Senseless Violence: El Paso Student Beats Family Dog While a Peer Films
In El Paso, Texas, a community is reeling after a disturbing video of animal abuse emerged showing a student apparently beating a family dog at home as a peer films the violence.
El Paso Student Allegedly Beats Dog on Camera; Authorities Investigate
Video of the attack, which was shared in a group chat, appears to show a student kicking, stomping on, and hitting the dog repeatedly, even flinging household objects at him, as the canine seemingly seeks refuge from the vicious onslaught.
The video allegedly includes audio in which someone asks, “Are you gonna make him throw up?” along with sounds of people laughing throughout the attack.
Now it’s reported that the authorities have removed the dog from the home and placed him in safe care and that authorities are investigating a group of Charles Q. Murphree PK–8 School students in connection with the attack.
PETA’s Response to the Accused Abusers? Compassionate Education
No matter what the authorities turn up, PETA wants to remind El Paso that education has the power to stop violence before it begins. That’s why TeachKind—PETA’s humane education division—sent El Paso Independent School District Superintendent Diana Sayavedra an urgent letter stressing the need for humane education.
“When young people find it amusing to beat a vulnerable dog and record footage of his suffering, it’s clear that humane education is sorely needed,” says PETA Senior Director of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg. “Compassion can be cultivated, and TeachKind stands ready to help El Paso schools teach their students that every sentient being, whether they’re a canine or a classmate, deserves empathy and respect.”
To support the district, we sent along kindness-to-animals educational materials, including “Empathy Now,” a guide to preventing violence by young people, and its “Share the World” curriculum kit, which includes lesson plans that aim to foster empathy for animals and are appropriate for even the youngest learners. TeachKind also sent “Challenging Assumptions,” which helps examine discrimination and other social justice issues, for the district’s secondary students, along with a set of anti-bullying posters.
TeachKind’s resources are easy to integrate into schools’ existing curricula to help prevent future violence.
Violence Against Animals Is Only the Beginning
Many abusers first commit acts of violence against other animals before setting their sights on humans.
Sandy Hook Promise includes cruelty to animals on its “10 Critical Warning Signs of Violence” list, and research shows that approximately 43% of school shooters first committed acts of cruelty against animals. That’s why animal abusers pose a serious threat to communities at large.
Youth Violence Can Be Prevented
A rash of youth violence is sweeping through communities, and without educational intervention, there’s no end in sight. As the attack on this vulnerable dog—and similar attacks in California and South Carolina—show, it’s vital that young people be taught empathy from an early age and that that those teachings be reinforced throughout their education.
