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2001 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases

The 2001 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases, The HSUS's non-scientific study of 1,677 animal abuse cases throughout the United States, reveals that a sizable portion of the intentionally violent acts against pets, farm animals, wildlife and exotics were committed by male teens under the age of 18. Overall, teenagers accounted for 20% of the intentional acts of cruelty against animals, and of those teens, a whopping 95% were male.

These statistics dovetail with findings from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which reported that juveniles are responsible for 16% of all violent crime arrests, including 18% of assaults. Significantly, however, the teenage rates of animal abuse are low when compared with other juvenile crimes known to be associated with animal cruelty. Juveniles, for example, are involved in 53% of all arson arrests and 41% of all vandalism arrests.

The Humane Society of the United States was the first organization to conduct a national study of animal cruelty cases and to quantify the people who typically commit these crimes. The HSUS's first study, conducted from January through December of 2000, assessed the demographics of animal abusers, the types of animals abused, and the incidence of family violence in high-profile animal cruelty cases throughout the United States.

To view or print the complete 2001 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases, download the PDF.

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