D o nat e N o w Sit e Map Ho me

Ho me / Animals in the Ho me / Co mp anio n animal is s ue s / Wo me n and Pe ts Es c ap ing Vio le nc e

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Animals at HomeneloV
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Finding a new pet

General pet inf ormat ion

Re- homing my pet

Companion animal issues

Puppy mills
Family vio lence invo lves the abuse o f predo minately wo men, children and animals. Peo ple who
Dog fighting abuse animals are o ften respo nsible fo r family vio lence. Abusers exercise po wer and co ntro l
thro ugh the physical, psycho lo gical and emo tio nal to rture o f victims who abusers kno w to be
Dangerous dogs and breed defenceless. The same po wer and co ntro l-based abuse is fo und acro ss the spectrum in
bans instances o f child, elder, spo usal, animal, o r sexual abuse. Canadian research indicates that mo te
than 40 % o f wo men experiencing do mestic vio lence and who o wn pets significantly delay their
Cat overpopulation escape to safety if it means leaving a pet behind. (Ontario So ciety fo r the Preventio n o f Cruelty to
Animals, 20 0 0 ) If we do no t address the co nnectio n between human and animal vio lence we will
Malicious poisoning
co ntinue to allo w pet o wnership to act as a barrier fo r victims o f vio lence.
Women and Pet s
Escaping Violence
If yo u are an abuse d wo m an, click he re
La connexion entre la Me mbe r Socie t y
violence faite aux Login
humains et aux animaux Inde x
Acce ss t he CFHS
Abo ut this Pro ject Me mbe rs Port al
Community Engagement Funding Appro ved! Email:
and Resources Histo rical Overview
The Vio lence Link – wo men, children, pets
Pas s wo rd :
Ear cropping and tail Why do abusers threaten, harm o r kill animals?
docking Effects o n Wo men
Effects o n Children
Animal hoarding
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 Animal hoarding
Benefits o f Reco gnizing the Link Fo rg o t Pas s wo rd ?
Animal abandonment What can I do ?
Signs o f Abuse
How t o help Risk Assessment
Safety Planning Kit
Shelt er animal st at ist ics Safety Planning fo r Wo men
Safety Planning fo r Pets
Resources Ho w to Clear yo ur Internet Histo ry

About this Project

In 20 0 9 , the CFHS o btained funding fro m the Human Reso urces and So cial Develo pment Canada
Who we are (HRSDC) summer student pro gram fo r a pilo t pro ject to address the pro blems faced by wo men
Sponsors and Part ners with pets when trying to escape do mestic vio lence in the Ottawa Co mmunity. The go al fo r the
Donat e Now pro ject was to develo p mo del that co uld be implemented in any co mmunity acro ss Canada. A
netwo rk o f service pro viders in the Ottawa regio n was initiated to address the barriers that abused Kudo
Programs BC SPCA
wo men with pets face and to wo rk to gether to create a pro gram to assist wo men with pets escape
Members vio lence. Kamloops
Posit ion st at ement s Branch
Kamloops, BC
Cont act Us This summer pro ject just to uched the tip o f the iceberg, making it evident that further funding was
CFHS Grant s - F. A. needed to strengthen the netwo rk, build greater awareness in the co mmunity and develo p so me
McGrand Trust partnerships in the co mmunity to pro vide care fo r wo men’s pets.
CFHS Awards
Event s
Media
Educat ors
Hey kids!
Publicat ions
In t he News
Not ices
Careers Funding Approved!
FAQs In March, 20 0 9 , the CFHS received wo rd fro m The Ontario Trillium Fo undatio n that they had
appro ved o ur o ne-year funding applicatio n to co ntinue to develo p the netwo rk and find co mmunity
so lutio ns to help abused wo men with pets leave abusive living situatio ns.

With this funding, the netwo rk was strengthened, greater awareness was generated o f the issue in
the Ottawa regio n and we made so me headway in finding so lutio ns to care fo r the pets o f abused
wo men. In fact, the CFHS has already been able to pro vide a few referrals fo r tempo rary pet care
to help wo men seeking shelter at an Ottawa-area wo men’s shelter.

Finding tempo rary care fo r pets belo nging to wo men who need to leave abusive situatio ns is a

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co mplex o ne. There are very few successful mo dels anywhere that are addressing this issue. It
requires a co mmunity appro ach with the co llabo ratio n and genero sity o f vario us co mmunity
agencies wo rking to gether.

