puppiesA 6-year-old girl is at the center of a horrifying animal abuse case in Ohio. She was seen by neighbors putting a litter of puppies in a swimming pool at her home in an attempt to drown them.

Fortunately police were called and able  to save the pups. They're still recovering, but will likely be okay. Additionally disturbing in this case -- her grandfather reportedly told her to "get rid" of the new litter of puppies.

There's no information as to where the parents or any other adult were, but in this video at Fox8.com, you don't exactly get the sense grandpa is a stellar care giver. Whether he meant for her to "get rid" of them by pawning them off on strangers and she interpreted it as offing them isn't known. Much more investigation into the situation is needed, and fortunately the station reports that Children's Services has been notified.

Red flags about future psychotic behavior abound when it comes to kids trying to harm and kill animals (remember Jeffrey Dahmer? He notoriously impaled animals on stakes as a boy). We're not talking ants on the sidewalk or a poor frog loved too tightly, but rather deliberate violent acts against sweet, furry creatures.

Certainly not all kids who kill or attempt to kill an animal will grow up to be mass murderers, but statistics do show a link between violence against animals and future violence against humans. They also show that many children who exhibit the behavior have witnessed violence themselves -- creating a vicious cycle.

In any case, it's a clear sign evaluation and intervention are needed. I hope this girl -- and her grandfather -- get the help they need and that those poor puppies find wonderful homes.

 Have you ever seen children try to harm animals?



Image via fox8.com