Charles Siebert discusses empathy and how children’s capacity for it can be impacted by their own maltreatment and by witnessing the abuse of animals. While it is critical to implement therapies to“heal” people who have been thus affected, prevention strategies, like educating children about the humane treatment of animals, can help protect even more people and animals from harm. Teaching empathy and nurturing that quality from an early age is invaluable in helping children develop into humane adults.

By educating the public and helping government agencies, we acknowledge the link of violence and encourage empathy and compassion in our children. People and animals alike will reap the benefits.

GEORGE C. CASEY

Interim President and C.E.O.American Humane Association

Englewood, Colo.

Siebert deftly explores the connection between violence against animals and other forms of violence, but he avoids the implications. The article mentions that children who witness violence toward their family pet “suppress their own feelings of kindness and tenderness toward a pet because they can’t bear the pain caused by their own empathy for the abused animal.” That would appear to be exactly what people do whenever they sit down to eat. No matter how hard people pretend not to, we all know what happens to the animals who end up on our plates. What does our willing ignorance of this violence toward billions of animals do to us as a culture?

MARIANN SULLIVAN

New York

As someone who deals with dozens of animal-cruelty cases every week, it’s encouraging that awareness of the link between cruelty to animals and violence to humans is growing and that more law-enforcement officials are treating cruelty to animals with the seriousness it deserves. PETA is leading this effort by pushing for aggressive prosecution and strong sentences for people accused of or convicted for animal abuse and providing officials with informational booklets detailing the animal-human cruelty link. I urge readers to help us protect animals from abuse by reporting any known or suspected cruelty to animals to the police and animal-control officials immediately. Protecting animals protects us all.