The wo men’s pets require tempo rary bo arding fo r weeks and o ften mo nths, they need fo o d,
veterinary care such as vaccinatio ns, po ssible spay/neuter and addressing any po ssible medical
co nditio ns. Many o f them have behavio ural issues resulting fro m the abusive ho me. There may be
o wnership issues o f the animals and there are security co ncerns to address as well.

The CFHS is extremely grateful to the Trillium Fo undatio n fo r funding this pro ject that has laid the
gro undwo rk to address this challenge issue in the Ottawa regio n. Further funding is needed to
co ntinue the pro ject to full implementatio n. Ottawa will then be a mo del fo r o ther co mmunities to
fo llo w.

Historical Overview
Humane so cieties and SPCAs have taken the lead in creating greater awareness o f the link
between human and animal vio lence and in building bridges amo ng tho se who wo rk to address
vio lence in so ciety, whether to ward wo men, children o r animals. Dr. Randall Lo ckwo o d, Senio r
Vice President o f Anti-Cruelty Initiatives and Training with the American SPCA, and Phil Arko w,
Chair o f the Child and Animal Abuse Preventio n Pro ject with the Latham Fo undatio n, are two o f
the leading, wo rld-reno wned experts o n the co nnectio n between animal abuse and human
vio lence.

In 19 9 5, the CFHS co -ho sted with the British Co lumbia SPCA the first vio lence preventio n seminar
in Canada. This seminar featured Dr. Lo ckwo o d as the keyno te speaker as well as speakers
wo rking in law enfo rcement, family vio lence and animal pro tectio n. The aim was to educate peo ple
who wo rk in vio lence preventio n and to enco urage cro ss-repo rting o f abuse. The fact is that when
animals are at risk, peo ple are at risk, and when peo ple are at risk, animals are at risk.
Several vio lence preventio n seminars have since been held in vario us parts o f the co untry. In
20 0 0 , the CFHS co -ho sted with the Mo ncto n SPCA the first ever Atlantic-based seminar o n the
vio lence link featuring Phil Arko w. Ano ther first was the “Tangled Web o f Abuse” seminar held in
the no rth also in 20 0 0 , ho sted by the Humane So ciety Yuko n with Dr. Lo ckwo o d as the keyno te
speaker.

These seminars and the wo rk o f the CFHS have educated the general public, the media and even
the go vernment abo ut the link between do mestic vio lence and animal abuse. In December, 19 9 9
Justice Minister Anne McLellan intro duced Bill C-17 to amend Canada’s federal animal cruelty law
in the Ho use o f Co mmo ns. The Minister’s press release stated: “Amended legislatio n to deal with
cruelty to animals signifies the serio usness o f these acts that are o ften warning signs o f vio lent
behavio ur aimed at peo ple.”

In additio n to raising awareness o f the link between human and animal vio lence, humane
so cieties and SPCAs also play an impo rtant ro le thro ugh humane educatio n pro grams aimed at
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teaching children co mpassio n and respect fo r animals.

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T he Violence Link – women, children and pets

Animal abuse and family vio lence do no t exist in iso latio n; animal abuse is o ften a sign o f
pro blems within the family. Peo ple who abuse animals are o ften respo nsible fo r family vio lence.
Abusers exercise po wer and co ntro l thro ugh the physical, psycho lo gical and emo tio nal to rture o f
victims who abusers kno w to be defenceless. The same po wer and co ntro l-based abuse is fo und
acro ss the spectrum in instances o f child, elder, spo usal, animal, o r sexual abuse. When a perso n
o r animal is being abused in the ho me the po ssibility o f o ther fo rms o f vio lence o ccurring in the
ho me sho uld be co nsidered as well. In reality, vio lence is no t iso lated. Co mpartmentalizing
vio lence (the silo appro ach) merely hinders the victims and tho se who wo rk to help them.
Understanding and addressing the co nnectio n between animal abuse and human vio lence can
better pro tect victims, arrest tho se who co mmit vio lent acts and prevent future abuse by identifying
tho se with vio lent tendencies.

Pets are especially impo rtant to victims in vio lent relatio nships as they pro vide a stro ng emo tio nal
co nnectio n and are o ften the o nly so urce o f suppo rt fo r victims in times o f fear and iso latio n.
Abusers use the vulnerability o f animals to co ntro l their victims and keep them in vio lent
relatio nships. When animals are at risk o f vio lence, children and wo men are at risk to o .

