On October 1, the FBI announced it is elevating animal cruelty to a Group A felony with a category all its own — similar to homicide, arson and assault. Animal abuse has long been filed under the category of "other" and mishmashed into a pool of lesser crimes, setting a tone of insignificance that belies the depravity of these actions and, often, their perpetrators.
But the evidence is in. Studies consistently show that young people who torture and kill animals are similarly inclined toward people as adults. Jeffrey Dahmer, the Boston Strangler and the Son of Sam tortured, beheaded and mutilated dogs, cats and birds before unleashing their violence on humans. The new category will make it easier to find, count and track animal abusers — and to get young offenders help.
Madeline Bernstein, president and CEO of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles and a former New York prosecutor, emphasizes that the animal cruelty statistics this singular categorization makes possible will allow police and counselors to work with children who show early signs of trouble, so they "won't turn into Dahmer." John Thompson, interim executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association, who worked to get the new animal cruelty category instituted, says, "The immediate benefit is it will be in front of law enforcement every month when they have to do their crime reports. That's something we have never seen."
Updated: Wed Oct 08, 2014