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Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK)™ Program Launched

The American Humane Association has launched an innovative program that encourages and guides child welfare professionals on how to incorporate therapy animals into sessions with children who have been abused or neglected or who have witnessed violence. When children have suffered trauma, it is often difficult for them to speak of their experiences. Therapy animals can help children open up and promote the healing process in such venues as children’s advocacy centers and courtrooms.

The Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK) Program was created by Allie Phillips, J.D., vice president of American Humane’s Public Policy Office and a former prosecutor, and Diana McQuarrie, director of animal-assisted interventions for American Humane and a certified therapy-animal handler, in cooperation with Delta Society® and top child protection professionals.

“As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of helping children feel comfortable when disclosing and testifying about abuse or trauma,” said Phillips. “Therapy animals provide that comfort and security. The TASK Manual was written to help professionals understand this important dynamic that can help a child through the daunting court process.”

The TASK Manual (free download) provides guidance to child welfare professionals, attorneys and prosecutors, child protection workers, social workers, police officers and other professionals. It addresses practical and legal issues involved with setting up an animal-assisted therapy program in a children’s advocacy center or other agency, during forensic interviews, medical examinations or individual or group therapy, and in court preparation and courtroom testimony.

Illinois Enacts Cross-Reporting Law

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed into law new legislation that requires animal welfare investigators who have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being abused, neglected or in danger to make a report to the State Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The new law likewise mandates DCFS investigators to immediately report suspected animal abuse or neglect to the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.

Illinois House Bill 562, sponsored by Sen. Don Harmon and Rep. Susana Mendoza, amends the state’s Humane Care for Animals Act and the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. The measure also provides for confidentiality and immunity for persons, institutions and agencies making such reports in good faith.

Illinois joins West Virginia as the only states where child protection and animal welfare workers are mandated to cross-report. Several states mandate one group or give these employees permission to cross-report without mandating it.

Hawaii and North Carolina Enact Pets-in-Protection-Order Laws

Earlier this year, Hawaii Senate Bill 1086, an initiative introduced by Sen. Clayton Hee that would have allowed judges to include companion animals in domestic violence protective orders, appeared to have died in committee. However, House Bill 1512 -- an identical initiative introduced by Rep. Jon R. Karamatsu -- passed both House and Senate conference committees and was signed into law on June 26, 2009.

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, SB 1062, an initiative sponsored by Sen. Julia Boseman and spearheaded by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, was signed by Gov. Bev Perdue on Aug. 6, 2009.

Both the Hawaii and North Carolina laws allow judges to include in domestic violence protective orders any animal owned, possessed, leased, held or kept by a domestic abuse petitioner, respondent or the minor child residing with either party. Thirteen states plus Puerto Rico have now enacted this type of law.

Online Course Considers Veterinary Role in Reporting Suspected Abuse

Can a veterinarian recognize good and bad animal welfare? What should a practitioner do when presented with a case involving suspected animal abuse? What are the legal and professional obligations? What are the risks of taking or not taking action? And should veterinarians be compelled to report? These are some of the topics to be addressed in a continuing veterinary education online course, “Animal Law in Practice,” offered by Dr. Ian Robertson through the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s VetScholar online learning program. Robertson, an internationally recognized legal specialist in the area of animals and the law, will teach the course Oct. 19-Dec. 13, 2009, using real-life situations in which ethical, professional, economic and social conflicts arise.

New Link Research

While acts of violence against humans and other animals share commonalities, and animal abuse may serve as a sentinel for current or future violence against people, the popular and professional acceptance of such strong connections requires greater scrutiny, according to a new critique. Writing in the Journal of Social Issues, Emily Patterson-Kane of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Heather Piper of Manchester Metropolitan University in the U.K. argue that the limited pool of empirical data makes any assumption that violence has a predominant, single underlying cause questionable. An overemphasis on The Link helps achieve a consensus that animal abuse is a serious issue, but risks diverting focus away from the most common types of abuse and appropriate strategies, they write.

Patterson-Kane, E., & Piper, H. (2009). Animal abuse as a sentinel for human violence: a critique. Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 589-614.

In another article in the same journal, Frank R. Ascione, American Humane Endowed Chair at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and Kenneth Shapiro of the Animals & Society Institute address the challenges of defining and assessing animal abuse, the relationships between animal abuse and childhood mental health, and how empirical findings may impact human and animal welfare. Although the graduation hypothesis -- that animal abuse is a precursor of human abuse -- has not been substantiated in Link literature, such a progression is described in more general literature on anti-social and juvenile behavior, and robust findings of co-occurrence reinforce the need for early identification of animal abuse and intervention for at-risk populations. Ascione and Shapiro apply the public health model of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention to Link issues, and note that the topic of animal abuse provides a rich set of research opportunities, leading to potential new programs and policies.

Ascione, F.R., & Shapiro, K. (2009). People and animals, kindness and cruelty: research directions and policy implications. Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 569-587.

In an effort to examine the socio-demographic, behavioral and psychiatric correlates of cruelty to animals, researchers conducted 43,093 structured psychiatric interviews. Personality, substance use, mood, anxiety disorders and cruelty to animals were assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule. The lifetime prevalence of animal cruelty in adults was 1.8 percent. Men, African-Americans, Native Americans/Asians, native-born Americans, persons with lower levels of income and education, and adults living in the Western U.S. reported comparatively high levels of cruelty to animals, whereas Hispanics reported comparatively low levels. Cruelty to animals was significantly associated with all assessed anti-social behaviors. Adjusted analyses revealed strong associations between lifetime alcohol use disorders; conduct disorder; anti-social, obsessive-compulsive and histrionic personality disorders; pathological gambling; and family history of anti-social behavior, and cruelty to animals. Given these associations and the widespread ownership of pets and animals, the authors recommended that effective screening of children, adolescents and adults for animal cruelty and appropriate mental health interventions should be deployed.

Vaughn, M.G., Fu, Q., et al. (2009). Correlates of cruelty to animals in the United States: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Journal of Psychiatric Research (in press).

Compilation of Link Articles Now Available

For many years, The Latham Foundation has played a major role in helping promote awareness of The Link through publication of books, videos and articles in the quarterly Latham Letter. More than 50 articles published since 1994 have now been compiled and are available as PDF downloads on The Latham Foundation’s website.

A New Face in The Link Movement

Tonya DiMillo has been appointed as the new coordinator for Maine’s Linkage Project. Tonya brings extensive knowledge and experience in public and private systems, including child and family services, juvenile corrections and strategic partnerships. Her skill set will be invaluable as Youth Alternatives Ingraham advances the integration of The Link in the practice of its frontline staff.