About Us

Colorado Alliance for Cruelty Prevention

OVERVIEW: 

Animals have long been a part of human life. Some species have been incorporated in to the family.  Others are integral parts of adults' and childrens' lives through song, story, art, and even clothing decals.  This bond with animals, especially pets, results in bonds that cannot only be nurturing but can also be exploited.

On the positive side of the Link, animals nurture adults and children.  Animals can teach children empathy, compassion and responsibility. Animals are sometimes used to support children and adults in therapeutic and stressful situations.

Programs involving the supportive side of animals include:

• animal assisted therapy,
• animals accompanying children testifying in court,
• children reading to animals in schools,
• animals visiting children in hospitals, and
• animals visiting the elderly in assisted living facilities.

The dark side of the Link occurs when that same bond that assists a child or adult is exploited and/or the animal becomes a victim of family violence.

Examples of the dark side of the Link between animal abuse and human abuse.

• Abusive partner harms, kill or threatens pets to humiliate, intimidate, or force partner into compliance and silence (intimate partner violence).
• Victims are afriad to leave home for fear that their partner will kill pets or farm animals, or because there is no one to care for pets or other animals (intimate partner violence).
• Abusive parent kills, harms, or threatens pets (child abuse).
• Children perpetrate or witness cruelty to animals, often with lifelong, devestating emotional consequences (child development).
• Person tries unsuccesfully to care for numerous animals such as dogs, cats, horses, llamas (hoarding).
• Care givers/family members threaten to hurt or dispose of pet if elder person does not "loan" money or turn over Social Security check (elder abuse).
• Adults or youths participate in dog fights (anti-social behavior).

The Colorado Alliance for Cruelty Prevention (CACP) is a multidisciplinary Organization devoted to assisting professionals in understanding both the "light" and the "dark" side of the Link and their role in fostering healthy human-animal interaction.  The mission of CACP is to establish a coalition of stakeholders that provides interdisciplinary leadership, methods, and tools in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of human and animal cruelty in Colorado.  Members of CACP work within the Colorado community and nationally to develop tools for their respective professions that incirporate Link concepts.  Members include lawyers, judges, animal welfare professionals, law enforcement, fire fighters, therapists, prosecutors, clergy, researchers, department of human service professionals, domestic violence/sexual assualt service providers, and veterinarians.

To find out more information, contact Jill Lafrenz, jlafrenz@cobar.org or Kathleen Schoen, kschoen@cobar.org.