While the exact reasons for intentional animal cruelty may vary, nine typologies have been identified by Kellert and Felthous (1985, 1122-1124). In the cases within the animal cruelty database, we see these typologies over and over:
to control an animal
to retaliate against an animal
to retaliate against another person
to satisfy a prejudice against a species or breed
to express anger through an animal
to enhance one's own aggressiveness
to shock people for amusement
to displace hostility from a person to an animal
to perform non-specific sadism
Reference: Kellert, S.R. and A.R. Felthous. 1985. Childhood cruelty to animals among criminals and non-criminals. Human Relations 38:1113-29.
It is not uncommon for the animal abuser to admit to authorities that they killed an animal to get back at a person they were angry at, or to "punish" the animal for bad behavior
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