Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, discussed his bill aimed at reducing violence by intervening with animal abusers before the dangerous behavior escalates.

Wilk introduced the Animal Welfare and Violence Intervention Act of 2018, a piece of legislation to address the link between animal abuse and violence towards humans.

“The goal of this bill is to reduce the amount of violence in our society,” Wilk said. “Our animal friends need and deserve our protection, but this bill isn’t just about them. These violent tendencies can escalate to people as well.”

The senator cited statistics showing a correlation between animal abusers and domestic violence offenders.

“In some cases, 60 percent of domestic violence offenders also abused animals at some point, and that 70 percent of the most violent prisoners in a study of federal prisons had serious animal abuse in their histories,” he said.

Wilk, the owner of a rescue dog, was surprised this type of bill has never been introduced, and hopes other states follow suit.

“This type of legislation has never been done before in California,” he explained. “We are at the forefront of this issue, and the data backs us up.”

The bill would require those convicted of animal abuse crimes to undergo mandatory mental health assessments.

The legislation would not only also require further counseling if deemed “beneficial” to the individual, but it additionally calls for offenders to enroll in education courses that will teach them “proper techniques” for interacting with animals in a positive way.

“Through early intervention with mental health and education, we can begin to weaken the link between animal abuse and future violence against humans,” he said. “The link is well established, but it isn’t unbreakable.”

The bill has garnered the support of a number of third-party organizations, including the Animal Legal Defense League and former Los Angeles County animal crimes prosecutor Deborah Knaan.

“Ferreting out mental health issues and educating offenders will go a long way toward preventing more animals, and humans, from being victimized in the future,” said Knaan, who now runs Benchmark Animal Rehabilitative Curriculum.

If the bill is approved by the Senate subcommittees, the Animal Welfare and Violence Intervention Act of 2018 would then move onto the Senate floor for a vote.

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