janet Mickish, Kathleen M. Schoen

This department is published quarterly to provide information about domestic violence and CBA Family Violence Program activities

Janet Mickish, Ph.D., Denver, is a sociologist and teaches criminology and women and violence courses at the University of Denver and University of Colorado at Denver. She has been involved with women and violence prevention and intervention since 1972. Kathleen Schoen, Esq., Denver, is the Colorado Bar Association Family Violence Program Director - (303) 860-1115, kschoen@cobar.org

The custom of tormenting and killing of beasts will,
by degrees, harden their minds even towards men;
and they who delight in the suffering and destruction
of inferior creatures, will not be apt to be very
compassionate or benign to those of their own kind

- John Locke1

Painfully aware of the connection between animal abuse and violence toward humans alluded to in the above quote by John Locke, the Colorado Bar Association ("CBA") Family Violence Program and Dumb Friend's League initiated a collaboration of family violence and animal welfare professionals to cross-educate professionals about this link. Since November 2002, the collaboration has grown to include representatives from district attorneys' offices, veterinary associations, probation departments, the American Humane Association, and domestic violence and child abuse service providers. As of December 2003, that collaboration developed into the establishment of the Colorado Alliance for Cruelty Prevention: Safe Pets, Safe Families, Safe Communities ("Alliance").

Outside the family itself, professionals involved in civil and criminal justice, child maltreatment, and animal welfare often are the first to observe abuse. In many circumstances, if properly dealt with, recognizing and responding to the abuse of one victim could actually identify a violence problem before there are additional victims. However, there is mounting evidence that these "first responders" do not respond because they lack information about the issue or lack the skills related to what to do if they suspect co-occurring abuses. Therefore, the first focus of the Alliance has been to help those on the front line to build a resource base and create awareness and skills in recognizing and responding to such incidents.

Historical Roots

Although most people think of violence toward animals, children, and intimate partners as distinct phenomena, these forms of violence often happen within the same household and have deep historical roots. The word "family" is derived from Latin, familia, meaning servants.2 Historically, animals, children, and women were considered part of the "owner's"3 servants and, therefore, "property" of the head of the household. Until the turn of the twentieth century, property owners (usually the male head of household, later to be called "husband")4 were responsible and liable for the actions of their family members.5

In the same way, kings who ruled the countries from which the concept of family emerged in western culture had an absolute right to do anything they wished with their property (such as people, animals, and crops). The head of the family was declared the absolute ruler of his domain with the legal right to do anything he wished with and to family members. "Anything" included such things as setting slaves free, requiring sexual services, whipping, hitting, branding, and forcing a family member to wear a chastity belt, as well as selling or killing the family member.

The Emergence of Concern About Cruelty

Although various social movements throughout the nineteenth century expressed concern about violence toward slaves children, and women, the first laws against cruelty were designed to protect animals. The foundation and justification for the laws was depicted in the etchings of an eighteenth century artist who expressed concern that animal abuse was a problem, not because it is wrong to hurt animals, but because it could lead to "more serious"...