http://wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/2729773/ Dudley, N.C. — A Wayne County teenager was charged with animal cruelty after a dog in the Dudley area suffered burns in a backyard fire. Officers at the Wayne County Animal Control Department said they received an anonymous complaint on March 18 regarding the incident. “The caller stated the dog had been intentionally burned the night before,” Justin Scally, Wayne County’s Animal Control director, said in a news release. “What we discovered was that a 14-year-old male subject placed the family’s 1-year old Jack Russell terrier into a baby stroller,” Scally said. “The young man then pushed the stroller into the back yard and up a ramp-like structure.” The structure was in an area being used to burn trash and debris in the back yard. The dog ended up out of the stroller and in the fire, officials said. The teen, whose name was not released, later threatened the family after a verbal argument, authorities said. He allegedly told the family he would “squirt lighter fluid on the dog and set it on fire,” according to statements obtained by investigators. The teen was charged with felony animal cruelty, according to Scally. The dog received minor burns and has recovered. “These types of intentional abuse will not be tolerated” Scally said. “It is important to provide the help necessary to animals, but we also want to get help for the accused teenager, if convicted.” A secure custody order was issued for the teen.
How could anyone be so mean? I don't understand how someone could think of something so horrible and feel ok about themselves. That is truly disgusting! I hope the boy gets straightened out before it's too late, but sadly he probably won't...
'Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Andrew Cunanan, David 'Son of Sam' Berkowitz, and Albert 'Boston Strangler' DeSalvo were ALL cruel to animals before they started hurting people.' Subsequently, killer teenagers Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold (Columbine HS), and Kip Kinkel were also known for their past history of animal cruelty. In the study from of 'The Care of pets within child abusing families,' presented by DeViney & Lockwood, 88 percent of the homes where animal abuse had occurred, children were also abused. In conclusion, I summize this important literature from the San Francisco Chronicle commentary by Margo DeMello: "...every time we hear of a young person abusing an animal, it is explained away by family and often authorities as a 'youthful indiscrection'...What the authorities and parents of these young men fail to realize is that their behavior may signal that something is wrong with these men, which could very easily escalate into something much worse. The evidence is not just anecdotal; numerous studies, including the 1998 work of Randall Lockwood and Frank R. Ascione ("Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence," Purdue University Press), have shown that children who engage in animal cruelty are more likely to commit more violent acts as adults. There is also a strong link between abuse of animals and domestic violence, with animal abusers much more likely to batter their wives or girlfriends as well... Youthful violence toward animals is a very serious issue, and it needs to be taken seriously by not only animal advocates like myself, but by those who are concerned about violence in our society." - Margo DeMello, Ph.D. © 2005 Animal Cruelty: The Key to Serial Minds
If he is doing these kind of things now, it will probably progress into something even worse soon. This person definitely needs help-he has severe mental issues.