WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) has reintroduced bipartisan legislation – called the Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of (AVERT) Future Violence Act – to help us better understand and respond to the connection between animal cruelty and acts of interpersonal violence in our communities. Peters’ AVERT Future Violence Act – which he reintroduced with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) – would commission a Justice Department study to assess the link between acts of animal cruelty and future violence against others – such as domestic violence and gun violence. It would also authorize a grant program to support mental health experts, law enforcement, and animal welfare organizations in their efforts to stop animal cruelty and rehabilitate offenders. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-FL), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Dave Joyce (R-OH).

“There is a clear connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, but more research is needed to help our communities effectively prevent and respond to red flags when we see them,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would improve our understanding of how a history of animal abuse can lead to future violence, while directing needed federal resources to the local partners who work to protect our communities each and every day.”

Research shows that individuals who commit animal abuse are five times more likely to commit crimes than non-animal abusers. On average, 70 percent of convicted animal abusers will commit another crime within ten years, and nearly 40 percent of those follow-on crimes will be violent. This link between animal abuse and future criminality is so strong that in 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) amended the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to start collecting data on animal abuse. Moreover, the perpetrators of mass shootings in Oxford, Michigan; Columbine, Colorado; Parkland, Florida; Buffalo, New York; and Uvalde, Texas were all linked to a history of animal cruelty. 

However, animal abuse is still largely treated as an isolated issue in our society, and animal cruelty cases are substantially under-reported and under-investigated. Local authorities often are not equipped to deal with animal cruelty cases, there are few diversion programs available for juvenile or adult animal cruelty offenders, and programs to specifically address the mental health needs of such offenders are extremely limited.

Senator Peters’ AVERT Future Violence Act would ensure that animal abuse is treated with urgency as a broader community issue. It would also provide lawmakers with concrete policy recommendations to develop more effective intervention and diversion strategies for animal cruelty offenders, in order to reduce the likelihood of future violence occurring in our communities. Specifically, the bill would:

• Commission a definitive study within the Department of Justice to assess the link between acts of animal cruelty and future violence against others; and

• Authorize a $2 million annual grant program to support mental health experts, law enforcement, and animal welfare organizations in their efforts to stop animal cruelty and rehabilitate offenders. 

The legislation is endorsed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), Community Justice Action Fund, Small & Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association (SRLEEA), National Sheriffs’ Association, Animal Welfare Institute, Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), American Psychological Association (APA), Animal Legal Defense Fund, National Link Coalition, Red Rover, and Sheltering Animals and Families Together (SAF-T) Program. 

Reducing violent crime and protecting animal welfare are both key issues that Peters has prioritized in the Senate. Peters recently visited the Humane Society of West Michigan to highlight the need to reauthorize the federal grant program established by his Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act which helps protect domestic violence survivors and their pets. The program provides funding to facilities that harbor survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence, along with their pets, as well as the animal shelters that partner with domestic violence service providers. In 2022, Peters introduced the Planning for Animal Wellness Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law. This law helps protect pets and other animals during and in the aftermath of natural disasters by requiring the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish an advisory group to offer guidance regarding animal welfare in federal disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Last year, the Senate unanimously passed Peters’ bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods program – a nationwide law enforcement program that uses evidence-based and data-driven approaches to reduce violent crime. In 2023, the Senate also unanimously passed Peters’ bipartisan legislation that would strengthen the relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve by incentivizing recruits to work in the communities where they live. Peters’ Strong Communities Actwould provide federal grants for local law enforcement recruits who agree to attend school or academy and then serve in a law enforcement agency in their respective communities.

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