Domestic Violence and Cruelty to Animals
The Link between Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty
Several studies have shown that there is a link between domestic
violence and violence or cruelty towards animals, as have reports
from victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This really is quite
logical - someone who is able to be abusive towards other people,
is not likely to be any more considerate towards animals. Furthermore,
people who are able to use and manipulate children to either gain
or maintain control over their partners are not likely to have pangs
of conscience in using pets in the same way. Being violent or abusive
towards animals is one of the early warning signs of an abusive
character, and in some states in the US the police are trained to
look for signs of abuse or neglect in pets when called to a domestic
incident.
For some of the research into the connection between domestic violence,
animal cruelty and child abuse check out the following links:
How is an abuser likely to use pets to reinforce control? And
what are the messages being sent to victims (partner & children)?
In harming pets an abuser is showing what he is capable of, the
implicit message to the victim is 'this could be you'. Purposely
harming pets or allowing harm to come to them is also another way
of hurting, and thereby controlling, the victim. Harming pets is
another way of terrorizing victims.
We had a puppy who was under a year old. He used to hit the
dog for the least little thing. One of the neighbours came out
one day and had a go at him for how he was treating the dog. I
came home from work one day to find no dog. He told me that the
dog had run out the garden. Why he wasn't out searching for him
I dont know but he suddenly decided to as I was frantic, calling
shelters, the police etc. We never found the dog ever. Then a
few years ago during a fight he started he said something along
the lines of did I never wonder what happened to the dog? Then
he told me how he killed the dog and buried it. I don't know if
this is true, he of course denied it afterwards and told me he
just said that to upset me.
The cat I have now he never liked, he would always try to
hit or kick her if he was in foul mood.
He put my kitten in my 6 ft. boa constrictor's tank to see
if it would eat her. Because I had told him the snake was hungry.
He sat at the tank for over an hour. I washed the dishes crying
until he made me sit in the living room and watch too. The snake
never tried but I'm sure if he was a little more hungry he would
have.
On a few occasions when we were on his boat he would threaten
to throw my dog overboard and hang him over the side by the scruff
of his neck and pretend he was going to drop him in the sea. My
dog is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Staffies can't swim much
because of their thick build. I was terrified that he might go
too far one day ...
Pets can be used to buy silence and compliance... "if you
tell anyone/don't do as I say/agree with me/etc ... your cat might
disappear" - a tactic used by paedophiles to silence children
they molest too.
Pets can be used to further isolate the victim and prevent her
from leaving, either by insuring the pet or by threatening to either
do so or not to look after it if the victim is not around, leaving
the victim of abuse feeling that the only way to protect the pet
from the abuser is to stay (ie not leave) or not to go out during
the day/evening, hence further the social isolation.
I used to come home and my dog would be sat in his bed panting,
scared to move, but I could never prove that anything had happened
and I could never dare ask.
A pet can often be a form of comfort to an abuse victim, so harming
or killing the pet can add to the feelings of loneliness and despair.
Some surivors of abuse have also said that their abuser objected
to their relationship with their pets and would get jealous of any
attention shown to it, or use issues surrounding the pets to start
an argument which would lead to further violence.
I thought he was isolating me not only from my friends and
family but from the animals I loved too. He hated me cuddling
my dog on the sofa, moved her out of the bedroom at night and
eventually she was only allowed in the kitchen and the garden.
He was pleased as punch when I rehomed her.
An abuser who is willing and capable of brutally killing a pet
is also perfectly able to kill us or our children, a fact which
became very clear to Belinda when her husband massacred her dogs:
My abuser had my two dogs in the pig pen beating them relentlessly
with a 2 inch x 4 inch piece of board. I tried to stop him but
he pushed me to the ground and carried on with his massacre. It
was raining heavily and I picked up the smaller of the two dogs
who was already unconscious and carried her, skidding through
the mud, to the back of the house. I hid her under a bush and
quickly returned hoping to save the other larger dog. My abuser
had stopped beating him and disappeared to search for the second
dog. My dog lay on his side covered in blood and gasping for air
as blood bubbled from his mouth and nose. ... It was at that moment
that I accepted that this man was a sick, brutal killer and I
couldn’t raise my baby like this. (Her husband did
in fact go on to try killing her, see Belinda's
Story)
Keeping our pets safe
What options do we actually have for keeping our pets safe? Many
victims of domestic abuse choose to rehome their pets for their
own safety and well-being, before they themselves are ready to leave
the relationship, or when considering leaving, in the hope of being
re-united once safe from their abuser. In many cases victims of
abuse have been unwilling to leave their home and seek refuge for
fear of what would happen with their pets and have chosen to stay
for their sake - which the abuser has only been too aware of and
has used to continue to control their victim.
While there are not many Refuges (if any in the UK) which accept
animals, there are a growing number of agencies and charities which
work with the Refuges to provide short-term accommodation for pets
of women escaping abusive relationships, such as the Freedom
Project in London. Ask your local Women's Aid or Refuge for
details of any such organisation in your area. There are also details
on the Helplines
page of Hidden Hurt.
If you have had to leave home in an emergency, it is often possible
to ask the Police to accompany you back to your home to collect
any pets which have been left there.
Some useful Links
The
Freedom Project - The Freedom Project is as pet fostering scheme
for women going into refuges or temporary accommodation, providing
temporarily foster homes for dogs.
Paws
For Kids - Offers a pet fostering service or helps find boarding
kennels for pets of women fleeing domestic violence
Refuge
Information for Pet Owners - Offering basic information on your
options and the links and contact details of most pet fostering
services available in the UK at present (including Scotland)
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Who is the Victim? |
