Animal Cruelty Syndrome

On June 7, The New York Times published an article examining the connection between cruelty to animals and other criminal behaviors, including crimes against humans, which it dubbed the Animal Cruelty Syndrome. The story cited examples such as the link between dog fighting and domestic violence, and explores the pathology behind cruelty to animals being a precursor to serial killer murder sprees. While the link between cruelty to companion animals and humans is discussed at length, the article doesn’t approach cruelty to farm animals, despite the recent public consciousness about factory-farm cruelty documented by animal-rights investigations.