Domestic Violence and Pets

Domestic violence (DV), also called intimate partner violence, is a public health problem and a human rights issue that affects millions of persons in the United States and globally every year. The short- and long-term health impacts can be devastating, resulting in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. Most victims are women. However, pets can be a heartbreaking casualty of domestic violence as well.

Pets are often an important part of our families. We form strong emotional and spiritual bonds with our companion animals. They give us lots of laughter, friendship, love, and support. This bond can be especially strong in a home where domestic violence is occurring. Children, especially, rely on their pets for comfort in a violent home.

Research shows that abusers often have a pattern of violence that includes every member of the household, including children and pets. Offenders harm pets as a way to hurt victims, to gain power and control, and to intimidate or coerce victims into staying in the relationship. Many DV victims may be reluctant to disclose abuse they have experienced but are willing to seek help for their pet (National Network to End Domestic Violence [NNEDV], 2016). However, the idea that pets should be (or even need to be) included in DV protection orders is a relatively new idea (Battered Women’s Justice Project, 2022).

When victims of DV try to flee, many find they are challenged to find shelter for themselves as well as their children and pets. Many shelters do not have the ability to house companion animals.

Did you know that (NNEDV, 2016; RedRover, 2022):

• Up to 71% of women in domestic shelters report that their abuser threatened, injured or killed their pet(s) as a means of controlling them;
• Nearly 50% of victims either delay leaving their abusers or choose to stay in abusive situations rather than leave their pets behind;
• Approximately 52% of survivors in shelters leave their pets with their abusers; and
• Only 15% of DV shelters in the United States accept pets.

Tragically, many survivors choose to stay in their abusive homes because they are frightened that their beloved pets will be threatened, tortured, or killed if they leave them behind (RedRover, 2022).

What Can You Do?

Every home should be a safe home and every family member (including pets) should be able to live in peace and safety (NNEDV, 2016). One of the best ways to change this situation is to get educated and raise awareness about the issue in your community.

• Learn about the signs of domestic (intimate partner) violence so you can report and support someone who is experiencing this (NNEDV, 2016).
  • Learn about laws that make a difference in survivors’ lives including:
    • The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
    • The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA)
    • The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
  • Talk to your loved ones to help erase the stigma of DV.
• Learn to recognize the symptoms of animal abuse and report the animals to animal control or law enforcement if you are concerned. A dog in a yard who has visible injuries or is severely underweight may be a victim of abuse (Gupta, 2017).
• Know if your state includes legislation that has provisions for pets in DV protection orders. As of the writing of this blog, 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have enacted these laws. You can find a complete list at https://www.animallaw.info/article/domestic-violence-and-pets-list-states-include-pets-protection-orders (Michigan State University College of Law, 2022).
• Support organizations (such as the RedRover Purple Leash Project) that advocate for pet-friendly DV shelters more accessible to survivors (RedRover, 2022).
• Contact your local state representative to advocate for protective legislation if your state is not one of those listed in the link above.
• Check the Safe Place For Pets website (https://safeplaceforpets.org) or the Animal Welfare Institute’s Safe Havens Mapping Project (https://safehavensforpets.org) to determine if there is a pet-friendly shelter in your area.
• Ask your veterinarian and animal control officer to support DV education through wallet cards, staff and client education, and/or posters in their office to educate clients and the community.
• Consider fostering the pet of a DV survivor.
• Consider receiving training in positive-reinforcement for pets who have developed fear-based behavior due to abuse (such as hiding from men or reacting to them by growling, lunging, or biting) (Fear Free, 2022).

If you think you are experiencing abuse or violence in a relationship and need help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

To learn more about domestic violence and violence prevention, check out our Certificate in Violence Prevention and Awareness, or check out the individual course in Domestic (Intimate Partner) Violence.

References

Battered Women’s Justice Project. (2022). Understanding animal abuse as intimate partner violence. Retrieved May 23, 2022 from https://www.bwjp.org/news/newsletters/january-2017.html

Fear Free. (2022). How helping pets helps people escape domestic violence. Retrieved May 23, 2022 from https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/how-helping-pets-helps-people-escape-domestic-violence/?gclid=CjwKCAjw4ayUBhA4EiwATWyBrsoh1R5v-G0p6JPn0BLfJvve4Kbzv81VA306LPbooUtPhYoLNe3p3RoCYcIQAvD_BwE

Gupta, M. (2017). Creating relationships between domestic violence service providers and animal control/humane law enforcement. Retrieved May 23, 2022 from https://www.bwjp.org/assets/documents/pdfs/dv-service-providers-and-animal-control.pdf

Michigan State University College of Law. (2022). Domestic violence and pets: List of states that include pets in protection orders. Retrieved May 23, 2022 from https://www.animallaw.info/article/domestic-violence-and-pets-list-states-include-pets-protection-orders

National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2016). Pets and domestic violence. Retrieved May 23, 2022 from https://nnedv.org/latest_update/pets-domestic-violence/

RedRover. (2022). Domestic violence and pets. Retrieved May 23, 2022 from https://redrover.org/domestic-violence-and-pets/#issue