Today I watched in horror at a wild bunny trying to survive with a dart completely through its body. How terrible to impale an innocent creature and cause it suffering.
This was no doubt the work of a child. This cruel behavior is often a strong indicator of a serious personality disorder, and a predicator of future violence against people. The FBI has understood the connection between cruelty to animals in youth and subsequent development of homicidal tendencies since at least the 1970s. A full 80 percent of serial killers had tortured and killed animals as children, and other research correlates animal abuse with other types of violence such as child abuse and domestic violence.
Parents need to teach their children the importance of compassion for all animals.