April is a special month at The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. On April 18 we celebrate our 138th birthday, and the month of April is also National Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month. It's a fortuitous conjunction.
The San Francisco SPCA was "born" on April 18, 1868 when the founder, James Sloan Hutchinson, a prominent San Francisco banker, received its charter from the State of California. Hutchinson had gathered a group of influential men around him - those who had "clout" with lawmakers - to incorporate the Society in order to accomplish legal reform and its enforcement. That same month California legislators passed "an Act for the more effectual prevention of cruelty to animals" that went into effect on June 1, 1868. Since that time, the Society has worked tirelessly to improve the conditions for animals in San Francisco and beyond.
National Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month was initiated by the American SPCA in New York. The aim of this special month is to heighten awareness of animal cruelty, which is defined as any act of violence or neglect against an animal. Today, 35 states and the District of Columbia have laws that make intentional cruelty to an animal a felony charge; California 's felony statute has been hailed as one of the toughest in the nation. In the remaining states, animal cruelty is a misdemeanor. Several states also require veterinarians to report suspected cases of animal cruelty.
Abuse and neglect of animals has, sadly, always been a dark part of man's history. The movement for animal rights had its beginnings in the late 18th century and early 19th century and was linked closely with other social movements of the day including abolition, child welfare, temperance and women's suffrage. An organized effort to abolish cruelty to animals began in England, where the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in 1824, and in America, where the ASPCA was founded in 1866. Animal rights were regarded by many as the next logical step in man's progress toward a more humane society.
Studies have shown a link between violent offenders and a childhood history of cruelty to animals. |
Today, a great deal is known about the roots of cruelty towards animals, including a well-documented connection between abuse of animals and family and community violence. For instance, a 1983 survey of pet-owning families with confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused in 88 percent of these homes. And children who harm animals are more likely to commit acts of violence later in life. Studies have shown a link between violent offenders and a childhood history of cruelty to animals. The American Psychiatric Association "considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder." (1)
The San Francisco SPCA has run a Humane Education program for many years as a vital part of our commitment to improving the lives of companion animals. One of The SF/SPCA's founding goals was to "educate the rising generation on the subject of humanity, and to prevent children from perpetrating acts of cruelty." "In The SF/SPCA newsletter of April 1875, the first-page article underscored the teaching of kindness to animals as a primarily fundamental aspect of individual social development." (2) An open letter from the American Humane Education Association, published in the March 1875 SF/SPCA newsletter, stated that teaching kindness to animals would result in more humane citizens, thus minimizing crime and promoting a more moral society.
The SF/SPCA Humane Education Program still continues to teach youngsters empathy, compassion and respect for life. Our presentations are offered free of charge to every school in San Francisco, and we believe that humane education should be an integral part of every school curriculum. By imbuing children with humane values we hope that cycles of violence can be interrupted and/or prevented.
(1) The Humane Society of the United States
(2) Bands of Mercy by the Bay: Humane Reform in 19th Century San Francisco, Mari Zachary.
