Animal abuse tends to take a back seat to human abuse, but it can often be the first sign of an abusive personality and possible physical abuse and emotional of a person. Animal abuse can be the first sign of a potential serial killer. Organizations both large, like PETA and the Humane Society, and small, like The Pegasus Project, work to rescue, rehabilitate, and ideally rehome abused and neglected animals. Many domestic violence reports indicate that the abuse began when the abuser hurt the victim. pet even before the victim is touched. A recent study by the American Humane Association indicates that among female pet owners entering protective shelters, 71% reported that their abuser had harmed or threatened their pets as revenge or to gain control. psychological on them. 87% of these events took place in front of women. In addition, between 25% and 40% of these women do not escape violent situations because they worry about the fate of their animal if they leave. Abusers just as often harm or threaten children's pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or into remaining silent about the abuse. Some disturbed children kill or harm animals to imitate their parents' behavior or to have power over another victim like their abuser has over them. Many abusers who use animals to get what they want become very dangerous people. Some are high-profile murderers such as Jeffery Dahmer, who impaled dogs, cats and frogs on stakes, and Albert DeSalvo (also known as the Boston Strangler), who used to trap dogs and cats in orange crates and shoot arrows through the crates. Other killers are less well known but just as brutal. For example, many high school shooters had started their killing sprees long before they became...... middle of paper ...... do not seem very serious, as minor cases of animal hoarding, can create very serious effects. big problems. Everyone should also be alert to possible cases of animal fighting so that all underground fighting networks can be shut down and this act can be stopped permanently. No animal should suffer for any reason just because one person thinks it's no big deal because "it's just an animal." Works Cited American Humane: Protecting Children and Animals Since 1877. Web. February 3, 2011. .People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The Animal Rights Organization | PETA.org. Internet. February 4, 2011. .Pet-Abuse.Com - Home. Internet. February 4, 2011. .The Pegasus Project, Inc. | Facebook." Web. February 3. 2011. .