The articles contained in this issue aim to provide new insights, spur new research, and change the way animal cruelty is viewed and dealt with in families and communities. This collection of articles attempts to shrink the literature gap that currently exists in the areas of animal abuse and its relation to family violence. The opening article provides a concise overview of empirical literature in existence relating to family violence and its linkages to cruelty to family pets. The next article outlines in-depth the short- and long-term effects of experiencing animal abuse and the impact this has on victims. In the next two articles, new empirical research not previously explored with regard to animal abuse is provided. New findings are introduced from a survey of women, primarily Hispanic, who sought help from a domestic violence shelter near the United States-Mexico border. Significant findings indicate that pet abuse is a component of intimate partner violence in this community. As many of the articles note, there is no consistent or mandated reporting or collection standards dealing with animal cruelty. The next article explores policy implications at the State and Federal levels to promote both the collection of data and communication among agencies. The final article provides a positive outlook to the sobering issues explored in this journal. The hope is that this collection of articles will fill the void not previously investigated in terms of the topic of animal cruelty. References