Vets can spot cruelty in the home

As the wife of an RSPCA inspector in the 1970s, I can confirm that evidence of cruelty towards, and neglect of, animals was invariably a sign that there might also be cruelty taking place within the same family home.

I hope that a new Crime stoppers-backed campaign you reported on last week – in which vets are being encouraged to tell police if they become aware that a child or vulnerable adult might be the victim of abuse – is successful. Only by highlighting such suffering can we promote awareness and prevent further attacks being carried out.

You might think that it was in poverty-stricken households where both animals and people were being abused, but there was no set pattern.

Sometimes my husband found neglect and cruelty behind closed doors in the most affluent areas. However, wherever there was abuse, it always seemed to stem from fear.

Someone, usually male, would take out their frustration on others because of fear of what the future might hold, often triggered by job loss, family breakdown or serious illness.

These cases invariably ended up with social services and the police having to get involved.

Shirley Clancy, Hook, Hampshire