Animals as Crime Victims

Edited by Lacey Levitt, Ph.D., California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, David B. Rosengard, J.D., LL.M., Animal Legal Defense Fund, California and Jessica Rubin, J.D., University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.

'Animals as Crime Victims is an outstanding resource for numerous professionals, including lawyers, veterinarians, social scientists, police officers, academics, and others. It recognizes violence as the problem, and animals as beings who deserve the protection of the criminal justice system, for their own sake and that of society.'

• Contents:Foreword xiDouglas E. Beloof, J.D.Introduction to Animals as Crime Victims: the importance offraming animals within criminal law and systems 1Lacey Levitt, David Rosengard, Jessica RubinPART I AN INTRODUCTION TO ANIMALMALTREATMENT, THE LAW, AND CRIMEVICTIMS’ RIGHTS1 Defining animal maltreatment: historical andcontemporary perspectives 10Kathie L. Jenni2 The legal history of animal protection in the United States 24David S. Favre3 The (human) victims’ rights movement in twenty-firstcentury United States 41Margaret GarvinPART II ARGUMENTS UNDERLYING THERECLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS ASCRIME VICTIMS4 Advances in understanding cognition in animals 53Lesley J. Rogers and Gisela Kaplan5 The evolving role of animals in contemporary society 67Lacey Levitt6 The relationship between animal maltreatment andinterpersonal violence 99Brian J. Holoyda7 Proposing a nonhuman animal victimology 114Melanie FlynnPART III LEGAL ISSUES IN THERECONCEPTUALIZATION OF ANIMALS ASCRIME VICTIMS8 Applying crime victims’ rights to victims of animal maltreatment 133David Rosengard9 Insights from the nation’s first jurisdiction to statutorilypermit court-appointed attorneys for justice in animalcruelty cases 155Jessica Rubin10 Responding to animal cruelty and neglect in court:A prosecutor’s journey 166Jake Kamins11 Assigning animals crime victim status: opposing viewsand responses 180Lora Dunn, Will Lowrey, Sherry Ramsey, DavidRosengard, Lacey Levitt and Jessica RubinPART IV RECONCEPTUALIZING ANIMALS AS CRIMEVICTIMS: POLICY AND PRACTICE12 Mental health professionals recognizing animals as victims 200Mary Lou Randour13 Preparing law enforcement to respond to animal victims 216Virginia M. Maxwell and Cassandra L. Reyes14 Preparing veterinarians to respond to animal victims:identifying and documenting physical harm 238Martha Smith-Blackmore and Sheila Segurson15 Preparing veterinarians to respond to animal victims:understanding and treating the behavioral consequences ofmaltreatment 255Sheila Segurson and Martha Smith-Blackmore16 Could “victimhood” be preventable? Opportunities inlarge-scale neglect 269Gary Patronek