The
Link between Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence
Several studies have shown that there is a link between animal
abuse and domestic violence, 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
animal abuse or neglect in pets when called to a domestic violence
incident.
For some of the research into the connection between animal abuse
and domestic violence 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 animals 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. As the following
statements from abuse victims show clearly, the link between animal
abuse and domestic violence is very real and only too often used
as another way of terrorizing partners and children:
"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.
Animal abuse 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 their partner or 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 who
understand the link between animal abuse and domestic violence and
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)