For Immediate Release:
April 20, 2005

Contact:
Mylie Thompson 757-622-7382  

Oklahoma City, Okla. --- Today, PETA sent an urgent plea to Oklahoma District Attorney C. Wesley Lane II, urging him to vigorously prosecute a 13-year-old boy who, along with two accomplices who have not yet been charged, reportedly attacked a goose on April 12. The suspects are alleged to have kicked the animal, bludgeoned her with a skateboard, and slammed her into a fence.

PETA warns that such acts should never be dismissed as childish pranks, since criminal-profile studies show that many who are violent toward animals in their youth grow up to commit violent crimes against humans. Robert Ressler, founder of the FBI’s behavioral sciences unit, has described serial killers and other psychopathic torturers of people as “the kids who never learned it’s wrong to poke out a puppy’s eyes.”

A 1999 study of suspects charged with cruelty to animals—ranging from severe animal neglect to intentional killing—found that 78 percent had also been charged with offenses involving violence, or the threat of violence, toward people.

“Young people who harm animals are a threat to society, and Oklahoma City authorities must send a strong message that violence in the community will not be swept under the rug,” says PETA Wildlife Biologist Stephanie Boyles. “Given the strong connection between cruelty to animals and other forms of violence, it is imperative, for everyone’s sake, that this case be taken seriously.”

PETA is also sending its anti-violence public service announcement hosted by actor Dennis Franz to TV stations serving the Oklahoma City area.

For more information, please visit HelpingAnimals.com.

PETA’s letter to District Attorney C. Wesley Lane II follows.

April 20, 2004

The Honorable C. Wesley Lane II
Oklahoma County District Attorney
320 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Ste. 505
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Dear Mr. Lane:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the world’s largest animal rights organization, with more than 800,000 members and supporters dedicated to animal protection. As you will recall, we wrote to you last November regarding four juveniles accused of fatally dragging a deer behind their vehicle. This letter concerns another cruelty-to-animals case that your office is handling, involving an unnamed 13-year-old boy, who faces charges stemming from his alleged April 12 fatal attack on a goose. According to news sources, the accused—evidently accompanied by two other boys who have not yet been charged—kicked and bludgeoned the animal with a skateboard, pulled on her neck, and slammed her into a fence.

Mental-health professionals and top law-enforcement officials consider animal abuse to be a red flag. The American Psychiatric Association identifies cruelty to animals as one of the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorders, and the FBI uses reports of animal abuse in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known criminals. Experts agree that it is the severity of the behavior—not the species of the victim—that matters. FBI interviews with murderers showed that 36 percent had tortured and killed animals as children and that 46 percent had done so as adolescents.

Serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo (“The Boston Strangler”), David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”), Russell Weston, and Lee Boyd Malvo all had histories of killing animals. And in recent years, many schools have suffered the tragic consequences of ignoring or casually dismissing cruelty to animals. The following students, who perpetrated killing sprees in their schools, also had histories of abusing animals: Mississippi’s Luke Woodham, 16; Kentucky’s Michael Carneal, 14; Arkansas’ Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11; Colorado’s Dylan Klebold, 17, and Eric Harris, 17; Oregon’s Kip Kinkel, 15; and Georgia’s Thomas “T.J.” Solomon Jr., 15.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden, Cruelty Caseworker
Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department