The Link Up Education Network was incorporated in 2003. This non-profit (501(c)(3)) Massachusetts organization
combines the resources of human and animal services professionals
to increase awareness of the connection between animal abuse
and other types of violence.
The Link Up Education Network
occupies an office at the Family Justice Center of Boston.
Violence
affects all ages and all communities. It comes in many
forms: child abuse and neglect, spouse or partner
abuse,
abuse of the elderly or mentally ill, vandalism and hate
crimes.
Recent research indicates that violence toward
animals serves as a symptom and a predictor of other violent
behavior. One
representative study of 50 large shelters for battered
women found that over 85% of women entering the shelter
talked about
pet abuse in the family. Moreover, many of the most
infamous violent criminals in recent years had an early history
of extreme cruelty to animals. When animal abuse can
be detected early,
it not only saves innocent pets from senseless abuse
or death, but also alerts authorities to criminal or
abusive
behavior,
leads to help for children who are developing a pattern
of violence, and saves society and the justice system
the heavy
costs involved in dealing with serious violence offenders.
Nationwide, professionals in such fields as law enforcement,
child protection, human and veterinary medicine,
domestic violence intervention, education, and animal control
— among
other fields
— are beginning
to realize that they need to know more about the
many connections between animal cruelty and violence
against
humans. They
want
to learn about the opportunities for intervention
and ways they can work together to establish strategies
for a coordinated
response to these needs.
The Link Up Education Network thanks the Red Acre Foundation and the Banfield
Charitable Trust for their support.
Board of Directors
James Q. Knight, DVM
Treasurer Kara Holmquist
President
Sue Webb
Wellesley Animal Control Officer
Heather McCarthy
Department of Social Services
Paul Johnston
Margot Hill
Boston Police Department, Family Justice Division
Advisory Board
Anne Lindsay
President, Massachusetts Animal Coalition
Joanne Brewer
Boston Public Health Commission, Domestic Violence
Program
Scott Giacoppo
MSPCA
Lorna Grande, DVM
Human/Animal Violence Education Network
(HAVEN)
* affiliations are provided
for information purposes |