Peo ple who abuse animals are o ften respo nsible fo r family vio lence

Children who abuse pets tend to be victims to o , o r have been expo sed to abuse and
learn to behave aggressively to ward o ther peo ple and animals

Animal abusers are five times mo re likely to co mmit vio lent crimes against peo ple
(Study do ne by the Massachusetts So ciety fo r the Preventio n o f Cruelty to Animal, 19 9 7)

Nearly all animal abusers have been victims o f abuse o r expo sed to abuse as a child

Animal abuse and human vio lence are inseparable and if they are no t addressed as an
interco nnected cycle o f vio lence it will o nly co ntinue to po iso n o ur so ciety fro m
generatio n to generatio n

Why do abusers threaten, harm or kill animals?

To create an enviro nment which intimidates and terro rizes their victims

To demo nstrate po wer o ver the family

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 To use the pet as a warning to family members that “Next time it co uld be yo u”

To punish victims fo r acts o f independence and self-determinatio n: such as leaving

To prevent the victim fro m leaving o r co erce her to return by threatening the pet’s well
being

To degrade the victim and/o r shift the respo nsibility o f abuse thro ugh invo lvement in
abuse

To fo rce the family to keep vio lence a secret

To eliminate co mpetitio n fo r attentio n

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Effects on Women
Wo men usually have stro ng emo tio nal ties to their pets and are o ften their
primary care-givers. This makes wo men especially vulnerable to abusers
who use this to exert po wer. Fo r many victims, pets are a part o f the family,
and as stated earlier, the emo tio nal co nnectio n and suppo rt that pets pro vide
wo men in times o f fear and iso latio n is no t so mething to be o verlo o ked. The
safety o f a pet must be taken into co nsideratio n when victims are faced with
the decisio n to leave an abusive situatio n. If pets are no t taken into
co nsideratio n, wo men and children are placed at higher risk because they
may delay leaving their abusive partner to ensure their pets’ safety. A 20 0 0
study co nducted by the Ontario So ciety fo r the Preventio n o f Cruelty to
Animals (Ontario SPCA) repo rts that:

44% o f wo men seeking refuge fro m vio lence in wo men’s shelters stated that their
partner had previo usly abused o r killed o ne o r mo re o f their pets

42% stated that their partner had threatened to hurt o r kill a family pet

16 % co nfirmed that o ther family members had either abused o r killed a family pet

43% stated that co ncern o ver their pets’ welfare had prevented them fro m leaving the
abusive situatio n earlier.

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Effects on Children
Children and animals that are abused o ften share similar experiences o f abuse. Children feel
po werless against abusers and so me children find their o wn victims o ver which to practice
co ntro l. Therefo re, so me children who gro w up with vio lence are mo tivated to harm animals.
Children who abuse animals are o ften mimicking the abuse they have been expo sed to o r
experienced themselves, pro tecting their pet fro m abuse o r practicing their o wn suicide. Children
may also have been fo rced to harm animals to co erce them into silence abo ut the abuse they
experience. Therefo re when a child is being cruel to animals it must no t be disregarded as the
explo rato ry stages in a child’s develo pment. A deeper understanding o f the reaso ns behind why a
child is behaving in this way must be explo red.

Children who have been thro ugh the traumatic experiences o f abuse o r have been expo sed to
abuse o f a pet need help to learn the empathy skills they lack when they are perpetrating their o wn
abuse o f animals. Children need to understand that all living beings experience pain and suffering.
Teaching empathy and discussing ho w animals and humans can experience the same physical
and emo tio nal pain is an effective way o f preventing vio lence and cruelty in the future.

“Childre n abusing anim als is t he e arlie st and m o st re liable pre dict o r o f vio le nt be havio r.”
Kath le e n M . Q u in n , Th e B ro wn Un ive rsity, Ch ild an d Ad o le sce n t B e h avio r Le tte r
The FBI has used the human/animal vio lence co nnectio n since the 19 70 ’s when pro filing serial
killers. So me serial killers with a histo ry o f animal abuse include: Jeffery Dahmer, Paul Bernardo ,
Ted Bundy, Albert De Salvo , and Cliffo rd Olsen. No t all children who are cruel to animals gro w up
to be vio lent criminals but nearly all vio lent criminals have a histo ry o f animal abuse. Nearly all
vio lent criminals and serial killers co me fro m dysfunctio nal families with experiences o f parental
neglect, brutality, rejectio n and ho stility. It is impo rtant to remember that where there is o ne fo rm o f
abuse- whether it be child o r animal- all members o f the family co uld be at risk.

