The results showed that patterns of pet ownership, attitudes toward pets, and quality of veterinary care did not differ greatly from those seen in the general public. However, 60 percent of the families surveyed had at least one member who had abused their pets. The families in which animal abuse was indicated had younger pets, lower levels of veterinary care, and more conflicts over care. Several parallels between the origins of violence to animals and to children were detected, involving issues of scapegoating, triangling in which aggression is directed against one family member indirectly through the actions of a third, and unrealistic expectations about the child or animal's abilities. As with child abuse, many incidents of animal abuse involved long-term neglect or relatively few instances of clearly detectable harm. Abusers of animals and children often reported deep affection for their victims, but they also often split them into so-called good or bad groups. 24 references