Pets In Shelter

In June of 2010 I posted a blog about animal abuse. I thought I would revisit that issue as there has been much in the press this past week about animals and domestic violence.

In homes with domestic violence, there is often abuse of the animals as well as abuse of the women. Animals are beloved members of the family and are often cited as reasons why a woman will stay in the relationship so she doesn’t have to leave her pet/family member behind. 

At Hope House we have been taking animals into shelter for over 10 years. We recognized that leaving the animals in the home was an obstacle that needed to be addressed to allow women to leave when they were ready.

We have two kennels at each of our locations, one for a dog and one for a cat. Asking about pets at home is part of the routine questions asked on the hotline. We determine if pets will be safe at home; if arrangements need to be made with family or friends; or if they need to bring the pet into shelter with them.

Our process had been to seek the help of local animal agencies in taking the animals for a temporary period of time while the client made other arrangements or found her own permanent housing. Unfortunately, over the past few years those agencies have been overwhelmed with their own animals and haven’t had the extra space to take our client’s animals. 

Consequently, we have had animals staying with us longer in shelter. This has had its advantages in that the client is with her pet and can find comfort in knowing that they are close and safe. It is a challenge in that we do not have a dedicated space for the pets. But somehow we always find a space.

It is such a pleasure to sit in my office and look out the window and see clients running around in the courtyard with their dogs. It is a great to hear dogs barking and having a wonderful time with their owners, knowing that they are all safe.

We will continue to provide this needed and worthwhile service, and continue to look at improving the options for our clients and their pets. For more statistics and information about this issue, visit my earlier blog.

Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence

When animals in a home are abused or neglected, it may be a warning sign that others in the household are being abused as well. 

An abuser will use many forms of intimidation and threats to maintain power and control. If a woman is forced to watch her spouse kill the family pet in front of her and her children, she will think very hard about her next steps. It is very effective in keeping women in the relationship, feeling trapped and afraid.

According to americanhumane.org:

• 71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had threatened, injured, maimed, or killed family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals.
• Between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave.

Abuse of a beloved pet can be the trigger for a woman to make the call to the hotline to seek services. But lack of a safe place for the family pet could be a reason she can’t enter shelter.

When a woman comes into shelter at Hope House, we are able to house their pets overnight. The woman and her advocate will contact other agencies that specialize in work with animals and will try to arrange temporary solutions for the care of the pet. But this does not help in the long term.

We are currently in conversation with Independence Animal Control to explore ideas that could help women with pets who are seeking our services. We want to eliminate the barrier that may be keeping a woman from realizing her dream of a life that is free of abuse for her, her children and her pets.