Animal Domestic Abuse: The Silent Victims

To most of us with pets, they're part of the family and we treat them as such. But in homes where there is violence, the family pet may become just another object to threaten or harm in order to keep the family members who are being abused from leaving.

Most shelters will not allow you to bring your pets with you when you leave an abusive partner, that is until now.

Opening soon in Las Vegas, Nevada is a place called Noah's Animal House. A place where people who need to go to domestic violence shelters can also bring the family pet if they feel the pet will come to harm if they leave. The Shade Tree Shelter is adding a place where resident's who stay at the shelter can temporarily house their family pets as well.

There will be veterinary services available and foster parents willing to take special pets such as farm animals that need more space.

The effects of pet abuse on children

Children who live in abusive families and also see pet abuse suffer even more trauma as a result of seeing their pets injured, or threatened with the possibility of injury.

Many times the abuser will threaten, harm or even kill a family pet in order to punish or control a child. A child of abuse is twice as likely to grow up to become an abuser him or herself.

The effects on pets

Many pets who are abused will be very timid when the abuser gets near them, sometimes urinating on themselves out of fear, which will make the abuser angry and start the pattern of abuse all over again. Some animals will get aggressive after being abused.

From the HSUS - Family Violence and Animal Cruelty:

"My first client came in very apologetic and said, 'I have to go back home.' I tried to tell her
she didn't,... she said, 'no, you don't understand.' She pulled out a picture that her mother
forwarded her that her husband had sent...They were pictures of him chopping off the ears of
her dog with gardening shears.

'I have to go home...If I want to save my dog's life and the lives of the other animals...I have to go
home...' We never heard from her again."

-Wisconsin Domestic Violence Center Safe Haven For Pets - HSUS