The horrific killing of a gray and white male pit bull named Cami was posted on Facebook, and showed soldiers Marinna Rollins and Jared Heng in Cumberland County, North Carolina shooting the dog. According to news reports, a friend of theirs uploaded the video to Facebook in hopes it would lead to punishment. The pair could be heard laughing in the background as they murdered the poor dog, who did nothing wrong except for being Rollins’ emotional support dog.
While they are being held on $25,000 bail and charged with animal cruelty, which is a felony, more action needs to be taken. Heng is still on active duty based at Fort Bragg. The Army should discharge him immediately. Rollins was a veteran. Both should be immediately stripped of any military benefits including their pensions. As taxpayers, we need to send a message to our government that we do not sanction any form of animal cruelty.
The public also needs to know that animal cruelty often leads to violence against people. A 2001-2004 study by the Chicago Police Department "revealed a startling propensity for offenders charged with crimes against animals to commit other violent offenses toward human victims." Of those arrested for animal crimes, 65% had been arrested for battery against another person. This connection is clear; violence toward animals increases the likelihood that the person will be violent towards humans. Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer and David Berkowitz first discovered their taste for violence when they tortured and killed animals. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine killers, bragged to their friends about mutilating animals before they murdered their classmates.
There have been discussions about having every state create an animal abuse registry similar to what is now done for sex offenders. This may unfairly target people with mental health problems such as hoarders. It would be better to have these people rehabilitated, particularly if they are identified at an early age. Parents, teachers and social workers should be educated about what it means if a child abuses an animal as it could point to larger mental health problems.
The Humane Society of the United States has also pushed to protect pets and women from domestic violence. The Pet and Women Safety Act (PAWS) would expand domestic violence protections to include pets.
The key component in all of these initiatives is that people speak up when they see signs of cruelty or neglect taking place. Had the friend of Rollins and Heng not uploaded the video, it’s possible that nothing would have happened and Cami’s killers would have gotten away with it. Thankfully, they didn’t stay silent.
But it leaves us asking questions. Marinna Rollins allegedly suffered from PTSD, which is why she had Cami in the first place. Was she being treated for it? Were there any warning signs that she could become violent that were missed? What action can be taken to ensure that everything is done in our power to prevent Cami’s killers from being able to inflict that violence again on humans or animals? They need to be held accountable for what they did, and sent to jail. To release them back into society puts everyone in Cumberland County in danger.