NATIONAL ANIMAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM KICKS OFF MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY WITH STUDENT CONTEST

MILL VALLEY, Calif. – Guardians for Life, a Violence Prevention Program offered by In Defense of Animals, is honoring the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday by releasing a student art, film, and essay contest on the topic of violence prevention. Dr. King is remembered for teaching and practicing nonviolence. Guardians for Life is reinforcing and expanding on Dr. King's example by challenging young people to include animals in their circle of compassion.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The truth of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous words is apparent today as studies by the F.B.I. and U.S. Department of Justice, among others, have proven the connection between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic violence. Animal cruelty can range from neglect (failure to provide food, water, shelter or necessary medical care) to intentional abuse, torture or killing. Violent acts toward animals, when left unaddressed, have been linked to intensified violence and neglect and/or expansion to human victims.

"Animal abuse remains under-reported because some witnesses are unaware that anything can be done to stop it. But in fact, reporting animal cruelty helps the police and to the local humane society protect animals and people from intensified violence." affirmed Jennifer Forrest, IDA's Education Director.

"An abuser has been known to kill (an) animal in order to somehow isolate their human victims." reads one of last year's 6th grade student essays. Another writes, "I have two cousins who like to abuse animals till they are dead, just last year they chained a kitten to a tractor and threw rocks at it, that's one example of animal abuse."

Tenth-grader Anne Campbell's winning essay provided researched statistics, stating that "Prisons and Mental Heath facilities across America are filled with violent offenders, over half of which have admitted to committing animal abuse."

The 2004 contest highlights the importance of acting as guardians of animals by reporting abuse and practicing compassion and respect toward all living beings. Entrants will be asked to describe how animal cruelty is directly linked to other forms of violence. Student entries should also describe the role that guardians play in society and explain how to properly respond to violence toward animals.

Winners will be announced on National Animal Guardians Day, April 14th. Each of the first prize winners will receive $100 in cash, while second prize winners will be awarded $75. Third place entries will receive a colorful In Defense of Animals poster. A total of twenty one prizes will be awarded. Complete contest information can be found by visiting www.guardiancampaign.org or by calling 415-388-9641.

National Animal Guardians Day is held annually in celebration of the governments that have voted to recognize its citizens as animal guardians. Currently, these include San Francisco, West Hollywood, and Berkeley, California; Boulder, Colorado; Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin; Sherwood, Arkansas; Amherst, Massachusetts; and the State of Rhode Island.

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