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animal companion). A domino effect is often evident in an abusive family, whereby the abuse is repeated: i.e., from the dominant male toward the female; the female toward the children; and from the children toward the family pet. In the social work tradition, concern for the welfare of children and the development of social services for families reflects a long and often slow evolution of ideology and practice. If this is indication of the tardiness in society's response to violence in general, we have a long way to go until the existence of the cruelty link is realized by the majority.
The origins of the child-saving movement began in colonial days, and were enhanced by the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 which grew out of a consciousness of public responsibility for poverty and its consequences. During the Industrial Revolution, children were seen as durable, inexpensive and powerless labor sources, and it was not until the 19th century that the state began assuming responsibility for children through the formation of institutions such as reform schools and orphanages. Despite increased public interest in cruelty toward children, there did not exist a formal organization for identifying and assessing child abuse and neglect until 1874. In 1824, the first animal welfare society, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), was established in Britain by Richard Martin, M.P., with the expressed goal of influencing attitudes toward animals. Forty-one years later in 1865, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in the United States by Henry Bergh. In Canada, the first SPCA organizations were in Montreal in 1869, followed by Ottawa in 1871, and the Ontario SPCA in Toronto in 1873.