“T he wo rst t hing t hat can happe n t o a child is f o r him t o harm an anim al and ge t away wit h
it . Anim al crue lt y kills re spe ct f o r lif e .”
M arg are t M e ad , Am e rican An th ro p o lo g ist
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Benefits of Recognizing the Link

Reducing incidents o f vio lence and helping wo men, children and pets to get o ut and
stay o ut o f vio lent relatio nships.

Understanding and addressing the link between animal abuse and family vio lence
pro vides us with ano ther to o l to prevent vio lence in o ur co mmunity. By wo rking to gether
and sharing this info rmatio n with o thers we can increase interventio n in the preventio n o f
vio lence.

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 Animal abuse is an indicato r o f future vio lence when identified and repo rted, which
allo ws fo r early interventio n and rehabilitatio n.

Repo rted acts o f animal abuse may act as additio nal evidence against an abuser.

Victims, especially children, find it easier to talk abo ut the abuse to ward a pet than
themselves. This can build rappo rt in therapeutic relatio nships and create alternative
ways to reach target areas o f therapeutic interventio n.

It wo uld be helpful fo r therapists, psycho lo gists, co unsello rs, so cial wo rkers, as well as
do cto rs and nurses to reco gnize animal abuse as an early indicato r. This will help to
assess the risk o f victims and help wo men prepare their pets fo r escape.

“Childre n will o f t e n spe ak m o re re adily abo ut abuse

inf lict e d upo n t he ir pe t s t han upo n t he m se lve s.”
M ary Z iln e y M SW, RSW, Exe cu tive D ire cto r o f Wo m e n ’s Crisis Se rvice s Wate rlo o

What we can do?

Learn abo ut the human/animal vio lence co nnectio n

Talking to yo ur friends and co lleagues abo ut the co nnectio n between animal abuse and
family vio lence may help to enco urage peo ple to repo rt any suspected abuse. So meo ne
who suspects do mestic vio lence but is to o afraid to get invo lved may be mo re
co mfo rtable repo rting animal abuse.

Emergencies -9 11
Repo rt less urgent matters – Po lice line
Repo rt Animal Abuse to a humane so ciety/SPCA
Repo rt suspected child abuse and neglect to Family and Children’s Services

Be a po sitive ro le mo del to children.

Teach empathy to children.

Learn the signs o f abuse and what to do if yo u suspect so meo ne yo u kno w is being
abused. Click here to learn ho w to reco gnize the signs.

If yo u kno w so meo ne who wants to escape a vio lent relatio nship, o ffer a safe place fo r
an animal to stay (ensure that the abuser will no t be able to find the animal- this is to
pro tect yo urself, the victim and the animals)

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Signs of Abuse
It is impo rtant to reco gnize that animal abuse is a sign o f do mestic abuse.

Reco gnize that abusers harm and threaten pets to intimidate and co ntro l their victims.

If so meo ne kicks, punches, thro ws o r hurts an animal they have demo nstrated that they
are capable o f vio lence.

If they have harmed o r threatened yo ur pet yo u may be in danger and yo u sho uld
co nsider leaving.

Using animal vio lence as an indicato r can help a wo man escape vio lence earlier o n.

“Of t e n vict im s are re luct ant t o t alk abo ut abuse t o t he m se lve s but m ay be m o re
co m f o rt able t alking abo ut abuse t o t he ir pe t s, which can le ad int o t alking abo ut t he ir
o wn abuse ”
Th e Vio le n ce Lin k Pro je ct, B ritish Co lu m b ia SPCA

Risk Assessment

Learn to identify the risk facto rs to evaluate if an animal abuser is at risk o f co mmitting
vio lence against peo ple in the future.

It is impo rtant to reco gnize the co rrelatio n between do mestic vio lence and animal
abuse as service pro viders when evaluating, and as individuals experiencing abuse.

If yo ur partner has harmed yo ur pet co nsider filing a repo rt with the Humane
So ciety/SPCA o r the po lice. It will help yo u in the future if it co mes to the po int where
yo u need to put a case to file fo r a restraining o rder to pro tect yo urself and yo ur
children.

Animal related facto rs to co nsider:

Number o f victims
Severity o f injury
Repetitio n o f individuals victims

Several animals injured in the same instance o r inflictio n o f multiple wo unds suggest
greater po tential fo r vio lence

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 Dr. Randall Lo ckwo o d – expert o n animal cruelty/human vio lence link,
Humane So ciety o f The United States
To learn mo re abo ut risk assessment please click here

Safety Planning Kit

If yo u suspect that yo u are in an abusive relatio nship it is impo rtant to prepare yo urself, yo ur
children and yo ur pet fo r escape, whether yo u have decided to leave o r no t. When it co mes to the
crisis po int it can be difficult and dangero us to o rganize yo urself to leave. Safety planning includes
thinking abo ut the actio ns that yo u will have to take to pro tect yo urself, yo ur children and yo ur
pets. Starting no w can o nly help yo u.

Safety Planning for Women

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Safety Planning for Pets

If yo u’re able to prepare fo r yo ur pet’s departure, try to have the
fo llo wing pet items in a safe place where yo ur abiser wo n’t find
them.

Pet’s vaccinatio n and medical reco rds

License that pro ves yo u o wn yo ur animal
Bo wls, bedding, to ys, gro o ming supplies, a favo urite blanket, etc.
Identificatio n tag witho ut yo ur ho me address but with a pho ne number o f a trusted friend
o r yo ur veterinarian
Do g leashes
Cat carriers (Unco nfined cats can easily get scared and escape. If yo u do n’t have a
carrier fo r yo ur cat, a pillo wcase can wo rk in an emergency.)
Medicatio n, if any
A pho to and an info rmatio n sheet o n fo o d and feeding schedules, medical co nditio ns,
medicatio ns and schedules, likes and dislikes, and any po ssible behavio ur pro blems to
give to a tempo rary caretaker

Be f o re le aving m ake sure yo u:

Find a safe place ahead o f time. Ask friends and family that yo u trust who might be
willing to take yo ur pets tempo rarily. Check o ut lo cal safe havens fo r pets in yo ur area.
Kno w yo ur pet’s hiding spo t so yo u do n’t have to spend time lo o king fo r them in the
case o f emergency.

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 The pet’s lo catio n sho uld be kept secret in case the abuser decides to try to take co ntro l
o f a pet in o rder to take co ntro l o f the victim.

Adapted fro m the Making the Connection: Protecting Your Pet from Domestic Violence , by the
HSUS. Co pyright The Humane Society of the United States and the Violence Prevention Program,
Calgary Humane Society.

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How to Clear your Internet History

Int e rne t Explo re r

1. Click o n the To o ls menu, which is fo und o n the to p po rtio n o f the bro wser;
2. Select Int e rne t Opt io ns;
3. Select the Ge ne ral tab, which is fo und near the to p o f the dialo gue bo x;
4. Click o n De le t e File s, which is fo und under Tempo rary Internet Files sectio n (lo cated
near the middle o f the dialo gue bo x);
5. In the new dialo gue bo x, check the bo x that says De le t e All Of f line Co nt e nt , and
then click OK;
6 . Click o n Cle ar Hist o ry , which is fo und under the Histo ry sectio n (lo cated near the
bo tto m o f the dialo gue bo x); and then
7. Click OK to exit dialo gue bo x.

Ne t scape Navigat o r

1. Click o n the Edit menu, which is fo und o n the to p po rtio n o f the bro wser;
2. Select Pre f e re nce s;
3. Select Hist o ry, which is fo und under Catego ry (lo cated o n the left side o f the dialo gue
bo x);
4. Click o n Cle ar Hist o ry , which is fo und under the Bro wsing Histo ry sectio n (lo cated o n
the to p right side o f the dialo gue bo x);
5. Click o n Cle ar Lo cat io n Bar , which is fo und under the Lo catio n Bar Histo ry sectio n
(lo cated near the middle o f the right side o f the dialo gue bo x);
6 . Select Cache , which is fo und under the Advanced sectio n (lo cated o n the left side o f the
dialo gue bo x);
7. Click o n bo th Cle ar Me m o ry Cache and Cle ar Disk Cache butto ns; and then
8 . Click OK to exit the dialo gue bo x.

Mo zilla Fire f o x

1. Click o n the To o ls menu, which is fo und o n the to p po rtio n o f the bro wser;
2. Select the Privacy tab, which is fo und o n the left side o f the dialo gue bo x;
3. Select Hist o ry and click o n the clear butto n;
4. Select Cache and click o n the clear butto n; and then
5. Click OK to exit dialo gue bo x,
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